The Aguascalientes Industrial Cluster is created; it groups the most important automotive companies

Aguascalientes

By Alejandra Méndez

IOn Thursday afternoon, the Aguascalientes Industrial Cluster (CLIA), which will occupy 11th place in the National Network of Automotive Industry Clusters, was sworn in and legally constituted as a civil association. It comprises more than 21 companies, three academic institutions, and the state government.

In his speech, Pedro Hugo Gracia Gonzalez, who was appointed president of  CLIA for the 2021-2022 term, highlighted that, professionally, he is motivated by the challenge of being in a project to start operating a new plant in Aguascalientes and, in turn, coordinating the efforts to establish the foundations of a Cluster made up of successful leaders.

"We are looking for synergy to drive economic development and increase competitiveness. Our values support us, and we must be passionate about what we do under a scheme of collaboration and integrity while being disruptive to seek competitiveness with audacity," he added.

The CLIA aims to build a new ecosystem that will turn Aguascalientes into a national and international benchmark for quality manufacturing.

It will bring together the most important automotive companies in the state in order to create value for its associates through collaboration and the generation of synergies between the private sector, government, and academia.

In Aguascalientes, there are 35 Tier 1 plants, which generate around 30,000 direct jobs, and 117 Tier 2 plants that supply the automotive industry with products and services and generate approximately 15,000 direct jobs.

The Cluster will start working in four of the seven sectors included in the economic plan of the state administration of Martin Orozco Sandoval: automotive, information technology, aerospace, and biomedical.

"We have to place our bets on the country, and that is fundamental; this Cluster gives us the great opportunity to make international strategies, and this is the state's mission. The strength of an industry and an entity is also its micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and that represents us. They are a great factor for competitiveness and its industry," said the governor of Aguascalientes.

 

For his part, Manuel Alejandro González Martínez, head of the state's Secretariat of Economic Development and pro-secretary of CLIA, indicated that the success factor of this project is innovation and commitment. The project was born as an ally that will seek the best for Aguascalientes with a differentiated model and strategy through teamwork.

Among the special guests at the event, which was held both in person and virtually, were Martín Orozco Sandoval, Governor of Aguascalientes; María Teresa Jiménez Esquivel, Municipal President of Aguascalientes; Armando Ávila Moreno, founding partner of CLIA; and Manuel Montoya Ortega, President of the National Network of Automotive Industry Clusters, among others.

 

CLIA’s STRATEGIC LINES

• Innovation: planet, industry 4.0, new technologies incubator, informational observatory, new product development.
• Talent: training, effective linkages, retention, knowledge economy.
• Conscious leadership: develop the CLIA management structure, permeate a vision of humanistic leadership, generate economic development in the state of Aguascalientes.
• Globalization:  identity, vocation and branding, talent, support, partnerships, platform, infrastructure.

 

CLIA’s MEMBERS

• Pedro Hugo Gracia, president.
• Eduardo Infante, vice president.
• Ricardo Ponce de León, secretary.
• Manuel Alejandro González, pro-secretary.
• Luis Ricardo Martínez, treasurer and spokesperson.
• Antonio Martín del Campo, pro-treasurer.
• José Luis del Toro, member.
• Clío Ríos, coordinator.

 

AFFILIATED COMPANIES

CLIA's project for 2021 will be to integrate more companies and universities, to reach 50 affiliated organizations. 

Currently, the following are part of this group:

• Nissan Mexican
• Flex
• Continental
• Marelli
• Eaton
• Cold Express
• Laprotex fabrics
• QAS Mexico
• Daelpa Tecno
• AP Controls
• Mextamp
• AMINSA
• 02X
• Lobo 10 & Company
• Softtek
• Ultra Group Mexicana
• Bajo Alfombras y Aislantes Textiles SA
• Secretariat of Economic Development of Aguascalientes
• Universidad Panamericana Aguascalientes (Panamerican University of Aguascalientes)
• Tecnológico de Monterrey Aguascalientes (Monterrey Institute of Technology in Aguascalientes)
• Instituto Tecnológico de Aguascalientes (Technological Institute of Aguascalientes)