When we think of beer, we usually think of its ingredients, its flavor, or the tradition behind it. We rarely think of data analytics, automation, or predictive systems. However, today, beer manufacturing is one of the industries where technological innovation is advancing most rapidly, and where every improvement has a direct impact on quality, sustainability, and the consumer experience.

Innovation in beer no longer happens solely in the product itself; it happens, above all, in the way it’s produced. Each bottle of beer contains much more than a recipe: it embodies science, industrial precision, and a constant evolution of manufacturing that has made this industry a global benchmark for innovation. Today, beer represents one of the most sophisticated production processes in the beverage sector, where tradition and technology coexist to meet the demands of increasingly discerning consumers.

Beer manufacturing is part of a deeply integrated value chain that begins in the fields with barley and culminates in high-speed packaging lines. In Mexico, this agro-industrial integration is key: the industry is built on solid agricultural production standards and highly controlled industrial processes that guarantee consistency on a large scale. This level of integration allows each batch to maintain excellent quality, even when millions of hectoliters are produced annually.

The scale is significant. Between 2018 and 2024, beer production in Mexico grew at an average annual rate of 2.5%, reaching 140.9 million hectoliters in 2024 and positioning it among the world’s leading producers. Today, one out of every five beers exported globally is produced in Mexico . This volume demands advanced manufacturing systems where automation, real-time monitoring, and data analytics are essential to ensure efficiency, reliability, and quality at every stage of the process.

For those of us who lead operations, the challenge is no longer just about producing more. The real challenge is producing better: with greater precision, using fewer resources, reducing environmental impact, and maintaining the highest quality standards in every bottle that reaches the consumer.

One of the key differentiators of modern brewing is its ability to evolve without losing its essence . Although the basic process—milling, brewing, fermentation, and maturation—has remained the same for centuries, the way each of these stages is managed has changed radically thanks to digitalization.

Today, the most advanced breweries incorporate smart sensors, automated systems, and artificial intelligence to reduce variations, optimize resources, increase operational efficiency, and ensure quality. Innovation no longer depends solely on large investments in infrastructure; it also lies in the ability to make better decisions based on data.

Sustainability has become a central pillar of beer manufacturing. Today, the most advanced operations integrate solutions that aim to optimize resource use and reduce their environmental impact. This is reflected in more efficient processes , the use of cleaner energy, and responsible water management. More than just a trend, these actions are part of a new way of understanding manufacturing: one where operational efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand.

At the same time, manufacturing innovation is geared towards decarbonizing the entire value chain , from the origin of the ingredients to the point of consumption. This approach drives improvements at every stage: agriculture, production, logistics, and refrigeration, with the goal of moving towards increasingly efficient and sustainable operations. Thus, efficiency is no longer concentrated solely in the factory but extends throughout the entire product journey.

Finally, the brewing industry stands out for its ability to balance scale and precision. Unlike other industries, here every process variable, such as temperature, time, pressure, etc., directly impacts the final product. Therefore, innovation doesn’t just mean increasing production capacity; it means ensuring that every beer maintains the same quality, consistency, and experience that millions of consumers worldwide expect.

Beer is, in essence, a story of continuous industrial evolution . Behind every product lies a combination of technical expertise, investment in technology, and a commitment to excellence. And it is precisely in manufacturing where this transformation becomes tangible: in every controlled process, every resource saved, and every innovation that redefines what is possible.

*Felipe Ibarra currently serves as VP of Manufacturing at HEINEKEN Mexico .

Connect and comment with Felipe through LinkedIn .

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El cargo Behind every beer: the innovation that is transforming the future of brewing apareció primero en T21.

The Ministry of Economy (SE) warned that there is a shortage of specialized personnel and logistics profiles in Mexico that affects sectors such as agri-food, where more than 50% of production is lost due to bad decisions.

“Our diagnosis is that there is a critical shortage of logistics profiles and specialized labor, a serious deficit in the sector,” said José Ignacio Aguado, Director General of Innovation, Services and Domestic Trade at the SE.

During the monthly meeting held by the Mexican Association of Intermodal Transport (AMTI) , he indicated that there are other countries that are growing more than Mexico in logistics matters, such as Brazil.

He indicated that the country requires 150,000 certified specialized technicians per year , since one of the weaknesses is training, evaluation and certification, expansion of ports, railways and logistics corridors, among other factors.

Claudia Alexandra Patrón, Director of Logistics and Supply Chain at the Ministry of Economy, said that despite the existing infrastructure, “ we are becoming less competitive in logistics performance every day . The Logistics Performance Index shows a drop of 15 positions by 2023; we would have to see if we have improved or are continuing to decline, but it is everyone’s responsibility to professionalize the sector, adopt better practices, and support SMEs in international markets.”

Regarding intermodal transport, he explained that it is necessary to know if there are certified operators , to make it more competitive and to visualize its importance, since in Mexico there are challenges to increase its participation in the movement of cargo.

However, he reiterated that skilled labor is also needed, otherwise negative impacts will occur.

“They need to have profiles that allow you to trace the cargo, ensure logistical security, and manage cargo operations if you handle SMEs or if you are an AEO operator, because we already have access to the ports, but who is in charge of transshipping the merchandise and making that transport connection?” he stressed.

He mentioned that among the country’s most important export sectors, the agri-food sector is projected to generate over $53 billion in exports by 2025, more than tourism or oil. Furthermore, it employs 61 million people.

He also noted that Mexico exports these types of products to 141 countries, and ranks 14th worldwide in terms of exports.

“But with all those exports, we are losing 50% of production due to logistical failures, poor management of the supply chain and distribution to the destination, due to time, procedures, operations, decision-making, a loss due to a deficiency in the decision-making of those who operate the supply chain,” he explained.

Therefore, José Ignacio Aguado highlighted that within the Mexico Plan there are goals to consolidate the country as a hub in advanced manufacturing, foreign trade, clean energy, among other actions that are being carried out from the Ministry of Economy.

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Aeromexico Cargo installed its first freezer chamber  at the domestic warehouse facilities of Terminal 2 at Mexico City International Airport (AICM) , increasing its capacity to handle cargo that requires temperature control.

This equipment, located at its main operations center, has a capacity of 100 cubic meters and is designed to store different products at temperatures as low as -30° C during connection times at the AICM.

“Its addition will strengthen the company’s logistical capacity to meet a growing demand for perishable products, especially in the food sector, where temperature control is essential to preserve its quality during the transport phase,” the company said.

In this way, the company will guarantee the continuity of the cold chain during the transfer of perishable goods, under the highest quality and safety standards in the industry.

Among the main products that can be stored in this new infrastructure are frozen meat, seafood and fish, frozen bread for commercial storage and ultra-frozen bread .

“Freezing chambers play an essential role in international air cargo logistics, as they facilitate compliance with international regulations and directly influence operational efficiency and service quality,” he explained.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , more than 13% of food produced globally is lost before reaching the consumer, which is why specialized cold chain infrastructure has become a strategic element for international logistics.

Aeroméxico Cargo currently operates an average of 450 daily cargo flights . With this, the company reaffirms its commitment to innovation and operational efficiency to continue consolidating its position as one of the leading air cargo carriers in Mexico.

The cold chain logistics market in the country is a key sector for agribusiness, health and international trade, with an estimated value of seven billion 040 million dollars (USD) in 2025 and a projection of seven billion 390 million USD in 2026, reaching nine billion 380 million USD in 2031, according to the consulting firm Mordor Intelligence .

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El cargo Sub-zero logistics: Aeromexico Cargo installs its first freezer chamber at AICM apareció primero en T21.

Mexico faces a structural problem in freight transport related to the average age of the fleet; according to data from the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) , the average age of the freight fleet is 20 years, which means that there are units in circulation that are more than 50 years old .

Based on estimates from various analyses, the used heavy equipment market in Mexico ranges from 80,000 to 130,000 units annually . Meanwhile, the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA) projects that for every new unit sold, eight used units are sold.

SARMW , a firm specializing in leasing, marketing, and maintenance in the transportation industry, designed the first edition of the SARMW Truck Fest , where it will make available to the transportation sector its extensive portfolio, allowing entrepreneurs to access more modern and technologically advanced units than the industry average.

The SARMW Truck Fest will be held on August 13 at the El Reparo facilities in Allende, Nuevo León, where the objective is to bring together carriers from various regions of the country, who will be able to access tractor-trailers and dry vans that have the backing of SARMW quality.

TO REGISTER FOR THE SARMW TRUCK FEST, CLICK HERE.

In addition to the sale of transport equipment, there will be a suppliers’ fair that was planned to offer allied equipment and comprehensive solutions to transporters who come looking to renew their units.

Among the participating suppliers are CR3 Supply , Filtra Lub , TRA , Alesso (Cummins distributor) , Vigox , FIRO Allende Electrical Parts , MD Refacciones , Pulido Truck Parts , ThermoCarrva , Turbo System, HRC Components , and FORE Seguros y Fianzas .

In addition to the discounts and promotions offered by equipment and solutions providers, carriers attending the SARMW Truck Fest will automatically be entered into a raffle to win an additional discount of up to 50,000 pesos when they reserve a tractor-trailer .

With this proposal, SARMW fulfills its business vision: “ To be the best option nationwide in leasing, marketing and maintenance services , offering a tailor-made solution for the transportation industry.”

SARMW is a member of Zinergia, a business conglomerate that includes 16 different companies focused on offering solutions in the freight transport and logistics market, as well as in the field of technology.

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For more than three decades, North America’s manufacturing competitiveness has been measured by one fundamental principle: the origin of goods. From NAFTA to the current USMCA, rules of origin and regional content requirements have been the mechanism for determining which products can benefit from preferential tariff treatment. However, a new school of thought suggests that the real challenge for the region is no longer where a product is manufactured, but rather how capable the supply chain is of moving it reliably, safely, and sustainably .

That is the thesis put forward by researchers Gastón Cedillo and Christopher Mejía Argueta in an analysis published by Supply Chain Management Review , where they propose evolving from traditional “rules of origin” towards “rules of resilience” , capable of recognizing the strategic value of logistics networks in an environment marked by uncertainty.

The proposal takes on particular relevance at a time when North America is seeking to consolidate itself as a productive bloc in the face of global geopolitical tensions and the realignment of supply chains resulting from nearshoring . According to the authors, the disruptions of recent years have exposed a structural weakness: knowing where a good was manufactured does not provide information about whether it can cross borders efficiently, safely, and at competitive costs.

The problem is that the main risks are no longer concentrated in production plants. Border closures, cargo theft, digital logistics fraud , infrastructure congestion, labor disputes, energy disruptions, and geopolitical tensions have become factors capable of eroding the value of a commodity even after it has been manufactured.

From this perspective, Mexico faces one of its greatest challenges . The increase in cargo theft, the saturation of some border crossings, port bottlenecks, and the need to modernize customs processes are all factors that could directly impact regional competitiveness. The discussion, therefore, shifts from focusing exclusively on the regional content of a product to the capacity of logistics corridors to guarantee operational continuity.

To measure this capacity, the authors propose four dimensions: reliability, security, redundancy, and governance . The first refers to the predictability of transit times; the second, to protection against theft and fraud; the third, to the existence of alternative routes, suppliers, and crossings; and the fourth, to institutional coordination among authorities and agencies involved in the cross-border movement of goods.

The proposal goes beyond a conceptual approach. Cedillo and Mejía Argueta suggest creating a Logistics Resilience Credit Score , a kind of rating that would reward logistics chains with the best performance in variables such as transit time variability, cargo loss rates, emissions, and route redundancy. Following this logic, resilience could become a recognized economic asset within the region’s trade mechanisms.

They also propose a Digital Resilience Certificate , capable of documenting and verifying the logistical performance of each shipment, similar to how a certificate of origin currently operates. The goal would be to generate trust, traceability, and transparency among exporters, carriers, authorities, insurers, and customers.

Although the proposal is still in the academic sphere, the approach aligns with an increasingly evident reality for industry: North America’s competitive advantage will no longer depend solely on producing within the region, but rather on the ability to move goods smoothly in an increasingly complex environment . In this context, the upcoming review of the USMCA could open the door to a conversation that goes beyond rules of origin and positions logistical resilience as a new indicator of regional economic integration.

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Following the derailment of one of its trains in Sonora on July 25, Ferromex reported that the incident was caused by a landslide, which resulted in no injuries. The company also stated that the cleanup of the spilled chemical and the restoration of rail service have been completed .

The company stated that through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) it has been specified that the incident did not represent an immediate risk to the population , although various studies are being carried out to learn about some of the probable impacts.

“The spilled materials have been collected, aerial monitoring showed no evidence of a widespread spill in the area, and laboratory studies and soil sampling are currently being carried out in the area they have delimited so that they can later offer their final conclusions. Ferromex is implementing the immediate actions and measures indicated by Semarnat and Profepa,” he explained.

Ferromex stated that train service was restored last Wednesday, July 29 , and that the removal of the units from the incident area is nearing completion.

It should be remembered that the incident occurred in the vicinity of the Cuauhtémoc ejido, 20 kilometers from the municipality of Naco, Sonora, in an unpopulated area.

Similarly, Ferromex stated that the incident was caused by a landslide at the ends of a culvert as a result of excessive water accumulation from heavy rains in the region, which weakened the structure of the track, without there being any injured or affected persons nor official record of health consequences related to this event, “as has been falsely mentioned.”

“From the very first moment, the company’s security and civil protection protocols were activated, and the corresponding authorities at different levels of government were notified,” he emphasized.

The event caused a runoff of sodium hydrosulfide and a spill of copper concentrate, so company personnel immediately went to the area and, with the support of municipal, state and federal authorities, carried out work to contain the leak and collect the spilled materials.

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Mexican business confidence increased by 0.1 points in July 2026 compared to last June and decreased by 0.7 units year-on-year, according to the Global Business Confidence Opinion Indicator (IGOEC), which stood at 48.2 points.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) , with this latest observation, the indicator has remained below the 50-point threshold for 17 consecutive months , reflecting pessimism among Mexican business owners.

By sector, construction saw the largest monthly gain, rising 0.9 points to 47.2 units. The company’s future economic outlook was the only component with a negative result, registering a decrease of 0.1 points.

The confidence of private non-financial services business owners increased by 0.3 units compared to last June, reaching 48.5 units, thus accumulating 10 consecutive months below the 50-point threshold.

The improvement was explained by a more favorable perception of the country’s current economic situation, which rose 1.4 points month-on-month; however, the right time to invest fell by 1 unit.

The Business Confidence Indicator (BCI) for manufacturing industries remained unchanged, holding steady at 48 points and marking 17 consecutive months below the 50-point threshold. The only component that registered a monthly decline (-1.4 points) was the “opportune time to invest” indicator.

In July 2026, the Trade ICE fell 0.6 points compared to the previous month, reaching 48.4 points. This marks the 17th consecutive month that the indicator has remained below the 50-point threshold.

The decline was due to less confidence about the right time to invest (-1 point) and the future economic situation of the company, which fell 0.9 units in the period.

In its annual measurement, the ICE for manufacturing industries fell 1.4 units; the construction sector advanced 0.1 points; the trade sector registered an increase of 1.2 units; and the private non-financial services sector fell 1.6 points.

Business confidence advanced in the seventh month of the year, after remaining unchanged in June, registering its second monthly increase in 2026, driven by construction.

According to Inegi, the IGOEC and the ICE are built with the results of the Monthly Business Opinion Survey (EMOE), which presents the opinion of business executives from the manufacturing, construction, trade, and private non-financial services industries on the economic situation of the country and their companies.

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El cargo Mexican business confidence in July, between uncertainty and caution apareció primero en T21.

The decline in order volume and the timeliness of supplier input delivery influenced the monthly drop in manufacturing orders in July 2026, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi)  and the  Bank of Mexico (Banxico) .

In the seventh month of the year, the  Manufacturing Orders Indicator (IPM) stood at  50 units , which meant a decrease of 0.1 points compared to June 2026.

Conversely, the IPM, which presents the expectations and perception of business executives on the performance of the manufacturing sector in Mexico,  registered a positive performance in its annual measurement, with a slight increase of 0.2 points .

Within the indicator, monthly declines were recorded in two of the five components that make it up .

In July 2026, orders saw the largest decline  , falling 5.7 points compared to June. This was followed   by a decrease of 0.1 points in the availability of supplies from vendors .

Conversely, input inventories increased by 4.1 points on a monthly basis; while production and  total employed personnel  advanced by 3.8 and 0.2 units, respectively, on a monthly basis.

By activity groups, the transport equipment subsector fell 1.6 points year-on-year; while petroleum and coal derivatives, the chemical, plastics and rubber industry advanced 2.1 units year-on-year.

US tariffs have impacted the Mexican manufacturing industry by decreasing orders, especially for transportation equipment, which affects the country’s automotive sector.

This is compounded by an economy that is only just beginning to show signs of recovery. In the second quarter of 2026, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.51% after a contraction of 0.62% in the first quarter of the year.

“It is estimated that approximately two-thirds of the quarterly growth was due to the World Cup effect, which boosted retail trade and service consumption, while the rest of the growth was the result of a rebound effect after the contraction observed in the first quarter,” explained Grupo Financiero BASE .

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Some companies change course. Few achieve something more difficult: evolving without losing the essence that gave rise to them.

That is, perhaps, the best way to understand the history of CIMA Group .

It would be easy to tell its story based on its results: in the last year it handled one million containers ; over twenty-five years it consolidated its presence in the country’s main ports; it integrated transport, inspection, storage, foreign trade, and strategic infrastructure; and it ushered in a new era of digital logistics. But to do so would be to start at the end.

Before the infrastructure and the companies that make up CIMA Group, there was a decision. Together with his wife, Fátima Magallón, and his brothers, Omar and Irving Romero, César turned a conviction into reality.

During his university years, César Romero García recounts, he developed a thesis as his final project. What for most represents the end of an academic stage, for him became the beginning of a life project . The thesis didn’t remain filed away. He decided to bring it to the real world, convinced that an idea acquires value by transforming reality.

The decision shaped how the organization would understand growth: as the consequence of finding new ways to serve.

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Seventeen years ago, Grupo T21 took the initiative to envision the work of young people in the transport and logistics industry as an engine of this sector focused on driving innovation, contributing new ideas and beginning to address the future challenges that would be faced in this industry.

The 21 young people who made up that first edition of T21  are the clear proof of the objective that was pursued with this work and that is still valid until this 11th edition : to identify those profiles that maintain constant growth in the industry, that revolutionize with their ideas and that become protagonists of this market.

The profiles identified in 2009, in addition to being a current benchmark in the industry, both nationally and internationally, represent the dynamics of development, constant growth, but also contribution and innovation of this sector.

The participation of young people in the transport and logistics industry has become a strategic driver, boosting digital transformation, the adoption of new technologies and innovation in supply chains.

Globally, young workers represent approximately 10% of the transportation sector workforce. Their proficiency in digital tools, data analytics, and technological solutions helps optimize operations, improve traceability, and strengthen supply chain resilience. Increasingly, companies are investing in training, professional development, and leadership programs focused on these new generations.

Today, in this 11th edition, we present 21 profiles of young people who represent not only diverse companies, but also vocations in the industry, where their visions are aligned with the fundamentals of this editorial proposal: 21 Young People of T21.

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