Sonora seeks to consolidate its position in the semiconductor industry

SONORA – Sonora is taking a step forward in the technology industry with the development of the “Kutsari” National Semiconductor Design Center, announced by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Thanks to the Sonora Sustainable Energy Plan, the State reported that it is positioning itself as a key point in the country’s digital transformation, along with Jalisco and Puebla.

Sonora’s energy potential and strategic conditions have attracted investments in high-tech sectors, with a focus on semiconductor manufacturing and design. In addition, the presence of the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (INAOE) in the region reinforces its vocation as a pole of innovation and scientific development.

The Governor of Sonora, Alfonso Durazo, explained that the state will play a fundamental role in Mexico’s Semiconductor Development Plan.

With the aim of making Mexico a scientific and technological power, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, announced the creation of the “Kutsari” National Semiconductor Design Center, in which Mexican scientists from public institutions of higher education will be able to develop new designs for this type of devices, which can be patented in accordance with international standards that protect innovation, based on modifications to the Federal Law for the Protection of Industrial Property (LFPPI).

“The Kutsari Semiconductor Design Center or Kutsari Project: National Semiconductor Design Center, is the union of many scientists, technology developers, from public institutions of higher education, who are going to put all their intelligence, design, creativity, to generate new semiconductor designs,” Sheinbaum explained.

The Mexican president specified that, with the changes to the Law, the process to register technological innovations will be accelerated in less time than it is currently done, with which semiconductors will be able to go from design to production lines for sale.

In addition, Sheinbaum highlighted that the development of semiconductors is part of Plan Mexico, which aims to produce more products in the country with the collaboration of the national private initiative and foreign investments that are installed from regional development so that this will give way to scientific and technological innovations in national territory.

The national coordinator of the Semiconductor Project and general director of Innovación Bienestar de México, Edmundo Gutiérrez Domínguez, explained that the semiconductor industry has a three-link supply chain: one, design; two, manufacturing; and three, testing, encapsulation and assembly of the chips.

Therefore, for its development, a strategy was established for the elaboration of a public policy to support the program for the development of the industry aligned with Plan Mexico, which includes the creation of the “Kutsari” National Semiconductor Design Center, to be consolidated by 2027.

This will take advantage of the Mexican scientific experience that will be developed over four decades to, in the first instance, provide solutions for the local and global market in the automotive industry, household appliances, medical equipment, among other strategic devices for the country.

Gutierrez announced that an Accelerated Training Program for designers will also be created to consolidate the National Semiconductor Design Center, as well as to provide training services to other design centers in both the public and private sectors. Meanwhile, in a second stage, by 2026, the definition of the semiconductor manufacturing model is proposed, that is to say, to consider a public, private or mixed company for the construction of a factory that could be consolidated by 2029 and then by 2030 guarantee the three links in the semiconductor supply chain.