Human talent is key to boosting the aerospace industry: FEMIA

GUANAJUATO - For the aerospace industry to take off in Mexico, it is not only necessary to have more domestic and foreign investment, but another factor that can be decisive is the human talent that is prepared in the classrooms of universities.

This was stated by Luis G. Lizcano, Executive President of the Mexican Federation of the Aerospace Industry (FEMIA), during the inauguration of the World Space Week 2023 at the Centro Universitario de Tonalá (CUTonalá), when explaining the outlook of this industry in the country.

"Aeronautics and space are industries whose major component is knowledge, talent and skills," he stated in his lecture "Trends and Opportunities in Mexico's Aerospace Industry."

He explained that Mexico maintains a discreet growth in this industry: from 2004 to 2019 this sector grew an average of 14% annually, in addition to the fact that in the country there are around 368 companies dedicated to this area.

Lizcano shared that in Mexico this industry is present in 16 of the 32 entities, including Jalisco, generating more than 60,000 jobs. He added that devices such as turbines, landing gear and aircraft interiors are manufactured in Mexico.

"At the end of the day, just as countries are going to compete for water, companies are going to compete for talent, and the regions that are going to grow the most are those that have the most talent," he said.

Lizcano stressed that entrepreneurship in the aerospace industry is booming. Currently, this sector seeks to exploit the areas of telecommunications, global geolocation and device launching.

For the specialist, in Mexico there are governmental efforts such as those of the Mexican Space Agency to promote this industry, in addition to other allies such as the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE).