The reconfiguration of Mexico’s industrial landscape has spurred the emergence of new markets for the development of industrial parks. However, challenges remain related to legal certainty, infrastructure availability, and access to strategic services to sustain their growth.
During his participation in the Industrial & Logistics Summit, organized by Inmobiliare, Eduardo Reyes, vice president of Business Development Corporate Properties of the Americas (CPA) , specified that Hermosillo will be an entity that takes on greater relevance, as well as the southeast in Villahermosa and Durango.
“The question is whether these secondary markets are truly ready in terms of skilled labor, infrastructure, services, water, and so on. But I do believe that these markets will emerge as a plan B if we don’t have the capacity to supply in time,” he said.
He commented that while electricity is one of the most important requests, shortening the time required for permits and licenses is also necessary to deliver the project on time.
“It’s about trying to provide certainty that we are ready to do it, that we have the skilled workforce, that we do things on time, infrastructure, deliver the building on time, permits and licenses; we must focus on providing that certainty to continue attracting investment, whether from emerging markets or existing ones,” he stated.
Ana Martha Legorreta, partner at a|911 and director of Urban Planning, said that emerging markets have shown a positive scenario for carrying out projects in her state.
“We worked on an industrial park in Progreso and the first questions were, ‘Where will the train spur be? And the substation?’ These are the issues that strengthen and support the investment. We saw a lot of energy and coordination, and in the end, it’s a differentiator for these regions,” he explained during the panel “The New Industrial Map of Mexico: Nearshoring, USMCA and Advanced Manufacturing.”
Although he mentioned that there are more requirements in the development of industrial parks such as electrical infrastructure, for water supply, talent generation, as well as social equipment, housing and transportation.
“Comprehensive planning, that is, not only urban or territorial planning, but also legal aspects, infrastructure, security, the city has to withstand it; it is a huge challenge,” he noted.
Nadiezhda Vázquez, partner at SMPS Legal, indicated that they also take into account whether the project is legally viable, which involves more thorough due diligence processes , as well as agrarian and social issues, licenses and permits, among others.
“What makes a project attractive today involves different aspects; legal, real estate, financial, and logistical factors all come into play. Therefore, I believe the analysis is much more comprehensive, and there are many more aspects we must consider to determine if a project is attractive. I think financing is undoubtedly something we all deal with daily; projects today are leveraged. So what makes financing attractive? Well, of course, it’s that the development has a sound financial projection and meets deadlines,” he explained.
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