Aeronautics Industry Boosts Economic Growth in Mexican State

laht.com

MEXICO CITY – The aeronautics industry, which is one of the most dynamic sectors in the economy of Mexico’s Queretaro state, has changed the industrial model in this region in central Mexico over the past few years.

The aeronautics industry has grown from two companies in 2005 to 80 firms today, with the work force growing from 500 to 8,000 employees and investment rising from $100 million to $500 million.

The aeronautics industry “has put us on the map because, although we had industries in the past, no one talked about Queretaro as a leading state,” Queretaro Sustainable Development Secretary Marcelo Lopez Sanchez said, adding that the growth model in the aeronautics sector had been adopted by other industries.

One of the first companies to arrive in the state, along with Spain’s Industria de Turbo Propulsores, or ITP, was General Electric, which opened a research center in Queretaro known as GEIQ.

The center designs aircraft turbines, trying to create more efficient models that cut fuel consumption and noise.

The center works with the GEIQ Aviation Systems division to develop software for aircraft in different areas, such as power generation and the development of boards to distribute energy across the plane.

But what really boosted the aeronautics industry in Queretaro was the arrival of Canada’s Bombardier, the world’s third-largest manufacturer of commercial aircraft.

The company expanded across the state, opening new plants, but it recently announced the layoffs of 350 employees due to the flat reception for its Learjet 85 model in the market.

Bombardier’s arrival in Queretaro inspired the creation of the Aeronautics University of Queretaro, or UNAQ, a public college that adapts the educational model to market demands.