Tooling Cluster evolves toward advanced manufacturing

The Tooling Cluster announced its transformation into the Tooling and Advanced Manufacturing Cluster: an evolution aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of Mexican industry in the face of the rise of nearshoring, digitalization, and the relocation of supply chains. The change coincided with the swearing-in of Blanca Nelly Lopez as the first woman to lead the organization in its eight-year history.

Upon assuming the position, the new president made it clear that Mexican manufacturing is undergoing a period of profound transformation linked to current trade tensions between the United States and China, US industrial policies, and the upcoming review of the USMCA.

Advanced manufacturing will integrate digital technologies, automation, artificial intelligence, precision engineering, and smart production systems to deliver high-value-added products with the greatest sustainability and flexibility.

Under this new scope, the cluster will strengthen key value chains such as the automotive, aerospace, and medical sectors, but will also seek to boost sectors such as Oil & Gas, electrical, metalworking, and plastics processing.

The cluster’s technical foundation—molds, dies, and devices—will remain the heart and origin of the organization, as outlined by Director Alfonso Peña, who explained that advanced manufacturing specifically aims to make these processes more flexible and agile through robotics and digitalization.