Mexico, fertile ground for the chip sector

In this context, Mexico becomes relevant, because despite not being a country where semiconductors are manufactured, it does participate in other points of the process: such as the extraction of materials or other complementary tasks, among which design, assembly, validation and packaging.

“The wafers that are manufactured require assembly and packaging so that they can be connected to a personal computer, a server or even a car,” explains the specialist, who adds that these processes are already carried out in Mexico by several technology companies. global.

Who is taking advantage of the development of semiconductors in Mexico?

An example of this is Intel, which inaugurated the Guadalajara Design Center almost 24 years ago and is where the design and validation processes of all the brand’s chips are carried out. But it’s not the only case.

The American Micron also recently announced that it will build an engineering and operations center in Guadalajara, as part of its global expansion strategy, which began after the $6.14 billion subsidy from the Biden administration.

This new center will be focused on product development for Micron’s memory solutions aimed at boosting its Artificial Intelligence tools, in addition to the team members of the new site will be in constant communication with Micron’s teams and operations in the United States. .

Carlos Rebelión, director of public policies and government at Intel Latin America, also highlights that having prepared talent, especially in Mexico, is critical in the face of the new hardware needs implied by generative Artificial Intelligence.

“The computer model is becoming very challenging,” he declares, but Mexico is fertile ground for companies that supply the value chain by increasing their participation in terms of foreign trade, particularly in the north of the country, which is where The technology industry is growing more.

There is an opportunity for the Mexican industry to measure itself against Asia and be able to produce part of the process on Mexican soil and thereby have a more favorable trade and technological balance, Nieblas comments.

However, Rebellón concludes that Mexico, like the United States, also requires its own semiconductor policy, because this will help close the cycle in the detonation of a strategic industry for the future.