TIJUANA, BC.- The Cali-Baja region has outlined a profound transformation in supply chains, heading towards an ecosystem that integrates advanced manufacturing, logistics services, clustering, and the development of a highly skilled workforce , specialists agreed on the panel “Logistics chains that are redefining Cali-Baja” .

The region, which has distinguished itself as a leader in innovation in the country, since various projects that later transcend to other regions are started in this area, is currently in a reconstitution of high-value manufacturing logistics .

Within the framework of the second edition of the Cali-Baja Transport and Logistics Meeting (ETYL) , organized by Grupo T21, one of the challenges identified in the discussion was the dependence on imported inputs, even in industries with decades of presence in the country.

Rosa Castañeda, president of Baja’s Medical Device Cluster , recalled that in the late eighties and early nineties, the first medical device plants began to be installed in Tijuana , for logistical purposes because they were close to California, United States.

Since then, this sector has evolved into advanced manufacturing and has become an ecosystem within Baja California and nationally, overcoming challenges that have defined its resilience. In this regard, he said that this industry has adapted to changes in the face of tariff and regulatory challenges, such as the investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, which allows the United States government to evaluate and respond to imports that may threaten its national security.

Castañeda emphasized that Mexico is the fifth largest exporter of medical devices in the world and the first in America; however, due to an uncertain international environment, companies have opted to strengthen shorter supply chains, boosting local suppliers and reducing external dependence.

In the aerospace industry, Tomás Sibaja, president of the  Baja California Aerospace Cluster , highlighted that the sector has begun to feel the uncertainty generated by the current situation, derived from the United States policy that has generated a multiplier effect in the world.

The specialist explained that the tariff issue has affected Baja California’s export industry. “In particular, I want to emphasize that most, if not all, of the products made in Baja California are for export.”

Sibaja indicated that when there is a pandemic or a disruption, uncertainty appears in the sector, a situation that “raises the alarm.”

“These hotspots mean that we need to have enough stock to be able to move it throughout the country. And that’s where the critical service comes in, which we have seen very effectively and efficiently provided by logistics operators in transportation services, in intermodal transport, in maritime handling, that is, in the air and logistics sectors,” he pointed out.

From an educational perspective, Bertha Martínez, coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in International Logistics at  CETYS University Campus Mexicali , emphasized that they are always looking for a link between academia and industry, as well as ensuring that students have an international experience to face the current logistical challenges .

In his participation, he highlighted the program promoted by the federal government through the Ministry of Economy, known as Ruta Logística , which through webinars helps to certify those who have experience or want to enter the world of logistics.

Martínez Cisneros indicated that the new generations will help develop skills in the subject, because “the geography chart is not always going to solve everything,” he asserted, referring to the advantage that Mexico has due to its proximity to the United States.

Clustering in the Cali-Baja industry

The panelists brought up the topic of clustering , which refers to the grouping of companies that share a particular field to strengthen competition in the area of ​​interest.

In the aerospace sector, Sibaja indicated that this concept translates into increasing national integration . With a presence in more than 20 states, the industry faces the challenge of identifying capabilities, specializing regions, and strengthening coordination among clusters, where logistics plays a key role by facilitating the movement of supplies, technology, and talent.

In his presentation, he considered that clustering is not a fad in the aerospace industry, which is a sector with a very long-term vision and high manufacturing.

“We are a country that inspires great confidence in the United States in the aerospace sector because we have proven it. And as such, what we want right now is to support all those states in Mexico to help us with clustering,” he explained.

He specified that they have promoted other aerospace clusters in the country, such as in the Bajío region and Sinaloa. “We are in talks with other states because we are interested in discussing intra-cluster collaboration ; in communicating at a specialized level. As we understand it, we are involved in clustering, and we see it as a natural step toward forming organizations,” he emphasized.

According to Bertha Martínez, more synergy is needed to achieve a solid clustering, since many times, although companies that develop the same products are grouped together, they do not share what they do.

In that regard, he gave the example of the electronics sector. “Tijuana was the television capital, and the electronics cluster was huge. What happened to it? The cluster failed to see what was coming, and that was it. So, again, clusters need to evolve more in this operational aspect, not just in terms of aggregation or wanting to talk to the government,” he pointed out.

For her part, Rosa Castañeda considered that the medical device cluster has to evolve and opined that the television sector “should be a story from which we should learn.”

He noted that the medical device cluster is just over 20 years old, and said that the last three or four years have been a time of change.

According to the panel, the industry in the Cali-Baja region has a great opportunity to take advantage of nearshoring , which requires a transformation in its supply structure.

Part of the success will depend on clusters that operate with a long-term strategic vision, integrating technical knowledge into the high-tech value chain.

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El cargo Advanced manufacturing, specialized talent, and clustering chart a logistics route in Cali-Baja apareció primero en T21.

For years, Coahuila’s industrial muscle was strong, but without a formal axis that articulated its logistics potential. That story began to change in 2025 with the formation of the Coahuila Cluster for Logistics Innovation and Competitiveness , an initiative driven by the business sector that seeks to position the state as a logistics hub of international reach.

“We should have had this position a long time ago. But the opportunity came at just the right time: with strategic projects on the border, saturation at crossings like Nuevo Laredo, and a business ecosystem that demands efficiency and coordination,” said Enrique Sánchez García, director of the cluster,  in an interview with T21 .

The first challenge wasn’t technical, but cultural. The cluster team had to go out and explain, raise awareness, and generate enthusiasm around a concept that, until then, seemed reserved for experts, said Sánchez.

The task was to demonstrate that logistics is not just a matter for operators, transporters, or customs agencies, but a reality that affects everyone’s lives: from ordinary citizens to tractor-trailer drivers.

For the cluster, moving away from viewing logistics as a niche issue is essential. Its goal is to transform it into a genuine, visible, cross-cutting, and strategic development policy.

And there are compelling reasons. Coahuila exported more than $33 billion in 2024 , according to data from the Ministry of Economy (SE) , primarily in auto parts, silver, and automotive components.

Furthermore, its active workforce reaches 1.58 million people , of whom more than 63,000 are employed in metal assembly and manufacturing activities. This industrial volume demands a commensurate logistics network.

One of the cluster’s pillars is the professionalization of the sector. Currently, there are only 27 operator training centers in all of Mexico, and only seven are located in the northeast region. In response to this shortfall, the cluster is working to establish partnerships with universities and offer online postgraduate programs aimed at those already working in logistics, regardless of their initial academic background.

“It’s not just about developing new talent, but also strengthening those who already drive this industry every day,” Sánchez emphasized.

He commented that this is where the interest in integrating academic institutions from across the state comes from.

In addition to business and academic support, economic data confirm Coahuila’s strategic momentum. In March 2025 , according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the state recorded a trade surplus of $1.481 billion , with exports totaling $2.972 billion and international purchases totaling $1.491 billion.

These figures reflect a robust production system , closely linked to sectors such as auto parts, metal manufacturing, and industrial components. This volume requires infrastructure, coordination, and logistics professionalization—precisely the terrain the cluster seeks to impact.

Coahuila is also characterized by its current infrastructure: it has nine thousand kilometers of roads used by 350 thousand cargo vehicles per month , belonging to 31 thousand companies in the northeast, according to figures presented during the cluster’s inauguration.

In the future, one of the key goals will be to position Coahuila as a key hub for the international supply chain, taking advantage of its strategic location and the strengthening of border infrastructure, Sánchez explained.

To achieve this, the cluster will not work alone: ​​it has established as a principle direct collaboration with the three levels of government , with whom, according to Sánchez, there is a strong relationship aligned with promoting regional economic development.

The vision, he stated, is shared: to transform logistics into an engine of sustained growth, based on innovation, academic inclusion, and social development.

In addition to better coordinating the state’s logistics, the cluster seeks to propose a new economic development model . It does not intend to replace the industrial path that Coahuila has followed for decades, but rather to update it.

Through innovation, technology, and human talent, the goal is clear: to transform the entity into a competitive, resilient logistics hub ready to attract new investments.

“If Coahuila wants to compete strongly in international trade, it needs to take control of its logistics chain, and that starts by professionalizing it from within,” Sánchez concluded.

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El cargo Coahuila raises its hand with its own logistics cluster apareció primero en T21.