Mexico semiconductor industry opportunities at Tecnologico de Monterrey symposium, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico City, Mexico): Tecnologico de Monterrey brought together researchers, industry leaders and public sector representatives at its Third International Semiconductor Symposium, held October 29 and 30 at its Mexico City Campus. The meeting focused on the capabilities that Mexico and Latin America need to develop to strengthen their participation in the industry, as well as opportunities to build more solid and resilient regional ecosystems.
The discussion takes place as the global market expands. According to estimates from Deloitte, global semiconductor sales could reach $975 billion in 2026, a 26% increase over the previous year, driven mainly by artificial intelligence (AI).
This scenario opens opportunities for Mexico, but also presents the challenge of advancing toward higher-value stages within the production chain.
Mexico has an industrial base and growth opportunities. According to the Secretariat of Economy, the country has 479 economic units linked to the semiconductor sector and accumulated $7,102.7 million in foreign direct investment between 2012 and 2024.
In 2024, it imported $25,778 million in integrated circuits, compared with exports of $3,388 million.
These figures show the relevance of these components to the Mexican economy and the opportunity to develop capabilities that would allow the country to participate in more stages of the value chain. Karla Valenzuela, dean of the School of Engineering and Sciences at the Mexico City Region, said Mexico seeks to position itself as a competitive and reliable player within global semiconductor supply chains.
She added that events such as the symposium help coordinate efforts among government, the productive sector and universities to move beyond traditional manufacturing, promote local design and innovation, and advance public policies that facilitate investment attraction.
Talent, laboratories and cross-sector collaboration. To contribute to developing these capabilities, the School of Engineering and Sciences at Tecnologico de Monterrey said it is advancing three lines of action through its strategic initiative in Nanotechnology and Semiconductors: training talent that meets industry needs, consolidating laboratory infrastructure for research and technological development, and promoting joint projects among universities, companies and government.
The goal is for these capabilities to translate into technological advances with applications beyond the semiconductor sector, from health and wellness solutions to innovations related to sustainability and industrial process transformation.
Artificial intelligence and the role of human thinking. During his participation, J.
Andres Torres of Siemens EDA said artificial intelligence can solve known problems, but human thinking remains indispensable when facing new or not yet identified challenges. He stressed the importance of recognizing opportunities, connecting existing knowledge in new ways, and identifying the steps needed to reach solutions.
From this perspective, technological development is not only about using AI to improve known processes, but also about applying human capabilities to address different problems.
An industry that requires greater regional integration. The symposium also highlighted the importance of strengthening regional collaboration.
Facing an industry characterized by global supply chains and growing technological complexity, Mexico has the opportunity to develop areas of specialization and expand its integration with North America, leveraging the complementarity among research, design, manufacturing and innovation capabilities across countries.
