III - 2015

Negociospara exportadores

Mexico in the WorldInterview with Alejandra Lagunes Soto Ruiz

Special ReportMexico at MIPCOM 2014

InfORMAtIOn teChnOLOgIeS In MexICOA universe in motion

Fromproméxico

Mexican information tech-nologies and creative indus-tries currently feature among the highlights of the national economy. Mexican innova-

tion is one of the highest-waving flags in the skies of the global economic landscape. Internally, the creative industries contrib-ute around 7% of gross domestic product, while the information technology industry has grown from fourteen to twenty-one bil-lion dollars from 2012 to 2014. Externally, Mexico is the leading exporter of creative goods in Latin America and the ninth larg-est IT talent center in the world.

Our country is also recognized as the second best investment destination in Lat-in America for software projects, attracting 23% of total investment. In recent years, we have become the third largest exporter of IT services worldwide. Mexico produc-es 80% of Latin America’s high-technolo-gy exports. This is all due to the optimal conditions the country provides so that IT industries flourish: 32 clusters, 30 technol-ogy parks, and close to 640 certified devel-opment centers. The intrinsic cross-cutting nature of these industries, as in the case of software, provides intelligent development that has positive repercussions on other

sectors. Supporting creativity is essential for economic growth, especially so that SMBs can be successfully introduced into global value chains.

The contents of this edition of Nego-cios ProMéxico give a panoramic view of both sectors through the testimonials of Mexican companies that have been able to internationalize thanks to the excellence of their services and products, and of for-eign companies that have successfully es-tablished in our country, fully leveraging Mexico’s competitive advantages. We also explore the efforts of the Federal Govern-ment to ensure both sectors develop op-timally, by means of the Telecommunica-tions Reform, the National Digital Strat-egy and Connected Mexico, and federal programs with the same objective, such as PROSOFT, MexicoIT, and MexicoFIRST. We particularly highlight Digital Creative City, a smart city that uses technology to positively transform the lives of residents; and the Internet of Things, a production field that, given its prominent transversal-ity, we are sure will gain importance in the short term, and become a fundamen-tal part of the technological developments that will breathe life into our country’s future.

Welcome to Negocios ProMéxico!

Table of Contents March 2015

cover feAture

InformatIon technologIes In mexIco A universe in motion

From ProMéxico

Special Report Guest Opinion

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3D Robotics

Addcel

BTF

EDIS Interactive

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Fortinet

Mexico’s Partner

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México in the World

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Interview with Alejandra Lagunes Soto Ruiz

Challenges and Opportunities

China and Mexico

Singapore and Mexico

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by mariana morán

by manuel arroyo rodríguez

by chantal abraján peña

by alejandro salas montelongo

by mariana larragoiti

by eduardo tanimoto licona by arturo delgado

Making Creativity the Primary Input

Business Opportunity in Mexico

Creative Economy Creative EconomyCCD Ventures Mexico at MIPCOM 2014

The Lifestyle The CompleTe Guide To The mexiCan Way of life

Mexico in Hollywood 58

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Our SilenceSaying what you think and doing

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THe WACHOWSkIS Film an Episode of the Series Sense8 in Mexico

The Oscars and the Mexican Eye

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TANeSilver under a New Light

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by luis archundia

by luis archundia

by jeremías andrópolus

by rivelino

Para exportadores

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México y el mundo árabe

Distribuidora Hortimex Empresa ganadora del Premio Nacional de Exportación 2014 en la categoría Pequeñas y medianas comercializadoras

el comercio exterior Desde la perspectiva de un agente aduanal

Nuevo sistema electrónico en materia mercantil La inaplazable entrada en vigor

eNTRevISTA A lA exCeleNTíSIMA SeñORA SONjA HylAND: Embajadora de Irlanda en México

De ProMéxico

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Breves66

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ProméxIcofrancisco n. González Díaz

Ceo

Karla mawcinitt BuenoCommunication and image

General Coordinator

felipe Gómez Antúnezdirector of publications and Content

felipe.gomez@promexico.gob.mx

Jorge Arturo morales Becerra contreraseditorial coordination

jorge.morales@promexico.gob.mx

Advertisingnegocios@promexico.gob.mx

Cover PhotoArchive

Negocios ProMéxico es una publicación mensual editada por ProMéxico, Camino a Santa Teresa número 1679, colonia Jardines del Pedregal, delegación Álvaro Obregón, CP 01900, México, DF Teléfono: (52) 55 5447 7000. Portal en Internet: www.promexico.gob.mx; correo electrónico: negocios@promexico.gob.mx. Editor responsable: Felipe Gómez Antúnez (Alta en trámite). Reserva de derechos al uso exclusivo No. 04-2009-012714564800-102. Licitud de título: 14459; lici-tud de contenido: 12032, ambos otorgados por la Comisión Calificadora de Publicaciones y Revistas Ilustradas de la Secretaría de Gobernación. ISSN: 2007-1795.

Negocios ProMéxico año 8, número III 2015, marzo 2015, se imprimió un tiraje de 7,000 ejemplares. Impresa por Cía. Impresora El Universal, S.A. de C.V. Las opiniones expresadas por los autores no reflejan necesariamente la postura del editor de la publicación. Queda estrictamente prohibida la reproducción total o parcial de los contenidos e imágenes de la publicación sin previa autorización de ProMéxico. Publicación gratuita. Está prohibida su venta y distribución comercial.

ProMéxico is not responsible for inaccurate information or omissions that might exist in the information provided by the participant companies nor of their economic solvency. The institution might or might not agree with an author’s statements; therefore the responsibility of each text falls on the writers, not on the institution, except when stated otherwise. Although this magazine verifies all the information printed on its pages, it will not accept responsibility derived from any omissions, inaccuracies or mistakes. March 2015.

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Negocios ProMéxico at negocios.promexico.gob.mx.

edItorIal councIl

consejo edItorIal

ildefonso Guajardo villarreal

francisco de rosenzweig mendialdua

enrique Jacob rocha

francisco n. González Díaz

embajador Alfonso de maria y campos castelló

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francisco Javier méndez Aguiñaga

rodolfo Balmaceda

Guillermo Wolf

Jaime Zabludovsky

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ulises Granados Quiroz

Karla i. mawcinitt Bueno

this publication is not for sale.

Its sale and commercial distribution are forbidden.

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INADeM Fortalecer el éxito de las industrias creativas y las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones mexicanas

por enrique jacob rocha

por abraham karol weller lara

por embajadora maría carmen oñate muñoz

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DUNkIN’ DONUTS TO TAke SeCOND SHOT AT MexICO

Dunkin’ Donuts is returning to Mexico after a five-year ab-sence, with plans to open more than 100 restaurants in cen-tral and western Mexico over the next few years. The Canton, Mass., company said Monday it signed a franchise agreement with the Mexican unit of Sizzling Platter LLC, a Dunkin’ Do-nuts franchisee in the U.S., to open restaurants in Mexico City; the central states of Mexico, Hidalgo, Querétaro and Morelos; and the western state of Jalisco. The company said it still is looking to recruit qualified candidates to develop the brand in other markets in Mexico. The restaurants will be vying with the likes of Starbucks, McDonald’s McCafé, Krispy Kreme and the homegrown Café Punta del Cielo chain for part of a grow-ing Mexican market for specialist coffee shops.

www.wsj.com

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TOyOTA TO eND exPANSION FReeze, eyeS CHINA, MexICO ASSeMbly PlANT

Toyota Motor Corp is ending a three-year freeze on building new vehicle assembly plants and is looking to open two new assembly plants in China and another in Mexico, four exec-utives familiar with the company’s plans said. The Japanese automaker has already completed initial feasibility studies in both China and Mexico, according to those executives, and “the teams are ready to execute,” as one of them put it. The sources spoke over the last few weeks. Jim Lentz, head of Toy-ota’s North American operations, said yesterday that after “a three-year hold” on new capacity investments, the standstill is over for Toyota. Lentz, who spoke on the sidelines of the De-troit auto show, would not comment on specific plans to add production capacity in Mexico or China.

www.themalaymailonline.com

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MexICO SeTS AUTO PRODUCTION ReCORD, AIMS FOR MORe

Enjoying a strong tug from the growing U.S. economy, Mexico’s automotive industry logged record production and exports last year and expects output to rise further in 2015, industry officials said Thursday. The auto makers produced more than 3.2 million vehicles, a nearly 10% increase over 2013, and exported 82% of them—overwhelmingly to U.S. consumers—said Eduardo Solis, executive president of the Mexican Automotive Industry Associa-tion. With both existing and new factories ramping up, Mr. Solis predicted that Mexico could manufacture as many as 3.5 million light vehicles this year. He calculates annual production will total 5 million vehicles by the end of the decade.

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IS CHINA TeleCOM MUllING AN INveSTMeNT IN MexICO?

China Telecom Corp. Ltd., the third-largest telecom carrier of China, is mulling over a possible investment opportunity in Mexico. The company is eyeing to invest in the upcoming state-owned mobile net-work project in Mexico which is valued at an astounding $10 billion. Although China Telecom refused a direct comment on the matter, it did state that management is looking for a suitable investment op-portunity in Mexico. The government of Mexico has undertaken this massive mobile network project to instill competition in the highly monopolistic telecom industry. Last year, the Mexican government had reformed its telecommunications sector to curb the monopolistic power enjoyed by the incumbent America Movil SAB.

www.zacks.com

NISSAN SeT TO PRODUCe NeW FRONTIeR PICkUP IN MéxICO

Japanese automaker Nissan will begin producing the sixth gen-eration of its Frontier pickup in Mexico, the company said on Tuesday. Nissan expects to make about 50,000 units of the 2016 NP300 Frontier in Mexico this year, spokesman Herman Morfin said. The new model is mostly for the domestic market, but some units will also be exported elsewhere in Latin Ameri-ca, he added. The pickup will be produced in Nissan’s plant in the central state of Morelos, where the company has invested 1.1 billion pesos ($75.39 million) to manufacture the new ve-hicle. Nissan was the biggest producer of autos in Mexico in 2014, manufacturing 805,871 units, according to data from the Mexican Auto Industry Association.

www.reuters.comICt

ORbIS exPANDS MANUFACTURING TO MexICO

“Orbis Corp.’s newest manufacturing facility –in Mexico– is now up and running.

The location in Silao measures 265,000 square feet and em-ploys about 140 people, the Oconomowoc, Wis.-based company said. Orbis will manufacture plastic containers, pallets and the company’s BulkPak container and ORBIShield dunnage product lines. “The new facility features best-in-class design for efficient product flow, productivity and environmental sustainability,” President Bill Ash said in a statement. Orbis, a subsidiary of Me-nasha Corp., previously said the new manufacturing capacity will help free up space for growth at U.S. operations. The company already had service centers for its reusable plastic packaging in Mexico, but this is the first manufacturing location in the country.

www.plasticNews.com

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GRUPO bIMbO ACqUIReS SAPUTO bAkeRy

Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo said that its Canada Bread Company Limited unit completed the acquisition of the Saputo Bakery Inc. division of Canada’s Saputo Inc. Saputo Bakery, a leading maker of snack cakes in Canada, will bolster “Canada Bread’s position in the country,” Grupo Bimbo said. The Mexican bak-ing giant is acquiring the Vachon, Jos Louis, Ah Caramel, Pas-sion Flakie and May West brands, among others, from Mon-treal-based Saputo. Bimbo said on Dec. 18 that it was buying Saputo Bakery for C$120 million ($103.3 million based on the exchange rate at the time. Grupo Bimbo, the world’s baking company, has 167 plants and about 1,600 stores in 22 coun-tries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

www.latino.foxnews.com

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HyATT PlACe TIjUANA OPeNS IN MexICO

Hyatt Hotels Corporation today announced the open-ing of Hyatt Place Tijuana in Baja California, Mexico. Hyatt Place Tijuana is the fourth Hyatt Place hotel to open in Mexico, and continues Hyatt’s growth strategy in the country. “Whether we are catering to business or leisure travelers, we know that our guests will appreci-ate the comfortable and functional amenities offered at Hyatt Place, such as free Wi-Fi, made-to-order fresh food around the clock and a 24-hour fitness center.” Hyatt Place Tijuana joins Hyatt Place Cuidad del Carmen, Hy-att Place La Paz and Hyatt Place Los Cabos, which is scheduled to reopen this year, post-Hurricane Odile.

www.eturbonews.com

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HeINekeN OPTIMISTIC FOR MORe GROWTH IN MexICAN MARkeT

Favorable demographics and possible market-share gains are likely to bring more growth for Dutch brewer Heineken this year in the company’s key Mexican market, the head of Heineken’s operations here said. Heineken Mexico’s chief execu-tive Marc Busain said he’s optimistic this year will be better for the brewer in Mex-ico than 2014. “When Heineken Mexico does well, Heineken global does well,” Mr. Busain said at a news conference.

www.mexbiznews.com

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veSTA jOINS THe MexICAN STOCk exCHANGe SUSTAINAbIlITy INDex

Corporación Inmobiliaria Vesta has been added to the Mexican Stock Exchange Sustainability Index. Vesta was selected as one of the 30 most sustainable public com-panies in Mexico. Vesta seeks to minimize the environmental impact of its develop-ments by offering its clients the most effi-cient solutions and establishing long term relationships with stakeholders.

www.vesta.com.mx

IbM OPeNS FIRST ClOUD DATA CeNTeR IN MexICOFIAT CHRySleR AUTOMObIleS (FCA) MexICO INAUGURATeS NeW MOPAR PARTS DISTRIbUTION CeNTRe IN TOlUCA

FCA Mexico has opened a new Mopar Parts Distribution Centre in Toluca, Mexico. This facility will store and distribute more than 65,000 service parts offered to FCA Mexico’s customers and the Mopar Dealer Network in Mexico. The new Mopar Distribution Centre expands over 484,375 square-feet. The Distribution Centre will employ two shifts, creating 97 jobs. It is the result of a $13-mil-lion investment in infrastructure and equipment, and is another clear demonstration of the company’s commitment with Mexico.

www.fcanorthamerica.com

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Big Blue seems to be on a roll with its cloud expansion. IBM has been rolling out new cloud data centers fairly regularly lately, and now it has launched its first such data center in Mexico. The new cloud data center opened in Queretaro, which is not too far from Mexico City, and is intended to help strengthen IBM’s

cloud presence in Latin America. The significance for IBM and its custom-ers is in the providing of data resil-iency within the region, as well as more redundancy in the Americas and the offering of the complete Soft-Layer offering.

www.talkincloud.com

AMeRICAN ADDS FlIGHTS TO MexICO, THe CARIbbeAN AND lATIN AMeRICA

American Airlines announced it will add six new routes to Mexico and Latin Amer-ica this summer. Among the new routes is a Saturday flight between Dallas/Fort Worth airport and the Grand Cayman Is-lands that will start on June 6. The Fort Worth-based carrier will also add a once a week route between DFW and Managua,

Nicaragua. American said it will add daily flights between Los Angeles and Guadala-jara and Miami and Barranquilla, Colom-bia. It will also start flights between Los Angeles and Belize City as well as flights between Miami and Monterrey, Mexico.

www.star-telegram.com

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Negocios ProMéxico |

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| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015

INFORMATION TeCHNOlOGIeS IN MexICOa unIvErsE In MotIon

mexico has major strengths in the information technologies industry, clearly positioning it as an investment magnet in the global market.

Among Mexico’s main advantages are its geographical location—the wide bor-der it shares with the United States and the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines—and preferential access to a number of for-eign markets through its trade agree-ments. Mexico has twelve free trade agreements and privileged access to 45 countries (which together cover a market of 1.2 billion people), and a legal frame-work homologized with its principal trade partners.

A.T. Kearney ranks Mexico as the leader in information technologies (IT) and business processing and the country is considered the fourth best destination worldwide for the localization of global services including IT outsourcing and business process outsourcing (BPO). In addition, Mexico ranks second in Latin America as an investment destination at-tracting 23% of total investment in soft-ware projects and establishing itself as the best destination in the Americas to establish IT companies.

According to reports from the Min-istry of Economy (SE, in Spanish), Mexico has become the third largest exporter of IT services in the world. The export of IT and BPO services has grown 12.25% increasing in value to 5.56 billion dollars.

KPMG says Mexico is a highly cost-competitive country for software design and video game development as well as support services and shared service cen-ters, representing savings of 28.7% and 46% respectively, compared to the Unit-ed States.1

by mariana morán*

cover feature

The IT industry in Mexico consists of a sizeable universe of SMBs that engage primarily in the production of services. A high proportion of software production is in-house with big companies from other sectors developing or adapting the software and IT services they require internally.

photos archive cover feature

1. source: cifras select, 2014 estimated (average exchange rate 2014: 13.29 pesos [sAt, 2014])

2. At Kearney. 2011

3. source: Denue, ineGi

4. source: ineGi for it figures (not including BPo): census of outsourcing agencies, imt, 2014

5. refers to sei (cmmi) certifications, data up to December 2014, cervert and nYce

(moProsoft)

6. source: iDc

Indicator

market value (BusD)/1

exports (BusD)/2

economic units/3

Jobs/4

certified development centers/5

national spending in it (BusD)/6

2002

3.95

1.75

2,095

226,000

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6.1

2012

14.39

5.56

4,152

625,000

527

21.7

2014

20.7

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3,093

564,989

639

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Companies established in Mexico

1 competitive Alternatives KPmG’s Guide to

international Business Location costs 2014

edition.

Digital services: software development firm

and a video game production studio.

corporate services: a shared services center

and an international financial services firm.

Mexico’s IT sector has made im-portant strides in the last decade. The table below shows how market value has grown at an annual average rate of 14% in ten years, while exports and employ-ment have increased by 12% and 11%, respectively, in the same period.

The IT sector in Mexico has performed well in the last decade.

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March 2015

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gOveRnMent InItIAtIveSThe information and communications technologies sector in Mexico plays a key role in the government’s develop-ment strategy because of its growth po-tential and the favorable effect it has on other sectors and on the competitiveness of the economy in general.

In response to this, constitutional reforms were made in telecommunica-tions and competition to improve those markets with structural problems. The initiative is based on the recognition of the right to free access to information and the right to freedom of broadcast-ing, and the right of access to informa-tion technology and broadcasting and telecommunications services, including broadband.

teLeCOMMunICAtIOnS RefORMMexico faces several challenges in tele-communications, among them the big industry monopolies, high prices and tariffs, connectivity, and bandwidth. This landscape is expected to change over the next few years driven by the telecom-munications reform that allows more competitiveness in the sector. Thus, the constitutional reforms on telecommuni-cations and competition seek to further encourage industry to improve markets suffering from structural problems.

The constitutional reform to tele-communications, broadcasting, and eco-nomic competition is governed by six main principles:

1. Strengthening of fundamental rights. The reform expands freedom of expres-sion and access to information, and the rights of users to telecommunication and broadcasting services. Following the re-form, telecommunications are public ser-vices of general interest, so that the State will ensure that they are provided under conditions of competitiveness, quality, plurality, universal coverage, intercon-nection, convergence, free access, and continuity.

2. Updating of the legal framework in the telecommunications sector. To strength-en legal certainty, a single system will be issued that regulates concurrently the spectrum, networks and services through a single concession regime. Asymmetric regulation will also be implemented and applied to the predominant economic

agents, prior declaration of the regula-tory body.

3. Strengthening of the institutional framework. The Federal Telecommunica-tions Institute and the Federal Commis-sion of Economic Competition are creat-ed as autonomous constitutional bodies. In addition, to ensure the rights of the economic actors, courts are created to deal specifically with matters regarding telecommunications, broadcasting, and economic competition.

4. Promotion of competition. Foreign direct investment will be allowed up to 100% in telecommunications and sat-ellite communications. In addition, up to 49% is authorized in broadcasting, providing there is reciprocity in the in-vestor’s home country. Broadcasters are obligated to allow the free and non-discriminatory retransmission of their signals to subscription television compa-

nies. In turn, broadcasters will have the right for their signals to be transmitted at no cost and non-discriminately by subscription television companies.

5. Establishment of a universal digital inclusion policy and a national digital agenda. The federal executive will be responsible for this policy, which will encompass infrastructure, accessibil-ity, connectivity, information and com-munication technologies, and digital abilities. The aim is for at least 70% of homes and 85% of micro, small and me-dium-sized companies to have the speed to download information over the In-ternet, in conformity with international standards.

6. Push for greater infrastructure coverage. To this end, a national, broadband, fiber optic core network will be deployed and a wholesale shared access, wireless network in the 700 MHz radio spectrum band.

nAtIOnAL DIgItAL StRAtegyThe National Development Plan 2013-2018 determines the establishment of a national digital strategy as a cross-sector strategy that encourages the adoption of information and communication technol-ogies and drives an effective government that inserts Mexico in the information and knowledge society, in turn, enabling the development of strategic sectors in the country through the implementation of an economic promotion policy.

The National Digital Strategy, there-fore, embodies the action plan that the Mexican government will implement over the next few years with five objec-tives related to the national goals pro-posed in the NDP: governmental trans-formation, universal and effective health care, quality education, digital economy, and public safety.

The fundamental purpose of the strat-egy is to achieve a digital Mexico in which the adoption and use of technologies maximizes its economic and social impact to enhance the quality of life for all.

MéxICO COneCtADOMéxico conectado (Mexico Connected) is a Mexican government project that helps to ensure the constitutional right of access to bandwidth Internet service (sixth constitutional article).

To achieve that objective, México conectado promotes the deployment of telecommunications networks that pro-vide connectivity in public places such as schools, health centers, libraries, com-munity centers, and parks, at federal, state and municipal level.

México conectado will take band-width Internet to public places all over the country. To achieve this, each state follows a five-stage process: installation of the state coordination committee, planning, call for tender, implementa-tion, and operation.

feDeRAL PROgRAMS AnD fLAgShIP PROjeCtS

ProsoftThe Prosoft public policy, created by the SE in 2002, promotes the conditions for our country to have an internationally competitive IT services sector and ensure its long-term growth. The Prosoft fund was created as a public policy-enabling tool whose purpose is to support invest-ment and the development of IT projects in conjunction with state and private in-

dustry funds. Prosoft has generated an economic spillover of more than sixteen billion pesos by supporting more than three thousand projects.

techBAThe program, created and driven by the SE and the Mexico-United States Science Foundation as a business incubator, offers a variety of support programs (financial, consultancy, and operational) to Mexi-can companies. The aim is to boost their growth and ready them for exporting.

MexicoIt This program was created by the CANI-ETI and backed by the ME through Prosoft. The Mexico IT: Always Near your Business campaign was launched in May 2006 in conjunction with the IT industry to strengthen Mexico’s image as a global IT services provider. In its first stage, the campaign covers the North American market. In order to reinforce the message, the website www.mexico-it.com was launched along with a contact center to follow up on business oppor-tunities in the United States originating from presence in events and specialized media.

MexicofIRStThe main objective of this initiative backed by the ME and the World Bank is the generation of human capital to strengthen the workforce, both in num-ber and quality, to further the develop-ment and competitiveness of Mexican companies and attract foreign invest-ment from those seeking Mexico as a

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Strategic milestones that have been de-fined to position Mexico:

1. Being the benchmark for IoT applica-tions in Latin America, in design, advanced manufacturing, product development, with a focus on generating new business.

2. Being one of the five leading countries in digital solutions and Big Data man-agement in 2025.

Some projects that include the steps and activities to follow:

· Develop new specialized technology applications that enable new business.

· Create technology laboratories to conduct pre-sale product testing.

· Obtain economic resources for the de-velopment of new projects that promote business focused on new technologies.

· Create a technology platform that en-ables the exchange of knowledge and new business.

With such high growth potential, there is a clear opportunity for Mexican talent to develop IoT applications and solutions. N

* ict specialist, Proméxico

For Mexico, new technologies are an opportunity for economic expansion in non-traditional sectors, due to their high international performance based primar-ily on talent and the development of digital high technology. The use of IoT applications has countless benefits. The cross-cutting nature of the sector opens many opportunities for development in the country, especially in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical, agricul-tural, and energy.

The sector also influences the devel-opment of smart cities that will improve quality of life and economic growth with the use of technologies related to these applications. The infrastructure will push Mexico to the leading edge of digi-tal innovation, with connected commu-nities and smart solutions in these sec-tors which, by 2020, will benefit almost half of the world economy with fifty bil-lion objects connected, contributing to a sustainable energy future.

In order to develop an Internet of Things national strategy, ProMéxico, the ME, the World Bank, and CANIETI, to-gether with experts from the triple helix, used a road map approach to develop the strategic milestones and projects that will detonate the industry.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is pre-sented as one of the sectors with highest potential and strategic value, both for Mexico and the rest of Latin America. The IoT is an innovative concept based on automatic communication with hu-man intervention, via the Web, between physical objects and, eventually, abstract entities. In device-to-device communica-tion, the IoT concept contemplates ob-jects, protocols, programming, digital applications, chip design, and technology with vast capabilities; it opens a universe of new possibilities for the development of an industry with significant benefits for the economy, as well as an entire package for the attraction of young talent, entre-preneurs, small and medium-sized busi-nesses and liaison with digital ecosystems.

The Internet of Things is the first real Internet evolution; it is the technology leap that creates revolutionary applica-tions with the potential to exponentially enhance the way people live, learn, work, and have fun; it emerges when there are more objects than people connected to the Internet and there is real communi-cation between smart objects connected to the Internet through a mobile device. It also enables the collection of data and information to convert into knowledge.

ProMéxico, in line with the Develop-ment Plan, the National Digital Agenda, and PROSOFT 3.0, has defined its strat-egy as “…positioning Mexico as the sec-ond biggest exporter of high value-added ICT services through a developed base of local suppliers and converting the country into the third major ICT outsourcing des-tination and assisting in the development of regional poles of competitiveness.”

InteRnet Of thIngSDigital technologies are among the most important drivers of the economy in a globalized world; they are the main driver of productivity and growth, they transform the world. Today, twenty-five billion objects are connected to the Inter-net, a figure that will rise to an estimated fifty billion by 2020.

world-class player. MexicoFIRST aims to achieve sixty thousand certifications in the first five years; by 2012 (its fourth year) it had already obtained an annual average of around eighteen thousand certifications, 50% more than initially foreseen. Eighty percent of those who take the courses to obtain a certification are successful.

the new vision of the It SectorAs a result of the transverse impact of the IT sector, in 2002 the federal govern-ment implemented a public policy that leverages the enormous opportunities in the sector, both in the international and domestic markets, to take Mexico to-wards a knowledge-based economy.

The Prosoft public policy has helped to strengthen the pillars of quality and human capital development in order to potentiate the sector. During 2014, the Sectoral Agenda for the Development of Information Technologies in Mexico 2014-2024—known as Prosoft 3.0—was launched to trigger the digital ICT mar-ket as a transversal sector and position Mexico as a global player in IT services, with initiatives and actions that are a high priority on the national agenda.

Mexico’s IT sector has immense op-portunities to grow, impact the internal market, and position as a global IT ser-vices provider. Prosoft 3.0 describes how we see the IT sector in Mexico in the next ten years, what we seek to achieve with the initiative and how we want to measure it.

vision 2024

Become a global player in exports

Become an outsourcing destination

have a larger scale of companies and sales

expand the density of iT use

have certified development centers with the highest quality

facilitate close ties with other sectors

have talent of excellence readily accessible

facilitate innovation with and in iT

higher added value in the sector

maintain tight links with academia

have access to entrepreneurial capital and funding

have differentiated specialization

maintain a tight collaboration in the ecosystem

have a regulatory framework that is at the avant-garde

Goals 2024

Second exporter country (initially the third).

Third iT outsourcing destination (initially the sixth). in 2014 we were already the fourth.

fourfold increase in the iT market value (initially at 14.4 billion uSd). in 2014 the value was 20.7 billion.

Third in laTam in terms of business iT use (initially the fifth).

one thousand quality centers (initially 527). in 2014 there were 639.

approach fifteen sectors.

90% of talent demand covered (initially 50%).

50% of iT companies innovate (initially 9.4%).

25% of added value in services (today it is 9.4%).

30% in linked projects (initially 5%).

50% of companies get credits (initially 23%).

five iT global poles in the country (initially we had no global poles).

annual strategic planning.

leader in laTam in iT-related laws (initially the fifth).

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Negocios ProMéxico |

18 March 2015

| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015

3D Robotics began operations in 2007. Jordi had had plans and ideas for some time, but nothing concrete. It all began as a game trying to stabilize a home-made helicopter and around two years later he was able to successfully complete its development. At that time, he published all his progress on the Internet, manufacturing the helicopters in his garage and selling them online. Growth was rapid, and in a few years what is now 3D Robotics emerged. “What we officially do in the company today is develop new technologies that will be used later on in drones or other products,” Jordi tells us. 3D Robotics develops absolutely everything to do with drones, from the most basic to the most advanced software and hardware; it does

mexico’s Partner photos courtesy of argelia bravo, 3d robotics mexico’s Partner

3D RObOTICSMExICan InnovatIon In thE skIEs of thE World

the technology developed some years ago by 3D robotics is known all over the world and is the basis on which hundreds of engineers are now working in several countries.

interview with jordi muñoz*, by negocios proméxico*

not enabled. The latest news is that in two or three months they will send the software by air, it will be updated and then you’ll be able to use all the automatic pilot functions. Something like that happened to me, I started out just sta-bilizing and later, with a soft-ware update, I could fly and do more things with it.”

What 3D Robotics does might be related to aeronautics, but it represents a completely new market. “What we do is the area of aeronautics that contributes to all the others; it’s simpler, safer, and much less complex. It fits into every category you can imagine, from fishing and agriculture, to secu-rity and mere hobby; it’s some-thing that lawyers and real-es-tate agents, among others, can implement. It moves away from aeronautics and connects with everything else; it’s an eye in the sky without the complexity of aeronautics.”

not use any technology from other companies. “At first, I recycled parts of a Wii console to make my prototype because I couldn’t buy parts directly from the manufacturers or pro-duce them myself, but today we develop everything in-house.”

3D Robotics benefits from the mobile telephone industry. The sensors used in smart-phones are the same as those used in a drone. The huge growth of the smartphone market has meant lower prices and simultaneously improved the sensors, which have become more compact and cheaper. “We catch the developments and

adapt them.” Technology tends to become increasingly more simple, cheap, and intuitive. It is also safer. It is becoming smarter all the time allowing it to be much safer.

3D Robotics has presence practically all over the world. Its main clients are in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, Australia, and South

Africa. In Latin America, the main buyers are Brazil and Chile. 3D Robotics is now a large corporation that runs by itself, with engineers from dif-ferent countries and widely experienced people. It is a highly professional structure with a dazzling and promising future. N

* founder of 3D robotics

The brain of the drones is the most important contribu-tion 3D Robotics has made. “It’s a piece of hardware that you put in any plane that makes it able to fly itself. It is practically (perhaps by happy accident) the most used system; 95% of the drones in the world use our automatic pilot.” It was originally de-veloped by a Mexican, Jordi Muñoz, “…although today it has matured and is super-complex; there are more than two hundred engineers working on its development. It is known as Autopilot. Ev-erything I did has now been replaced, but the one who started the first version and put it out there was me, and today it’s still the most popu-lar in the world because it’s open code,” says Jordi.

The idea came at a time when technology was more affordable thanks to the Wii; the sensors the drones use

were cheaper to make. “When I started to play around with them I realized that they would stabilize a helicopter, then when I put them to the test and it didn’t work I continued to investigate and realized it needed more sen-sors. Finally, I was able to stabilize my helicopter and realized that with this hard-ware I could not only stabilize it but also fly it. It just needed a software change. That’s how the idea started: by ex-perimenting.” Describing the process in which the hardware possibilities require software that, in turn, allows its capa-bilities to be fully exploited, Jordi explains, “What happens is a bit like the Tesla car: it has an automatic pilot, you can do anything—it brakes for you, turns for you, and takes you home without you having to drive—but now it doesn’t work. You buy it today and the hardware can do it, but it’s

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| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015

Addcel started with bank cer-tificates—adhering to the rules of Visa and Mastercard—and generated a worldwide certification with American Express as their processor and aggregator. This certifica-tion enables them to perform transactions anywhere in the world; the company also has payment card industry (PCI) certification. This certification is held by banks, large surface stores, and practically all com-panies and institutions that is-sue plastic or use it to perform transactions. The certification has various points and levels; Addcel has the highest certifi-cation in two very important processes; the programming of the platform—everything that flows into the platform is certified—and for the safe-keeping of all the sensitive data from credit and debit cards, thanks to which bank-ing institutions and banks al-low them to protect personal information.

Addcel is a technology-based payment media com-pany; its market is payment media. Addcel developed a smartphone transaction switch that generates more informa-tion, both about the user and the affiliate contracting its services. The switch makes two types of transactions in two stages: the first is non-banking, it consults and af-fects reservations and tariff systems and all related infor-mation; the second consists of generating a bank reference

that says that the user is mak-ing a purchase for a certain amount. These transactions (non-banking and banking) not only generate purchases, but also information about how users move around. A bus line, for example, might provide information on where users travel to and from, when and how often. Furthermore, when users make a purchase it is recorded, generating a user

history and profile that serves and grows with each new or repeated purchase. “This is innovative, it is practically non-existent in Latin America, and although we might have competition, the fact is that Addcel has a two- or three-year technological advantage,” says Ramón.

Up to 2014, Addcel’s operations covered four coun-tries, Mexico, Colombia, the

Dominican Republic, and Ven-ezuela. In each one, Addcel has approached the Mexican em-bassy and ProMéxico. In early 2015, it began operations in Ecuador, and plans to expand into Chile, El Salvador, Gua-temala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru thanks to a strategic development partner-ship with a major line in the region. The company recently signed an agreement with a very strong United States company; “We hadn’t thought about going into the United States (just Latin America, mainly because of the similar banking regulations), but the opportunity came up at the end of last year with Trucon-nect (through which we oper-ate in the 7-Eleven chain), and after evaluating it we realized it was a great opportunity,” the company’s CEO explains.

Addcel’s aim is to have presence in the eight American countries mentioned above by the end of 2015. This will only be achievable through the business model known as fran-chisee partner, a fundamental part of the business strategy that allows them to operate more quickly.

“Furthermore,” says Ramón Fuentes, “operat-ing from Mexico has many advantages, first, because the volume of electronic transac-tions is very high—although the issuance of plastic does not reflect that—but it is growing fast, above all regarding debit. With the technology that Add-

photos courtesy of addcelmexico’s Partner

ADDCela CoMpany 100% foCusEd on MobIlE applICatIonsAddcel is a brand of payment acceptance which uses a mobile switch to initiate mobile transactions. established in 2009 with 100% mexican capital, its first step was to develop the platform (a transaction switch); the second step—and probably the most important—was to get certified.

interview with ramón fuentes*, by negocios proméxico

mexico’s Partner

cel uses it is possible to pay for virtually all domestic services with a smartphone.”

Addcel is also initiating a highly interesting project that will allow in-store payment with very simple technology and without the need for plas-tic; similarly, they succeeded in becoming processors of federal and local tax payments through a bank, giving more weight to their introduction in Central and South America. In Colombia, Addcel works closely with Bancolombia (the most important bank in Colombia), Redeban (the biggest payment processor in Colombia), and DIAN (the tax administration office, similar to Mexico’s SAT). They were able to achieve this through the Latin American Government Treasury Forum

(FOTEGAL)—an associa-tion that brings together the Finance Ministries of different countries—thanks to having worked in Mexico with fed-eral (SAT) and local (GDF) tax authorities. Representatives of our country joined the Addcel project to collect through mo-bile payments.

APPLICAtIOn tyPeSAddcel’s applications work on any mobile device—smart-phones, tablets and even iPod with Internet access: the user downloads the application and fills out a record, generating an electronic signature and from there makes payments.

“It works like iTunes: you register with us, the registra-tion generates an electronic signature and every time you invoke the electronic signa-

ture with any mobile device through an application as-sociated with ours (like ETN, a long-distance bus company in Mexico, SAT or GDF) you call up the data from your card held in the cloud—your card data with your electronic signature. We validate and process the charge and the payment. We are not aggrega-tors, we do not disperse the money; that is done through the banks that are affiliated to us. We are like Prosa, of which we are partners, but with mo-bile phones; Prosa is a com-pany owned by the banks and what it does is offset money between an issuing bank and a receiving bank. Prosa and Ad-dcel complement each other,” Ramón de la Fuente explains.

Addcel has two types of applications. One is Mobile-

card—that enables the holder to pay for recharges and ser-vices (air time, electronic toll tag, electricity bill, and cable television, among others)—with which it operates as a payment processor on its own platform. It also does work for third parties: it develops an own brand application for the contracting company (ETC or ADO—another bus line—or the Mexico City Treasury, among others), so that a vari-ety of services can be paid by means of an electronic signa-ture. Addcel has worked for four years with I+D, for whom it developed TuTag—an ap-plication for smart electronic toll recharges in which you activate a bank card and can make recharges online. N

*ceo, Addcel

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| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015

photos courtesy of btfmexico’s Partner mexico’s Partner

bTFtElEvIsIon produCtIon profEssIonals

Btf began in 2010 as a producer of audiovisual content with a disruptive vision, formed by a multidisciplinary and multifocal group, led by diverse talents and specialists in communications and the arts.

interview with francisco cordero*, by proméxico* the nature of our contract with BVI, they give us a distribution platform and have us develop some projects for them. Our work with them consists of content development as well as production and representation. All our clients have to be seen in collaboration with them. At MIPCOM, what we arranged with them was an agreement to produce four series over three years, aimed at the open television audience in Mexico and the Latino audience in the United States, among others. We already have the first two in the production pipeline; production of the first begins in May.

At MIPCOM they also es-tablished contact with people from Europe, the core market at MIPCOM although other regions are also represented. “We try to create ties with people from Europe to have

representation and partnership agreements with European producers for services in Mex-ico. We made a lot of contacts with European channels and partnerships with some Span-ish producers, and we are be-ginning to capitalize on those contracts. In the four years I have been going to MIPCOM, I have noticed that there is a process to follow: the first year you make contact and from the second year you start to close tangible deals.”

MIPCOM 2014 put Mexico firmly in the spotlight as a country and as an option for the production of audiovi-sual media in general. It was an important call because the creative industry in Mexico is increasingly gaining strength; it is a medium- and long-term gamble, given that it is difficult to capitalize on the sale of services in a single exhibition.

To attend the festival, BTF received the support of the travel kit, and later an invita-tion to visit London for the Dual Year. This year, they will also go to MIPTV in April. “We want to explore other markets and we believe that ProMéxico can help us.”

MexICO AnD the WORLD“The audiovisual medium is booming. It is still young, but now is a moment that must be seized,” explains Francisco, “and one of the virtues of Mexicans is their creativity. Being a Mexican company in Mexico has its advantages, and that is precisely why there should be more promotion of the advantages of com-ing to Mexico. I saw that at MIPCOM there were some Mexican states promot-ing themselves as filming locations. That brings many sources of employment. Inter-national companies that come to film here bring their own expertise, and we can feed off that. Canada, for example, has

There are fewer than ten companies in Mexico that are fully dedicated only to televi-sion production, and BTF is one of them. There are many producers, but meeting the requirements of a television station demands a degree of professionalism that BTF has developed over several years.

BTF is known for offer-ing production services, and has even supported interna-tional producers that come to Mexico; however, its flagship product is content generation and production services for television. So far, the entirety of its exports have gone to the United States, although opening the spectrum to Latin America is a goal for BTF; it has already generated a couple of partnerships with produc-

ers with whom they mutually represent. Until now, their presence in the United States has been accidental, arising from its first meeting with Buena Vista International, at MIPCOM 2011. “We met for a public relations event and from there started to explore potential partnerships,” Fran-cisco tells us.

MIPCOMBTF was among the Mexican companies that attended MIP-COM 2014 with ProMéxico. The company sought out dif-ferent promotion channels for its services, which, according to Francisco, go from “building an idea to the delivery of the finished content.” They have a contract with Buena Vista International (BVI). “Due to

We try to create ties with people from Europe to have representation and partnership agreements with European producers for services in Mexico.

a very aggressive film incentive and support policy, so pro-ducers turn to them. Another case is New Zealand, which took a lot of films and with that helped to generate a solid industry. In Latin America, Colombia also has very ag-gressive incentives for foreign productions; they reimburse up to 60% in cash of the mon-ey you produce. One of the requirements is that you hire a local producer and the reim-bursement is on what you pay to that company. In Mexico, we have creative professionals, all kinds of locations, accesses,

and a great diversity of ecosys-tems; we are a country with a lot to offer.”

This year, BTF seeks to meet the quality that BVI de-mands in its productions and successfully complete all its projects with them. The over-all commitment it has with BVI is for twenty years and the intention is to further strength-en its involvement with them. “Our objective is to become a strategic partner of Buena Vista International,” Francisco concludes. N

* founder of Btf media

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24 March 2015

| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015

photos courtesy of edismexico’s Partner mexico’s Partner

eDIS INTeRACTIvebrIngIng thE non-ExIstEnt Into rEalIty

since the end of 2009, before eDis interactive came into being, Ariel molina began to explore interactive and multi-touch surfaces from a very simple pretext: to detect an object by the shadow it makes and light distortions caused on a material such as glass or acrylic. He then patented the idea for a “smart lighting system with object detection”.

interview with ariel molina* by negocios proméxico

The year 2011 was pivotal for EDIS Interactive. The enor-mous flexibility of having proprietary technology has allowed EDIS to move in such disparate areas as entertain-ment, academia, and museums. Now, EDIS Interactive con-stantly researches and produc-es interactive systems—with the aim of bringing into reality things that (as yet) do not ex-ist—focusing on giant, irregu-lar shaped interactive surfaces or with unusual interactivity, such as systems to detect or-chestra beats or simulate hur-ricanes, and interactive bars and digital water cascades.

His most impressive project in terms of innovation has been the biggest mega touchscreen in Latin America that he made in 2012 with own technology for the Ibero American Uni-versity of Puebla. The colossal touchscreen is 8 meters long and 2 meters high and is sur-passed only by one installed in Groninga University in the Netherlands (ten meters). “This mega screen was the start of several federal projects spon-sored in part by CONACYT, with which technology gains increasing momentum and stronger ties are created with academia. Later federally-backed projects have used the mega screen as a basis for im-plementing systems focused on

geo-information, enforcement coordination, data mining, and geophysical analysis on giant multi-touch screens.

The core system used by EDIS Interactive is an interac-tive module that adjusts to each project, such as a touch roundtable (like in the MUVI museum in Campeche), an interactive bar, or even several together like the mega screen in the IBERO in Puebla.

Touchscreen applications, like tablets and mobile phones, are well defined; although it seems that the world saw them for the first time in 2007 with Steve Jobs’ iconic presenta-tion, ideas for touch tablets had been around for decades. The key was to have the right human-computer interaction. In contrast, giant screens have not had this revolution because there are not many of them around to experiment with. “Imagine what would hap-pen if you had an eight-meter touch-map in a control room, where you have live informa-tion on patrol cars, fire trucks, ambulances, surveillance cam-eras, geo-tagged tweet analysis, and traffic light control. You could detect problems, orches-trate public safety and follow live pursuits, reports, and public complaints. This saves lives, improves how societies function, and generates vital

companies. “Along the way, we have become experts in human-computer interaction, in user interfaces and unusual and interesting interface adap-tations. AT EDIS Interactive we develop special systems that run on what are known as em-bedded devices. This resulted in our efforts to miniaturize and use only the necessary resourc-es. Little by little the public is getting to know these devices, through the Internet of Things (IoT), and this is the kind of thing we are working on inside and outside the country,” Ariel commented.

Fashion experts go to Mi-lan, New York, or Paris and football fans to Brazil. Tech-nology has its mecca in Silicon Valley. While fairs are always held in Las Vegas, the reality is that the technology culture and push of the San Francisco area continues over other plac-es, and that is where the melt-ing pot of ideas really is. “For example, we are working with a company that creates tech-nology solutions in embedded systems; it was a perfect match

because at EDIS Interactive we do it for necessity, which has made us experts. I remember the CEO of the company’s first words, ‘I like you Ariel, but listen, there are lots of people who say they do [quality UI development], but they really don’t’. After I showed him what we do we signed a three-year contract,” says Ariel.

EDIS Interactive is in the Endeavor process. “The mentoring has taken us much further in the process of ac-cessing new markets, however, the Mexican market is still young and there is much to be done here. The challenge lies in knowing how to find oppor-tunities and take advantage of them, never sleeping because the world is advancing at an impressive rate.”

EDIS Interactive is in the CONACYT Registry of Sci-entific and Technology Insti-tutions, that is, it has shown that it develops science and technology. That has given it access to programs like the Incentives for Innovation Pro-gram, into which it has had

information for converting any city into a true smart city. There is enormous potential for analyzing information buried in large databases, it just has to be released.” EDIS has a project to convert mega screens into live video conference systems in university corridors. “It has the capacity to unite and col-laborate. I can assure you these things are real and can be made in Mexico by Mexicans and with Mexican technology.”

Until now, EDIS has fo-cused largely on the domestic market and believes museums and entertainment to be entire worlds. But it also exports cus-tom software to United States

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| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015

Flock is a marketing and advertising agency formed in 2009 whose aim is to gener-ate ideas that hack realities to benefit people, through two main capacities: creativity and performance. “With creativity, we think in ideas, not formats. Ideas that must respond to people’s needs. Understanding a reality is accessing it. It is impossible to think that you can hack a reality if you don’t understand it. Once we have an idea, we are able to escalate it to its full potential—from a mobile application to a television commercial—to achieve the goal. In regard to

performance, we also focus on people and improve the results of our clients’ business/action, continually monitoring the variables that determine that a person goes from knowing to changing. With this capac-ity we ensure that an idea that is attractive to people is transformed into the action the client is looking for,” the company’s CEO explains.

Flock has positioned as one of the most innovative agencies in Mexico; its work has shown the global indus-try how this is possible from Mexico. It has generated ideas and managed their implemen-

tation in twenty-six countries, mainly in Latin America, and has also developed a strat-egy to access new markets. “Our focus is not on what we can do for Mexico but on what we can contribute to the world from Mexico. Our intention is to export ideas. We realized when we opened an office in Chile that although the business was promising, the philosophy did not go deep enough, and so we changed the strategy. We sold our Chile operation to local partners and embarked

on a much less traditional expansion strategy aimed primarily at hacking realities outside our country, and thus open businesses in other mar-kets. At this time we have one person in Los Angeles imple-menting the first stage of the new strategy.”

When asked about the advantages of working from Mexico compared to other countries, Sebastián Tonda re-plies that first, the cost-quality production ratio in Mexico is very competitive; furthermore, innovation—he tells us—is

mexico’s Partner mexico’s Partner

FlOCkIdEas that haCk rEalItIEs

You have to really know a reality to be able to transform it. the point is not to compromise the security of a system, but to gain deep insight into people’s reality to positively transform it; hacking it means grasping it to make it better for those who experience it.

interview with sebastián tonda*, by negocios proméxico

several projects accepted, one of them a mega touchscreen. “We have formal agreements with various public and private universities and CONACYT centers, including IBERO, UD-LAP, CICESE, and a number of state universities.” EDIS is in a process of expansion and is looking to replicate its success in the Ibero Puebla in other universities, expanding its laboratories and attracting many more national and for-eign projects. With everything, the goal is to stay focused on its specialty. “2014 was a crazy year, we doubled our human team, bought a lot of new toys, and grew our turnover. We started 2015 with international contracts. We have the impres-sion that it’s all just beginning.”

Ariel thinks that technology development in Mexico is still relatively small, considering its potential. “The influence of the film The Social Network generated a lot of dreamers, and that’s good but there are a lot of opportunities that are being missed, for example, what about an application that sells a mini microphone and uses simple algorithms to have a useful ultrasound for doctors in rural areas, or an embedded device that measures air pollu-tion, or another that interprets a dog’s bark, a child’s cry, or sign language? All this can be

done today, but the focus is on social networks and sales mechanisms. It’s about taking the fear out of starting out, the IT industry is full of op-portunities. In Silicon Valley there are many startups that begin precisely with the idea of building something and selling it to Google or Apple. They earn much more that way than working directly for them; if you make an impressive tool and it really works, you can sell it to Google or IBM, or make your own business.”

“We are working on em-bedding our systems, that is, converting our systems that used to use enormous server racks into small boxes that you just connect and use. We

have everything almost ready and we are selling a lot of that. This year we will stop buying servers; EDIS Interactive is gradually becoming an embed-ded hardware company. The work we are looking to do abroad is on the same track. The advantage of working with these systems is that they are extremely easy to use for the end client, they just con-nect them and they’re done. They are also very easy to dis-tribute because they are about the size of a mobile phone, they are easy to maintain and much more profitable, too.”

In recent years, Ariel visit-ed Germany, the United States, and Holland where he gave conferences about the mega

screen and made his first con-tacts for exporting software. “At that time we had no con-tact with ProMéxico, but this year we will have their support in Oslo and Berlin; we hope to visit more places and sign more contracts.”

EDIS is looking to open of-fices in Silicon Valley to attract work to Mexico; its biggest challenge is internal planning and expanding the Mexican market to be able to sustain the plan. “Our five-year goal is to triple the size of our opera-tions and expand our academic collaboration, since that is the source of our new talent. We need to learn quickly from our friends in Silicon Valley about the quality of software that is required abroad, open our own sales offices there, and further expand our brand recognition nationally.” According to his story, the first three years of EDIS Interactive have served to bring it into being, “…to show our pedigree and put us on the map. The next five years will be to get firmly established and become a national refer-ence for interactive systems, interactivity for museums and entertainment, and start to have sustained presence on the international scene.” N

* ceo, eDisphoto courtesy of flockphotos courtesy of edis

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| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015

photos courtesy of flockmexico’s Partner mexico’s Partner

inherent in our culture because there are many people who use some kind of innovation every day to survive. “In Mexico, we are the kings of the minimum viable product; we are con-stantly seeking new opportuni-ties. This inherent capacity of the Mexican culture can be rerouted to generate disruptive innovation, more to transcend than to survive. The possibility of generating prototypes and proving an idea is much easier in Mexico than in more devel-oped countries. Our country’s capacity for technology de-velopment is evidenced in the leadership we have to produce complex technologies (air-planes, electronic components or cars, among others). To manufacture complex technol-ogy products, you need skilled labor, and in Mexico we have it; we graduate more engineers per capita than Canada and the United States.”

Sebastián comments that IT development is not a trend that should be analyzed by country; “What is interesting is not what Mexico is developing but how those developments are applied so that Mexico contributes innovation to the world; innovation does not come from technology devel-opment itself but from its ap-plication to practical problems and as it intersects with other available technologies.”

Flock knows that the growth of information tech-nologies is exponential and that in the next twenty years we will see more technological advances than we have seen in the last century. This means that virtually everything will be transformed. For this rea-son Flock stays abreast of advances in robotics, neurosci-ence, biotechnology, nanotech-nology, digital manufacturing, virtual reality, alternative ener-gies, and artificial intelligence so that it knows which could be more influential and which

think what you want people to do. Do we want those who are late to stop being late, or do we want those who are waiting to stop waiting, or do we want being late to be more cultur-ally relevant so that people are more concerned about it? There are many possible angles.” As Sebastián explains it, it works like a staircase that has to be climbed step by step to achieve the transformation sought. Flock needs to find a reality that can be hacked (strategic planning), then define what it wants people to do about that reality to narrow the angle from which it plans

it will use in the short, me-dium, and long term.

hACkIng ReALItIeSThe most modern companies and those which grow expo-nentially worldwide define themselves less by mission/vi-sion and more by purpose. The main difference is that a pur-pose speaks to what it plans to contribute to the world, and for that purpose to work it must be massive and trans-formative. Flock works with a purpose: to hack realities. It is a marketing company with a creative profile conceived as an agency specialized in digital media and technology integra-tion. “Ideas that hack realities is what we try to do every day; before the idea the reality was A, after the idea the reality is B,” Sebastián explains.

But what does “hacking a reality” mean for Flock? It means really knowing a reality to be able to transform it. The point is not to compromise the security of a system, but to gain deep insight into people’s reality so you can make it bet-ter for those who live it. If the process were not centered on a benefit for people it would make no sense. Flock analyzes conditions in large groups of people who experience a same condition, and seeks to change it for the better.

The purpose of hacking re-alities extends to almost any in-dustry. “A law firm might have a similar purpose to ours, and might use the entire capacity of the law to achieve a determined transformation.” The structure and means to achieve it are defined by the purpose and the

industry in question; to hack a reality from the advertising and marketing industry, you need people with strategic capacity to deeply understand a reality (planning) and give insight into where the levers are that can be moved to transform a reality. You also need a creative team, so that once you determine the angle from where you can transform the reality, the team finds the ideas that make it happen. Flock decides the real-ity it wants to hack and asks itself what is in the people’s best interest, because there are many angles from which a real-ity can be changed and those require actions.

“Let’s say, for example, that the proposal is to hack lateness. To achieve that, you have to define the angle you want to operate from, and from there

to hack. A creative team then finds an idea that achieves it, and how that can be turned into an action and a story to tell, because it has to be something that people share so that it escalates as an idea and contaminates a lot of people. Then you need a production team that makes it all hap-pen (a mobile video, mobile app, or activities that happen in physical places); all these points of contact where the idea is planted require a great performance capacity and you have to be able to carry it out and supervise. Finally, a tech-nology and performance team

helps to increase the diffusion capacity and impact through technological tools, spreading the virus that the rest of the team created to do the hack-ing. Flock has a structure that consists of business, planning, creative, production, and diffu-sion platforms.

OutStAnDIng PROjeCtSSebastián describes how what Flock calls hacking has worked: “A good example of a positive change in a certain reality is the neighborhood challenge campaign in Mexico City that leads up to the an-nual race organized by Nike. In this case, the reality that we wanted to hack was that people run more. We real-ized that there was an angle we could approach it from: people run more and are more motivated when they do it

collectively. The idea was to create identities for each of the neighborhoods in Mexico City that registered in the race and get people to run for their clan. This generated competi-tion between the clans in the city; people competed in the race for their neighborhood, trying to perform better than the rest. Whenever you hack a reality, you have to be able to measure the relative impact on people: the result was that in 2013 people ran more than 200,000 kilometers (around 40% of what was already be-ing run in Mexico City in the same race), and in 2014 they ran around 650,000. Further-more, Nike increased its sales of sport shoes, registration for the race sold out faster than ever, its running application was downloaded much more, and its social network users tripled. The results and ben-efits were measurable in terms of the people’s reality and of the brand that hired us.”

Flock seeks to capitalize on the present while building the future, and thinks that is always a difficult balance to find. Sebastián Tonda told us that when faced with complex economic situations companies tend to stop innovating, but those are the times when inno-vation can make a bigger dif-ference. Flock’s challenge is to convince the world of that. N

* ceo, flock

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mexico’s Partner photos courtesy of fortinet mexico’s Partner

According to the latest IDC report, Fortinet is the number one security manufacturer in Mexico, in terms of market share. Fortinet has more than 176 authorized patents and 130 more pending authoriza-tion. “Having our own research and leading-edge technology development that enable us to offer the best performance in the market, is what differenti-ates us from other manufac-turers,” says Josué. Fortinet was born in California and expanded worldwide through a strategy of direct and indirect coverage through its business partners (certified channels).

FORTINeTCybErsECurIty arChItECturE

fortinet is the definition of a leading global cybersecurity company. founded in 2002, it has presence in more than 120 countries and has operated in mexico for ten years. it has more than fifty security professionals in our country and expects to close the year with eighty. fortinet has more directly-hired personnel than any other security company and is estimated to generate around five hundred indirect jobs in mexico.

interview with gilberto vicente* and josué maturano** by negocios proméxico

Fortinet works in col-laboration with Fortinet Forti-Guard and two of the country’s three major CERT (Computer Emergency Response Teams): CERT UNAM and CERT Infotec. It also has a 1000 m2 area in Mexico City that houses the Executive Briefing Center and two Data Centers, one of which is fully equipped with Fortinet’s entire portfolio of security solutions, with the conditions to duplicate the operating environment of any Mexican company.

Fortinet has several flag-ship solutions that are well-positioned on the service

providers, large and small and medium-sized businesses Mexican market and well recognized by a variety of analysts. These include the emblematic FortiGate (in its next-generation firewall (NGFW) and unified platform for threat management (UTM) modalities that consolidates up to sixteen security controls in an accelerated hardware plat-form), FortiAP (access points), FortiADC (application balanc-ers), and FortiDDos (protec-tion against distributed service denial attacks), among others.

On March 13, Fortinet opened its Security Center.

“The aim of the new center is to bring the best of technol-ogy and information security to Mexican companies. The center, located in the heart of Mexico City, has a 2.5 mil-lion dollar data center; train-ing classrooms for refresher courses and IT security cer-tification to keep you ahead in knowledge; a technical assistance center primarily serving Latin America and the Caribbean in English, Spanish, and Portuguese; architectural consulting and design services, that enable the evaluation of operating environments and the definition of the best components for building se-cure IT architectures to meet regulations such as PCI, SOX, MAAGTIC-SI, or LFPDPPP of the IFAI; business development services, focused not only on technological components but the generation of initiatives and partnerships for the prop-er promotion of an IT security culture; classrooms for holding round tables and discussion with clients, analysts, Fortinet experts, and industry leaders, and a video recording set for

producing educational and promotional content.

Its strategy for accessing new markets is a comprehen-sive coverage model comprising consulting services, sales, chan-nels, technical support, market-ing, and business development. “This allows us to be much closer to companies in Mexico; this coverage model, leveraged by education and awareness campaigns, enables us to rein-force the importance of infor-mation in Mexican companies and readies us to position Forti-net’s strengths and be conceived as the strategic partner that organizations demand.”

Fortinet Mexico seeks to go beyond selling security technology to also provide security architectures that help enable business clients, without sacrificing performance and flexibility. In addition, it seeks to generate proximity through professional, expert and certi-fied cybersecurity personnel, networks and applications, and service based on client specialty and profile—financial, indus-trial, government, retail and service providers.

Mexico is a reference in the use of information technologies in Latin America, both in public and private sectors, impacting the degree of investment in IT. This has allowed IT profession-als to grow in number as well as expertise, and also increase the adoption of best practices, government models, and regu-latory frameworks. “Insofar as individuals, organizations, and institutions rely on technology to achieve their goals, informa-tion security plays a key role to enable this dynamic."

According to company statistics, Mexico represents around 30% of computer threats—virus, worms, tar-geted attacks and hacking, among others—that are devel-oped in Latin America. This, in addition to the fact that the boundaries of space, time, and

device no longer exist, increas-ing the degree of exposure to such threats. For this reason, it is essential to have a complete infrastructure that considers the manufacturer as a network of partners/integrators that can respond to the demands of a growing, increasingly mature market in the definition of the levels of service it expects from suppliers.

In addition, Fortinet has a nationwide contract with UPS for storage facilities to safeguard spare parts and equipment, in order to give clients the best possible re-sponse times and keep their businesses operating. Fortinet has several manufacturer certi-fications, including ISO 9001, and currently all its models are governed by official Mexican standards.

Fortinet seeks to maintain and increase proximity to its clients and prospects by means of awareness campaigns and consulting services. Although today it has the biggest cover-age and infrastructure of any security manufacturer in Mexi-co—Fortinet’s portfolio is avail-able in Spanish and Portuguese, making it more competitive in Latin America—it is aware that it might not be enough to satisfy the demands of a mar-ket as big as Mexico. “For this reason, work with our network of partners is vital, and enables the generation of indirect jobs and the capabilities required by the market.”

In matters of threat re-search, Fortinet relies on FortiGuard, its threat mitiga-tion development center. “We were recognized in 2014 as the manufacturer that mitigated the most zero-day vulner-abilities. We also have a strong presence in business and in direct and indirect consulting through a network of partners that enables us to take our technology to countries where we have coverage.”

The features of Fortinet’s portfolio allow it to maintain a fairly equal distribution of income among the major world regions (the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific), as it does at market segment level (service providers, large and medium companies); however, “We would have to highlight the huge impact that our value proposal has had on the Latin American market where reduced budgets are not the exception, but the norm, and where the combination of our flat licensing-based busi-ness model and technological capacities characterized by the consolidation of services, is highly attractive to Latin American and Mexican com-panies. This allows us, unlike the majority of IT companies, to be highly relevant to the global income and therefore a

great influence on decisions re-garding product development and the company’s coverage worldwide.

Speaking of his vision going forward, Gilberto told us, “We hope to grow our workforce by at least 35% and our cover-age by 50% through business partners. The National Digital Agenda and digital inclusion projects are great catalysts for the adoption of robust security architectures, and it is our aim to be a fundamental piece of those efforts. However, busi-ness clients demand greater attention and through our two tools, the Service Center and the Executive Briefing Center, we are going to develop that proximity.” N

* marketing Director for Latin Amer-

ica and the caribbean, fortinet

** commercial Director, fortinet

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mexico in the World photo courtesy of alejandra lagunes

INTeRvIeW WITH AlejANDRA lAGUNeS SOTO RUIzCoordInator of thE natIonal dIgItal stratEgy

the national Digital strategy arises from the urgent need for mexico to have a digital policy to coordinate and strengthen efforts in the use of technology in all aspects of life for mexicans, inside and outside government, to learn, do business, have better public services, and take advantage of the huge opportunities to be found in information and communication technologies (ict).

mexico in the World

PROMéxICO (PRMx): How and why did the National Digital Strategy (NDS) arise?

ALejAnDRA LAguneS (ALLA): Aware of the importance of being on a par with the nations that have pushed digital agendas, President Enrique Peña Nieto has been committed since his campaign to generate one for Mexico. Early in his administration, he gave instructions for the policy to be developed and its imple-mentation will be coordinated directly from the President’s office, so that its action reaches throughout the Mexican government. Hence, the strategy was published in November 2013 although the work began from day one. First we worked on the design of the NDS under a collaborative approach between indus-try, academia, civil society, and govern-ment, and then we set the bases that will enable its implementation across all gov-ernment ministries and bodies.

PRMx: What are its main objectives?

ALLA: The strategy is, above all, an ef-fort to transform the government. We are seeking to build the government of the future today and make it efficient, modern and open, and improve relations with the public through the use of tech-nology. But it is also about building eco-systems that enable people to undertake, participate, innovate, and incorporate technology into their everyday activities.

OBjeCtIveS Of the nAtIOnAL DIgItAL StRAtegy1) Governmental transformation2) Digital economy3) Transformation of the educational

model4) Universal and effective health care5) Civic innovation and civic engage-

ment

These are objectives that will, trans-versally, impact the major goals of this administration established in the Na-tional Development Plan.

PRMx: What is the role of the NDS in President Enrique Peña Nieto’s current administration?

ALLA: The policy is part of the Program for a Close and Modern Government, one of the three transversal programs that the president established in the National Development Plan for all public adminis-tration. In other words, it is implemented by all of us in government, regardless of whether our substantive activities con-cern security, health, or education, be-cause government transformation is a ne-cessity and an objective. In addition, the NDS takes on special importance because it is coordinated from the Presidential of-fice, which speaks to the priority it carries in the current administration.

PRMx: What do you mean when you talk about the digital economy of the NDS?

by proméxico

ALLA: All over the world, the Internet has catapulted the emergence of new enter-prises that live in a digital world. Every day there are more companies that do not have physical offices, but do business electronically, and the boom in creative industries and technology companies

has become a driver of growth in many countries such as India and Brazil.

thAt IS WhAt We RefeR tO In the nDS: driving Mexico in an ecosystem of digi-tal economy, of technological enterprise, that becomes a growth engine for the

country. This is, of course, a job shared with the entrepreneurs, who are the ones who provide the ideas, but the govern-ment must do its part, and that is where lines of action related to the digital econ-omy come in.

For example, we are looking to build

bases of trust and regulations conducive to electronic trade, support entrepre-neurs through the INADEM, and make ICT a tool for financial inclusion that enables those without access to the credit and savings market to become banked.

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photos archivespecial feature special feature

PRMx: How is the NDS linked to the country’s productive sectors?

ALLA: ICT is transversal across all produc-tive sectors. It is used from agriculture to the aviation industry and across all the traditional industries. Its great power to transform is precisely what enables it to streamline processes and make companies more productive.

Hence, by encouraging all Mexicans to use ICT, either through the develop-ment of digital abilities that we promote through education or the more than 265,000 spaces that are being Internet-enabled through the Mexico Connected project, the NDS is promoting the devel-opment of all productive sectors through-out the country. One example is what it can do for the agriculture sector by means of open data—government information that is delivered to the public so it can be used in applications—, with more and better real-time information about agri-cultural products, producers can make better decisions about their crops, and this information reaches them through the use of ICT and the data we make pub-lic as part of the NDS.

PRMx: We have heard of the Internet for All concept which will be key for democratizing access to digital tools in Mexico, but what are the tangible benefits for the population?

ALLA: The constitutional reform in terms of telecommunications set the goal to take high-speed Internet to 75% of Mexican households by 2018. This will be possible thanks to the innovative regulations that are introduced by the reform and its second-ary laws. Moreover, the Mexico Connected program will convert more than 265,000 public places into points of connectivity for all Mexicans. In addition, the core net-work, along with other public policies, will create a more competitive environment that gives more Mexicans access to the Internet. The first step is to give Mexicans more and better Internet access, from that point on the possibilities are infinite.

PRMx: What impact does the NDS have on the country’s business?

ALLA: The NDS will generate a more dy-namic entrepreneurial environment, since it seeks to turn Mexico into a country where the ICT industry is a real growth engine.

Thus, it will positively impact the country’s business, since the policy seeks to generate ecosystems that make it easier to negotiate, engage, and interact with the government.

For example, enabling on-line procedures and services will make life easier for entre-preneurs, companies and the public, saving travel time and waiting, among other costs associated with completing a procedure.

PRMx: What are the main projects of the NDS?

ALLA: We have twenty-three secondary objectives. All the projects are important but I want to highlight four in particular.

1. GOB.MX is a single website for gov-ernment procedures and services where the public can consult and complete pro-cedures and access information from gov-ernment ministries and bodies. There will also be a participation section to promote citizen engagement in public policies.

2. DATOS.GOB.MX will be our data and applications website. Here, all information in government hands will be turned into useful products: maps, displays, reusable

databases, and case analyses for the devel-opment of evidence-based public policies. This project converts government infor-mation into a social asset for transparency, greater efficiency, engagement, innovation, and building together with the public.

3. Technology policy is the big how of the NDS. We are making government technol-ogy procurement more efficient and align-ing it with the country’s top priorities. In this way, we generate greater spending ef-ficiency while ensuring that we will have the best tools to implement our policies.

4. Policy for the incorporation of ICT in edu-cation. For two years we have been provid-ing fifth graders with devices to help them develop digital skills from an early age. The government has learned much from the pro-cess and we are working to continuously improve the project both on a mass scale—today students in six states have laptop com-puters or tablets—and as a pilot program.

In addition to these projects are our initiatives in open government, the use of ICT to improve the quality and coverage of health services and prevention of violence, among many others that can be consulted on the website mexicodigital.gob.mx.

PRMx: What has been the impact of the NDS so far?

ALLA: We have made great strides, and I can mention a few examples. Last year we connected 64,000 public spaces. We have advanced more than 50% in our commitments to open government, which means greater transparency and valuable information for the public. We introduced the website datos.gob.mx with 296 sets of open data, which have been down-loaded on more than 93,000 occasions. We launched ten public challenges to help the government to find better solutions to its problems and at the same time encour-age entrepreneurs through the exercise of public spending. We distributed 709,000 tablets in the 2014-2015 school year, we took Telesalud to eight federal prisons and launched the beta version of www.gob.mx, where you can see the entire digitalization process of procedures and services, in order to unify communication from the government.

These are just some of the advances we are making every day, together with many citizens, civil society, and compa-nies that have come on board with the project. The real impact is like a jigsaw

puzzle taking shape, because many poli-cies take time to bear fruit, as is the case with ICT and education. The important thing is that we have a clear direction and specific goals. We do not stop mov-ing forward.

PRMx: What can be said now of a Digital Mexico, or is it still too early?

ALLA: A Digital Mexico is a Mexico that is fully inserted into the information soci-ety, in which ICT and the Internet are part of the everyday lives of Mexicans in ways that revolutionize every activity. This is the vision we have for 2018 and I believe it is a little early to look at our progress and think we have done enough.

What I can say is that building a Digi-tal Mexico is where we are headed and what we are working towards every day. I am convinced that by the end of this ad-ministration we will talk about a Digital Mexico and we will have met the goals we set. Undoubtedly, this Digital Mexico will have to intensify and improve because technology is always one step ahead; but to do so, the bases will be very well con-structed thanks to what the NDS has been doing for over a year. N

The strategy is, above all, an effort to transform the government. We are seeking to build the government of the future today and make it efficient, modern and open, and improve relations with the public through the use of technology. But it is also about building ecosystems that enable people to undertake, participate, innovate, and incorporate technology into their everyday activities.

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photo courtesy of grupo lauman and archivespecial feature

CHAlleNGeS AND OPPORTUNITIeS In thE tElECoMMunICatIons sECtor In MExICo

it is no secret that technological advances have dramatically changed our environment, the way we communicate, the way we think, and our social context. one of the fastest-evolving sectors is telecommunications, which has become one of the pillars of development worldwide, facilitating and making viable the economic, educational and social growth of the population in general.

by manuel arroyo rodríguez*

special feature

According to a study published by the Economis Intelligence Unit in 20101 , Mexico ranked 52 out of 70 in terms of infrastructure connectivity in information and communication technology (ICT). A low position, considering the country’s level of development compared to other nations in Latin America.

According to the INEGI2 30.7% of homes in our country have Internet ac-cess. Meanwhile, according to the Minis-try of Communications and Transporta-tion (SCT)3 there were 51.2 million Inter-net users in Mexico in 2013 with a total of 27.8 million subscriptions, of which 99.3% were bandwidth.

The aim of the National Digital Strat-egy, presented in November 2013 by Pres-ident Enrique Peña Nieto, is “the adop-tion and development of information and communication technology” through five key enablers.

1. Connectivity2. Inclusion of digital abilities3. Interoperability4. Legal framework5. Open data

The strategy also included increasing the technical structure to provide im-proved and more extensive Internet and ICT access, and better digital governance.

In March 2014, President Peña sent the initiative decree to the Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union for the issuance of the Federal Tele-communications and Broadcasting Act.

The constitutional reform adopted six guiding principles:1. Issuance of a new legal framework2. Specific rules for effective competition3. Strengthening of the institutions in-

volved in telecommunications and broadcasting sectors

4. Specific objectives for the universal coverage of services

5. Infrastructure deployment6. Expansion of the basic rights of free-

dom of expression, access to informa-tion, and access to information and communications technology

The new Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Act regulates such di-verse topics as sole convergent conces-sions, the administration and allocation of the radio spectrum, network intercon-nection, the substantial market power and prevailing economic agents, the shar-

ing of the local network, content, adver-tising and user rights, among others.

The above is an effort to modernize the sector and provide better services at lower costs; it encourages competition and opens foreign direct investment up to 100% in the telecommunications sec-tor and 49% for the broadcasting sec-tor, which should translate to the use of advanced technologies and new business models for the industry.

The reform also seeks the better use and exploitation of the radio spectrum by migrating traditional television services to digital terrestrial television (DTT), in ad-dition, two new digital television channels have been tendered for and the aim is to expand the Federal Electricity Commis-sion’s fiber optic network to enable data-carrying throughout the network.

A new mobile services network will be tendered in the 700 MHz band, which is aligned with the proposal to provide uni-versal coverage, i.e., for the entire popula-tion to have access to these technologies along with Wi-Fi connectivity in public places with the same universal scope.

These actions aim to provide ICT ac-cess, including broadband Internet, to the entire population and close the digital gap. The opportunity for development in this area is huge and we are only beginning to witness the changes and technologies that will be the engine of development for many countries around the world.

Openness to new investments will boost the industry in general and spark a need for experienced companies that can provide advanced technologies and sup-port. Mexico has to bet big and adopt world-class models that raise its perfor-mance and competitiveness. Today, the countries with greater development in telecommunications are also those with greater growth in related matters like economy and education.

There is no doubt that telecommu-nications will play a crucial role in our country’s development, not only in the short and medium term as the structural reforms come into full effect, but in future generations that will depend on connec-tivity as a social model for interconnec-tion and growth. N

* President of Grupo Lauman

1 the economist. economist intelligence unit

2010. Available at: http://graphics.eiu.com/up-

load/eiu_Digital_economy_rankings_2010_fi-

nAL_WeB.pdf

2 ineGi. statistics on the international internet

Day. Available at: http://www.inegi.org.mx/

inegi/contenidos/espanol/prensa/contenidos/

estadisticas/2014/internet0.pdf

3 sct. statistical Yearbook for the communica-

tions and transportation sector 2013. Available

at: http://www.sct.gob.mx/fileadmin/Direc-

cionesGrales/DGP/estadistica/Anuarios/Anu-

ario-2013.pdf p.161.

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infographic karim ariasfigures figures

MEXICO IS A LEADERIN THE IT AND BPO SECTORS

Sources: ProMéxico, A. T. Kearney 2014, KPMG, SE (Ministry of Economy), INEGI (National Institute for Statistics and Geography), Harvard and MIT: Atlas of Economic Complexity (2012).

Mexico is the fourth principal

location for offshore services.

Mexico is the second most important destination in

Latin America for investments in software

projects, with a 23% share of the region’s total.

The market value of the Mexican IT sector has grown at an average

annual rate of 14% in the last ten years, while exports and jobs

related to the sector have grown 12% and 11% respectively for the

same period.

Mexico is the best place in

America to establish IT companies.

In 2014, the value of the Mexican market for IT and BPO was 20.7 billion dollars.

Mexico is the ninth IT talent hub

globally and the most important

technology talent pool in America.

Mexico produces 80% of Latin

America’s high-tech exports.

Mexico is the world’s third

largest exporter of IT services.

Mexico exports 19.3% of its GDP in high-tech products, ranking third globally in this category.

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infographic karim ariasfigures figures

In Mexico there are:

Sources: ProMéxico, A. T. Kearney 2014, KPMG, SE (Ministry of Economy), INEGI (National Institute for Statistics and Geography), Harvard and MIT: Atlas of Economic Complexity (2012).

30 technology parks distributed in 20 states

32 clusters distributed in 26 states–with an annual turnover of over two billion dollars

639 certifieddevelopment centers.

In Mexico there are560,000 IT professionals

In Mexico there are 560,000 IT professionals

Public policies

Federal programs and flagship projects

National Digital Strategy

Mexico online

Operation costs relative to software design, video games

development, support services, and shared service centers

represent savings of 28.7% to 46% compared to the USA.

Six essential points of the telecommunications reform

1.- Strengthening of fundamental rights 2.- Update of the legal framework for the sector 3.- Strengthening of the institutional framework 4.- Promotion of competitiveness 5.- Establishment of universal digital inclusion and

national digital agenda policies 6.- Driving the expansion of coverage in terms of

infrastructure

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photos courtesy of ccdspecial report

CCD veNTUReSthE fIrst of Many bEts dIgItal CrEatIvE CIty WIll plaCE on CrEatIvE talEnt

eight months after its launch and with 332 projects on its books, ccD ventures has exceeded all expectations and brought to light countless big projects, many of which might have been just good ideas without this support.

by mariana larragoiti*

special report

Mexico has an enormous potential that puts it among the world’s major players in the digital media industries. Its privi-leged position gives it access to the His-panic markets of the United States and Latin America. It has a significant cost advantage (digital services—digital en-tertainment and software design—10% and 28.7% lower than Canada and the United States, respectively, according to KPMG 2014), a huge pool of creative and technological talent (ninth largest ICT talent hub worldwide and the main source of talent for Silicon Valley, above Germany, India, and Japan), a media market value of 27 billion dollars and is the leading exporter of creative goods in Latin America.

However, the limited supply of pub-lic and private funding is one of the main inhibitors to the development of the digital creative industries in Mexico, and although the number of investors turn-ing their attention to these industries is increasing, this terrain remains largely unexplored and with many opportunities.

CCD Ventures is a risk capital invest-ment fund driven by Digital Creative City (www.ccdguadalajara.com) geared towards enhancing the business ecosys-tem of the creative industries. It is an example of government policy result-ing from collaboration between public and private initiative, the only one of its kind in the country, which promotes the development of Mexican talent and the growth of the local economy. The center specializes in creative industries—in digi-tal animation, mobile applications, video

games, interactive media, film, television, Internet, software development, renew-able energies (green or alternative), and sectors closely linked to these industries.

COMPOnentS Of CCD ventuReS SuPPORt

· Provide a physical space in Digital Cre-ative City with access to the basic ser-vices necessary to develop the business.

· Guarantee that the selected entrepre-neur receives ongoing, personalized mentoring from a team of specialized consultants and mentors.

· Provide access to financing through risk capital to those entrepreneurs that meet the requirements of CCD Ventures.

ReSuLtSCCD Ventures launched its first call on June 27, 2014 and closed it five months later.

It registered a total of 332 projects, from which 271 entrepreneurs were identi-fied in the following sectors.

Sector

Digital animation

Applications

film

renewable energies

internet

software

tv

video games

other

entrepreneurs

38

37

15

16

55

29

7

18

16

CCD ventuReS entRePReneuRSBelow are three of the most noteworthy cases that have applied to the fund.

2DNutz is a company dedicated to the en-tertainment sector, which develops intellec-tual property (IP) through creations aimed specifically at the video game and anima-tion (animated drawings, films and animat-ed series, among others) industry. IP is also exploited in the production of toys and the licensing of rights for commercial purposes.

www.2dnutz.com

MOTS (Mobile Testing Services, SC) is a company that provides professional ser-vices to both individuals and national or foreign institutions for the development of projects relating to mobile telephones, net-work assessment, engineering or field tests and everything in relation to the installation or use of telephone equipment and the im-plementation of new technologies including cellular telephones.

www.motslatam.com

Mutante Media is dedicated to sound design for multimedia, competing at the national and international levels. It has specialized sound design services for different disci-plines or platforms that require sound—cin-ematography, television, theater, sound art, mobile applications, and video games. The studio will provide Foley recording, ADR, dubbing, sound editing, and design for film, audio implementation in video games, mu-sic, library creation, and mixes. N

mutantemedia.com

*Director of innovation, Proméxico

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photos courtesy of centroGuest opinion Guest opinion

To understand the meaning of the phrase economic creativity we must turn to the book The Creative Economy: How Peo-ple Make Money from Ideas (published in 2001) by British author John Howkins. Howkins defines creative economy as “…the transactions in [the resulting] creative products. Each transaction may have two complementary values: the value of the intangible, intellectual property and the value of the physical carrier or platform [if any]. In some industries, such as digital software, the intellectual property value is higher. In others, such as art, the unit cost of the physical object is higher.” These words are of particular interest from an

CReATIve eCONOMyMakIng CrEatIvIty thE prIMary Input

the notion of creativity derives from the Latin creare, meaning to engender, give birth to, produce, or create. the fact that it is linked only to the artistic domain is a mistake: anyone can apply their own creativity to problem-solving in very different areas and achieve compelling, even innovative, results.

by eduardo tanimoto licona*

administrative point of view, but how do they combine to generate extraordinary wealth and value?

To answer this question, I turn to the notion of creativity derived from the Latin creare, meaning to engender, give birth to, produce, or create. The fact that it is linked only to the artistic domain is a mistake; anyone can apply their own creativity to problem-solving in very dif-ferent areas and achieve compelling, even innovative, results.

Experts in the field agree on one point: the undeniable convergence between cre-ativity and thinking. We think when an internal stimulus excites our imagination:

a dream, memory, meditation, or reflec-tion. We also do it when we redefine a problem, finding and formulating solu-tions based on preceding information. All this is part of creative thinking.

It could be said that creativity arises when factors coincide that we can as-sociate by techniques. Techniques in themselves are not creative, although the people who apply them are likely to be; the body of knowledge and association of ideas create the results we seek, we only obtain a pertinent result if we have trained people solving the right problem.

When we use the phrase creative economy we refer to the productive en-vironment that makes creativity its pri-mary input. This is one of the biggest and fastest-growing sectors in the world. It encompasses areas that include de-sign, visual arts, music, the publishing industry, photography, performing arts, architecture and literature, museums, galleries, radio, film and television, ad-vertising, fashion design, video games, and alternative media.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations De-velopment Program (UNDP) published the Creative Economy Report 2013, Special Edition, which emphasizes this

It was in the Mexican Design Open (Abierto Mexicano de Diseño, AMD) 2014, a platform that gathers universities, designers, and design-related companies and organizations to share their creative proposals in a proactive and collaborative environment, where the first Spanish edi-tion of the report was launched. This em-phasized the priority the topic should have on the Mexican and continental agenda.

Why MexICO?Mexico leads Latin America in creative economy and ranks eighteenth in the world as a producer of creative goods and services, according to data revealed in the Creative Economy Report 2010 (UNC-TAD/UNDP). The document highlights the country’s rise as an exporter of televi-sion content, music, video games, books, film, new media, visual and dramatic arts, publications, and creative services, areas which represented 1.3% of the world market in 2008. In the same year, accord-ing to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), ex-ports in the sector amounted to 5.167 bil-lion dollars, with a growth rate of 9.1%, between 2003 and 2008, positioning the country among the top twenty in the global export of creative goods.

Some examples illustrate the impor-

tance of this field. The exhibition Infi-nite Obsession by famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, shown in the Tamayo Mu-seum from September 26, 2014 to Janu-ary 18, 2015, received a record 330,000 visitors, according to the Olga and Rufino Tamayo Foundation.

Meanwhile, the successful Zona Maco Contemporary Art Fair 2014, in which 120 galleries from 22 countries showed the works of 1,500 national and interna-tional artists, recorded 41,000 visitors be-tween February 4 and 8. It is worth men-tioning that one section is devoted to the exhibition of design objects, produced in-distinctly by studios and higher-education institutions.

These phenomena show that Mexico is a competitive country in this growing market of creative goods and services, despite the economic crises and vibrant international future. However, there is a pressing need to more vigorously promote the diffusion of content, contribute to pro-fessional training in the sector, and intro-duce fiscal stimuli and direct investment for the creative industries, among other measures to enhance the taste, knowledge, and consumption of the sector. N

In ShORt: it is time to invest in creativity.

* industrial designer, teacher at the Design,

film, and television center (centro de Diseño,

cine y televisión). etanimoto@centro.edu.mx

www.centro.edu.mx

RefeRenCeS

· Clegg, B., Birch, P. (2001) Creatividad al Instante, Ediciones Garnica S.A., Mexico City.

· Landau, E. (1987) El vivir creativo, Publisher Herder S.A., Barcelona

· Howkins, J (2010). The Creative Economy: How People Make Money from Ideas, Penguin Press, London

· UNCTAD (2010) Creative Economy Report 2010. UNCTAD, available at: http://unctadxiii.org/en/SessionDocu-ment/ditctab20103_en.pdf, consulted February 16, 2015

· UNESCO/UNDP (2013) Creative Economy Report 2013, Special Edi-tion, available at: www.unesco.org/culture/pdf/creative-economy-re-port-2013.pdf, consulted February 16, 2015

Culture (…) is who we are, shapes our identity, is a means of fostering respect and tolerance among people, is a way to create jobs and improve people’s lives, is a way to include others and understand them, helps preserve our heritage and makes sense of our future, empowers people … works for development.

production sector as a priority on the post-2015 development agenda, the tar-get year for reaching the Millennium Development Goals. The document evi-dences the value of creativity as a raw material and facilitator of sustainable development.

In the document, Irina Bokova, Direc-tor-General of UNESCO and Helen Clark, Administrator of the UNDP point out:

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photos courtesy of centroGuest opinion

CReATIve eCONOMybusInEss opportunIty In MExICoseventy one years ago, theodor Adorno and max Horkheimer—founders of the frankfurt school—wrote a famous essay seriously criticizing what they baptized as culture industry.

by arturo delgado*

Guest opinion

They were referring to the content of the emerging film and mass print media in-dustries and recently-invented television as being a blatant standardized repeti-tion, “apparently different from one an-other,” manufactured with the same rules to manipulate a society as an avid con-sumer of falsely new stories. They clearly announced: “The current civilization con-cedes an air of similarity to everything.”

However, the development of the criticized industries enabled the circu-lation of knowledge, contributing to its specialization and transversality to pro-duce exceptionally refined work. The development, for example, of different kinds of design industries produced,

from the hand of technology, the por-table mass media that enable the access, capture, saving, and sharing of a vast amount of information on a device that fits into your pocket.

Creative economy has also generated sophisticated, responsible, and demand-ing consumers, who expect sustainable solutions that provide real value. The famous French philosopher and sociolo-gist Gilles Lipovetsky says in his work, A Paradoxical Happiness, “Between 15% and 20% of consumers can be consid-ered alter-consumers, that is, they opt for ethical products, do not identify with brands, buy bio-foods, ask about environmental repercussions, and attest

to identifying themselves as responsible and not passive victims of the market.” The demands of this growing sector have forced many—cultural producers or not—to virtuously transform, inserting into their essence values like ethics, in-novation, rigor, and creativity.

Industries that fail to pay attention to the creative economy are likely to perish as old dinosaurs overthrown by an increas-ingly participative society. Examples of this trend in Mexico cover a wide spectrum, from the new observatories of transpar-ency or accountability of civic organiza-tions that make their work visible through the work of serious artists, to the success-ful Zona Maco that generates traffic—and

economic gains—on the broad contempo-rary art circuit of the public and private sector, or the generation of the ARCA proj-ect from the corporate cusp of Televisa.

The development of the creative economy does not happen by magic; it re-quires an environment conducive to pro-duction that—according to UNESCO—includes audiovisual media, all types of design, the new information media, and performing, editing and visual arts. In ad-dition, its concepts must continually go through the sieve of specialized critique to be valid. Artists show why they refuse to classify their work as product, since art, despite the fact that—and precisely because—it survives in an era of hyper-consumption, is the necessary antagonist in the narrative of industrial production they seek to transform. The essence of art is naturally elusive and thus resists being treated as a measurable, comparable, and quantifiable product; however, the major international financing organizations, like the World Bank, the IBD, and the IMF, realize that the cultural industries are among the fastest-growing sectors in the world economy.

The UNESCO points out that, “The culture sector is highly transforma-tive in terms of income generation, job creation, and earnings obtained from exportation: between 2002 and 2011, the export of goods from the creative economy increased at an average annual rate of 12.1% in developed countries.” In this context, Mexico—a country

which is an inherent producer of artis-tic works across all disciplines and with major challenges to confront—is a na-tion where the creative economy occurs naturally. Furthermore, academics, art-ists, creators, and cultural agents, have long pointed out that among their pro-ducers are some actors more capable of generating positive change with effective long-term solutions. The creative sector of excellence essentially touches, crosses, and transcends everything we need to ex-

ist, because it has something real to say. Hence—not in spite of, but precisely be-cause of the warnings of Adorno, Hork-heimer and Lipovetsky—it is vital to ex-ploit an environment where the creative economy works.

Mexico has a genuinely ancient his-tory; it sits on a multi-diverse territory in which urban cultures converge with more than 62 living indigenous languages (ac-cording to INALI), and is also the coun-try with the highest number of Spanish

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public and private sectors—and are used by creators who win Golden Palms in Cannes and Oscars in Hollywood, inter-national literature prizes or Grammy’s, create liaisons with the world’s most im-portant museums, hold star positions in rigorous dance companies, attract diners, artists, authors, and travelers to fairs and festivals that happen in collaboration with entities and individuals from other countries, because the creative economy is also naturally international.

photos courtesy of centro

Guest opinion special report

The culture sector is highly transformative in terms of income generation, job creation, and earnings obtained from exportation: between 2002 and 2011, the export of goods from the creative economy increased at an average annual rate of 12.1% in developed countries.

Two thousand fourteen was an exception-al year for the Mexican creative industries. Around 105 Mexican companies—televi-sion content, film, animated content, vi-sual effects and services like dubbing and subtitles, among others—from all corners of Mexico visited MIPCOM with the sup-port of ProMéxico. Compared to the 2013 edition—at which twelve Mexican com-panies participated—this year reported an increase of 875%; it was also the big-gest business delegation in the history of the event. ProMéxico provided two areas

MexICO AT MIPCOM 2014a CElEbratIon of MExICan CrEatIvIty

mexico was country of honor at the most renowned audiovisual content show on the planet.

by negocios proméxico

for the Mexican companies: one 130 m2 pavilion inside the Palais, and the Casa México, a 270 m2 double decker where the Mexican companies held business meet-ings. Both venues were fully dressed with the image of Mexico and designed to cre-ate the ideal conditions for holding work meetings. Two touch screens were installed in each venue; innovation was also present with an interactive screen with the image

of a mantis that interacted virtually with visitors. The touch screens enabled visitors to see the directory of companies in the Mexican delegation.

In terms of business figures, total ex-ports as a result of the MIPCOM negotia-tions reached $75,022,000 dollars, while investments totaled $70,828,500 dollars.

Five of the companies that attended MIPCOM 2014 share their stories here.

speakers among twenty-two countries where Spanish is the predominant lan-guage; its cultural industry produces an unfathomable range of visual, perfor-mance, and gastronomic culture, of folk, urban archeological, and contemporary art, that is shown in strong national and international circuits that comprise fes-tivals, fairs, showings, meetings, and a boundless regular programming as di-verse as it is specialized across all the ar-tistic disciplines.

Lipovetzky said, “There is no doubt that we have to mend the hyperconsump-tion society, redirect it towards egalitar-ian and responsible ways.” To this end, Mexico provides—and is obligated to resort to—its developed cultural infra-structure, whose institutions and pro-grams are recognized for encompassing all the artistic disciplines—in both the

The UNESCO Creative Economy Re-port 2013 Special Edition states that, “Be-cause the creative economy is difficult to manage and highly risky, larger organiza-tions that can spread risk across a port-folio of products and services will find it easier to flourish. […] In other words, the cultural and creative industries are naturally idiosyncratic, and benefit from the dynamics of imperfect competition.” Hence, to participate in the cultural indus-try of Mexico—a country inserted into a complex world replete with challenges—is to participate in the promotion of a favor-able local change that becomes global, giv-en that its effect on the creative economy, as well as wealth, generates satisfaction. N

* Arturo Delgado, ex diplomat, was the cul-

tural attaché in the mexican embassy in Aus-

tralia where he presented the commemora-

tive program of the Bicentennial of mexico’s

independence and the centennial of the

revolution. He has worked in several areas

of the public and private cultural sector as

an author, producer, and promoter. He is cur-

rently the head of the centro cultural del

Bosque of the inBA-conaculta.

www.centro.edu.mx

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special report special report

and distributed—and broaden the hori-zons of independent production seeking to internationalize. We have received a good response to our productions since MIP-COM. We have established very valuable contacts with which we have closed pro-duction services for large-scale projects.

IntegRADORA CIneMAtOgRáfICAAt MIPCOM we exhibited in the Mexico pavilion as production house, co-pro-ducers, and distributors of audiovisual material. We had around seventy busi-ness meetings with exhibitors, distribu-tors, television stations, and co-produc-ers from Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Chi-na, Colombia, Croatia, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mex-ico, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

During the show we managed to close two co-production deals—one of which is already in the production process—and offered a variety of documentary material for sale. We are now preparing a couple of new projects with contacts we made during the show and have two important

international markets last year. Since then, we have received different invitations and support to promote our exports. ProMéxi-co has taken care of every step during the process and has supported us very closely to fulfill our objectives. It has also guided and advised us on how to increase inter-national sales in our industry. We were in-vited to MIPTV and MIPCOM last year, and that invitation has been extended to 2015. In addition, we were part of the trade mission that visited the United King-dom in early March, as part of the Dual Year, to exchange trade experiences with companies from Cardiff and London. In turn, it helped us to develop a web page in English and gave us significant support to have presence in film festivals.

Both MIPCOM and other internation-al television markets are a great showcase for publicizing our country’s production. They also provide insight into what is hap-pening in other countries—what content they are producing, how it is marketed

partnerships in progress—one with Ger-many and another with Spain—to devel-op new technologies in television signal distribution. In sales of finished material we are still negotiating with several pro-posals, and will certainly close with at least Spain, the United States, and Russia.

So far our relationship with Pro-México has been excellent. We have

worked since 2008 in different phases of its projects with creative industries, always with good results. ProMéxico has given us advice on topics related to exporting, market value, opportunities, creative industries, and intellectual prop-erty; we have also received the travel kit to attend a Hong Kong market and for MIPCOM 2014.

BLue PRIntWe had around sixty back-to-back meet-ings looking to market formats and fin-ished content from our catalogue, with producers, television stations, and In-ternet platforms from many countries, including Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among others. We now have one deal closed and two in progress.

MIPCOM was a very productive ex-perience; we struck up many relationships that will benefit us in the short, medium, and long term. We would have liked to have had a fixed table in the ProMéxico pa-vilion to avoid having to constantly move around. It was a really interesting market.

CAPOnetOIn the latest edition of MIPCOM we were part of the committee of Mexican televi-sion representatives, where we presented formats that are currently under devel-opment and promoted a catalogue of original productions.

During the show we held around 27 meetings with companies from America, Asia, and Europe—television channels, international distributors, and production companies—interested in co-producing with us, mainly from Spain, the United States, and France, although we also met companies from Korea, Poland, Russia, Singapore, and some Latin American countries. We closed two co-production deals and the distribution of one of our series; we currently have an international distribution agreement under progress for two series already produced.

Our relationship with ProMéxico be-gan with its invitation to participate in

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special report mexico in the World

In each mutual visit and meeting between the leaders of the two countries, topics are discussed and agreements signed in pur-suit of a common goal to create an envi-ronment that is increasingly conducive to deepening the China-Mexico Comprehen-sive Strategic Partnership. Mexico in turn is analyzing and establishing structural reforms based on the country’s chang-ing needs, which influence relations with other countries.

In President Enrique Peña Nieto’s last visit to the People’s Republic of China, an action program was finalized that will

CHINA AND MexICO2015, yEar of pEak tradE

mexico and china share a healthy ambition for development and growth in the new world context. the many coincidences between the two countries has led them to establish solid trade ties that have grown and strengthened over the years. the result is that today mexico and china are in their prime.

by chantal abrajan peña*

steer bilateral cooperation. The program encompasses reforms to the political en-vironment in terms of investment, trade, finance, tourism cooperation, culture, education, technology, and social devel-opment.

The major highlights of those reforms are given below.

· To use and continue to perfect the mechanisms of economic and trade cooperation, such as the High Level Working Group, formed by the Mexi-can Ministry of Economy and the Min-

istry of Trade of the People’s Republic of China, whose representatives signed an agreement on September 8, 2010; the signing of the agreement allows the creation of a permanent consulting and negotiation mechanism for deal-ing with economic affairs and bilat-eral trade. The agreement establishes, among other strategic aspects, that the working group will meet once a year to assess the development of relations in this field. The said mechanisms seek the consolidation, growth, and pros-perity of both countries through trade promotion and facilitation, investment, economic cooperation, and techni-cal development. It was also agreed to stimulate the organization of seminars, conferences, and exhibitions that en-courage cooperation in the above areas.

· China welcomes the fact that more competitive and high value-added Mexican products are entering the Chinese market, in a joint effort to push the balanced growth of bilateral trade in an environment of openness and development. Such is the case of

Attending MIPCOM—in such a spe-cial year when Mexico was the Country of Honor—vastly changed the perspec-tive of international co-producers and buyers, because ProMéxico got them to pay more attention to business oppor-tunities. The Mexico pavilion was very well visited and raised expectations in terms of events related to our country. It was a positive, encouraging, and profit-able experience.

ProMéxico delegation at MIPCOM 2014 has been highly beneficial both in the pro-motion and sale of our finished products, and in meeting potential co-producers and investors for our projects under develop-ment. This allows us to position our brand internationally and, more importantly, bring to fruition the projects we have committed to developing in recent years.

SuLAfILMSWe went to MIPCOM to promote the sale of a couple of films we had finished and one under development. During the show we had around nineteen meetings with production companies from Colombia, England, France, Iceland, Singapore, and Spain; with sales agents of windows for VOD and SVOD and Internet platforms (aggregators); and companies like PRE-MIER, United Kingdom; Alebrije LTD, United States; Netflix and NewLink, Unit-ed States, among others.

Our relationship with ProMéxico has been very professional. We are very pleased with the institution for support-ing our industry. The logistics of MIP-COM 2014 in particular were impecca-ble; it managed to give a great impression of our country on a world stage that is highly important for the industry. For this show we obtained what ProMéxico calls its travel kit, and we were also supported

with materials, advice about the fair and very good places to hold meetings, with screens, audio system, and private rooms for showing and selling our products.

During the show, we closed three sales for our film Casi treinta with Netflix, iTunes and Google Play; a co-production of our next film, entitled Don Eusebio, is currently under progress with a company from Spain and another from Miami. Our experience in MIPCOM was highly productive. N

SIn SentIDO fILMSAt MIPCOM 2014, ProMéxico enabled us to increase international awareness of our company as a production house with vast experience in Mexican film and interna-tional co-productions, and also to promote another side of us as a content generator for both cinema and television. We held ap-proximately twenty formal business meet-ings, and several highly productive social meetings, with television series distributors from Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Spain, the United States, and Mexico, and with international sales agents from Ger-many, Spain, and the United States, who showed interest in our finished products. We closed the international sale of one of our feature films already screened in Mexi-co, and have around five deals in progress.

It is the first time we have received support and advice from ProMéxico and it has been very constructive to our pro-fessional growth and national and in-ternational projection. Being part of the

photo courtesy of el mall

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mexico in the Worldmexico in the World

the successful negotiation and signing of the Protocol of Phytosanitary Re-quirements for the Export of Raspber-ries and Blackberries from Mexico to China and the Protocol of Phytosani-tary Requirements for the Export of Citrus from China to Mexico. Mexico, meanwhile, is working to conclude protocols for Mexican leaf tobacco and dairy products, and the equipping of new beef and pork plants that meet the registration requirements.

· To promote foreign investment with the Mexico-China Investment Fund, established with 1.2 billion dollars in capital from both countries in the first stage. Cooperation will continue to be actively promoted to increase productive investment flows in differ-ent sectors including infrastructure, industry, tourism and energy. The parties will continue to work to reach their target amount of 2.4 billion dol-lars and firmly establish the fund as a preferred means to boost strategic partnerships between companies from the two countries.

· Mexico is a country with solid institu-tions, one of the foremost economies in the world and the fourth largest in the Americas. Mexico has strong macro-economic stability, healthy

SINGAPORe AND MexICOa suCCEssful tradE and InvEstMEnt rElatIonshIp that datEs baCk Many yEars

mexico, a country with access to the largest markets in the western hemisphere, and singapore, one of the world’s highest GDP per capita economies and the gateway to south east Asia, are facing a new era of opportunities in their own regions, opportunities that can build important synergies. in celebration of 40 years of diplomatic relations we take a look at the ongoing and successful trade and investment exchanges that the two countries have engaged in in recent years.

by alejandro salas montelongo*

Mexico, a current OECD member, went through a dramatic economic transforma-tion from being a preeminent oil producer to a regional manufacturing powerhouse that currently attracts more than US $20 billion per year on average in FDI. Its opti-mal location with immediate proximity to the largest consumer market in the world, paired with its being part of the globe’s largest trade bloc (NAFTA) gives the na-tion an indisputable economic and trading advantage not only in the region, but on the continent, and ultimately in the world. Mexico’s economy is ranked 14th and is one of the most trade-integrated in the developing world, which makes it a very vibrant trading nation in today’s interna-tional landscape.

According to the World Bank’s most recent index on the ease of doing business, Mexico is ranked in 3rd place out of 32 countries in the region. This puts its econ-omy in the eyes of international investors who are looking for new ways to expand their domestic and regional operations into new markets.

For Mexico it is of strategic importance to have a better and more efficient rela-tionship with Asia and in particular with Singapore, which is Mexico’s second most important investor in the Asia-Pacific re-gion. Singapore, another regional hub and a powerhouse for services and finance, is one of several nations that have already noticed the potential that Mexico represents for their transnational businesses, and are actu-ally targeting the new additional opportuni-ties that will come from Mexican President Enrique Peña’s structural reforms on energy and telecommunications.

Trade links between Mexico and Singapore go back a long way and have strengthened even more in recent years, following consistent economic growth in both nations and the increasing expan-sion of the regional markets to which they belong. The incursion of Singapore businesses in Mexico is already yielding outstanding results. Successful investment initiatives include firms like Banyan Tree (SGX: B58.SI) in the hospitality sector, Swiber (SGX: AK3.SI) in the energy (oil) sector, and Flextronics (NASDAQ: FLEX) in the electronics manufacturing sector, just to name three of more than forty Sin-gaporean transnational firms that have al-ready invested in Mexico.

public finances, an autonomous mon-etary system, a flexible exchange rate and solid banking system, which maintains the support and presence of Asian financial institutions in the country. Hence, the National Banking and Securities Commission (Comis-ión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores, CNBV) approved the establishment of a subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Mexico. The ICBC is one of the big-gest in Asia and the world in terms of assets. In September 2013 it recorded more than 20 billion Chinese yuan (about 3.2 billion US dollars). It has presence on four continents: Asia, Eu-rope, Oceania, and America, where it operates in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Peru, and Brazil. The entry of the ICBC into Mexico will boost economic exchanges and trade be-tween the two countries and contrib-ute to bilateral cooperation in sectors like energy, project contracting, or equipment supply.

· To encourage investment in tourism as a priority aspect of the bilateral rela-tionship through initiatives such as the investment commitments established between FONATUR and Chinese com-panies in tourism projects with an in-tegrated development approach. This

year was also declared the Year of Mex-ican Tourism in China, which is clearly a great opportunity to push the sector through a series of activities that will be conducted throughout the year, with the firm purpose of bringing the two cultures together and increasing un-derstanding. The Mexican government has rolled out an action plan to finance tourism companies in the country. The National Tourism Promotion Fund (Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Tur-ismo, FONATUR) and Nacional Finan-ciera (NAFIN)—witnessed by the Min-istry of Tourism (SECTUR)—signed a collaboration agreement which enables the development of specific sectoral programs in credit and training, and corporate financing for major projects that can channel credit of up to five hundred million pesos.

· To promote investment in the energy sector between both parties through initiatives like the energy fund (with a capital of twenty-five billion dollars); a 35 billion dollar investment is also ex-pected from China in three sectors (gas pipelines, drilling, and exportation). These resources stem from the opportu-nities provided by the energy reform; so far, ten Chinese companies are known to be interested in investing in Mexico, among them Sinopec and CNPC.

The outlook for this and the next few years for the relationship between Mexi-co and China is much more encouraging thanks to the work of both countries, which will lead to better conditions and new agreements that allow the export of more Mexican products and bring more foreign direct investment into Mexico. In addition, our country has a prized geo-graphical location that has convinced many transnational companies from Chi-na and other countries to turn to Mexico to purchase and make investments that enable them to be more competitive. N

* Deputy trade & investment comissioner

1 ministry of foreign Affairs of the People’s

republic of china <http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/

esp/zxxx/t1211446.shtml> [consulted January

9, 2015]

2 el economista (2014) “icBc, banco chino lle-

ga a méxico; cnBc lo autoriza” [edition dated

november 10, 2014]

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Negocios ProMéxico |

56 March 2015

mexico in the World

The stories behind the trust and confi-dence that Singaporean and international investors have in Mexico are manifold: i) Mexico has worked hard to guarantee a safe and convenient business environment within its territory through the applica-tion of a solid legal framework for busi-nesses and enforcement of rule of law; ii) from an ever-increasing skilled, strong, and competitive workforce that contrib-utes to both manufacturing and service firms alike, and iii) from competitive in-frastructure in maritime ports, airports, roads, industrial and technological parks that Mexico has built over several de-cades, precisely in an attempt to keep its competitiveness high in a new—and ever changing- international environment.

Mexican-Singaporean trade and in-vestment activities have solidified over the years showing signs of success, and are expected to grow even stronger and thus, expand in the years to come as the Mexi-can economy goes through massive posi-tive changes, result of its inclusion in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agree-ment negotiations, and the newly approved structural economic reforms. These reforms will create wider and newer channels for investment and trade in productive sectors in which Mexico is already a leader in the region, and which investments such as Sin-gaporean capital may find highly attractive.

Amongst these promising sectors for Singaporean investment, and which are already being explored by Singaporean firms like Keppel (SGX: BN4), are: energy sector investments with a special focus on oil and gas infrastructure, support services and technologies; water treatment plants and water infrastructure-related greenfield

projects; and tourism and hospitality in-vestments that include new tourism des-tinations — from Los Cabos in the north to the Riviera Maya in the south. Addi-tionally, other trending sectors in Mexico which have sparked recent Singaporean investment interest are airport manage-ment, maritime port administration and the aerospace manufacturing industry.

The presence of Singaporean capital in Mexico has been consistent since the early 1990s and has increased as more oppor-tunities have opened for both countries in the last decade. Mexican industrial devel-opment and economic reforms converge in a window of opportunity for Singapore, offering investment and business oppor-tunities in key business sectors in which Singaporean companies have already made forays in the past. These include: infrastructure and construction, oil & gas, automotive, logistics, tourism, agribusi-

ness and aerospace. In 2012 Singapore’s FDI into Mexico totaled US $1.112 bil-lion, which will likely be dwarfed by new Singaporean investments arriving into the country following the Mexican economy expansion derived from reforms and inclu-sion in the TPP.

Singapore is aware of Mexico’s growth potential and how the nation may be a crucial partner in Singapore’s international economic growth and expansion into new markets for the next decades. Fortunately, many other nations are also noticing how our strong economy continues to contrib-ute to increasing trade, innovation, and competitiveness worldwide. However, be-ing a trade and investment partner of Singa-pore, a veritable success story of economic and social development, will always be for Mexico, something to boast about. N

* first secretary of Proméxico in singapore

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photo courtesy hotel of banyan tree mayakoba, riviera maya

The Lifestyle

The CompleTe Guide To The mexiCan Way of life

Mexico in HollywoodThe Oscars and the Mexican Eye

The Wachowskis Film an Episode of the Series Sense8 in Mexico

FICUNAM 2015 Internationalization Platform for Independent Mexican Filmmaking

TANESilver under a New Light

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OuR SILenCesAYinG WHAt You tHinK

AnD DoinG WHAt You sAY

few of us can imagine the excitement, complexity, and commitment of the life of an artist. in early 2009, sculptor Rivelino traveled to lisbon to open his exhibition of reliefs; he could not have imagined that on this trip he would decide to commit the next few years of his life to freedom of expression.

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| Negocios ProMéxico

March 2015 March 2015

The Lifestyle The Lifestyle

our sIlencesAying WhAt you think And doing WhAt you sAy

mexIco In hollywoodthe oscArs And the mexicAn eye

Few of us can imagine the excitement, complexity, and commitment of the life of an artist. In early 2009, sculptor Rivelino traveled to Lisbon to open his exhibition of reliefs; he could not have imagined that on this trip he would decide to commit the next few years of his life to freedom of expression.The Global Now would be

incomprehensible without the film industry. During the 20th century, the paradigm of world exploration shifted, to the point where humankind today has an eye that represents reality in all manner of ways, imaginable or tangible, and which narrates the past, present and future of our species. And it is precisely in the story of this eye where the name of our country is earning ever more recognition, through major figures that exhibit their great efforts to the world.

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One night, after the exhibition, several people who were involved came out to cel-ebrate on the edge of the river. Half way through dinner someone asked Rivelino, “What is the greatest thing you have dreamed of doing, Master? Tell us!” After a brief silence the artist answered. “I have worked for several years on a project that

really is almost a dream. It’s an exhibit of monumental sculpture composed of ten pieces almost four meters high. They are bronze busts weighing a ton each; they all have an enormous plaque covering the mouth; they can’t or are not allowed to speak. I would like to tour Mexico with them, from Tijuana to Chiapas, town by town, and generate reflection about how important it is to say what you think.”

“And what are they like?” someone asked. Rivelino took a napkin and drew the convincing silhouette of a figure with tough but calm features—like those of someone who carries the weight of being silent—and then covered the mouth with a plaque. He showed the drawing around and they all wished that someday the proj-ect would happen.

The next morning the telephone rang in the room where Rivelino was staying. The hotel receptionist announced that someone was waiting in the lobby. The artist was cu-rious to meet the man who turned out to be one of the guests at the dinner the night before, where they had met. After exchang-ing greetings, Javier—that was the visitor’s name—said, “I think the exhibit you spoke of yesterday should change geography. Why don’t you bring it to Europe?” Rivelino was surprised, the exhibit didn’t even exist. Ja-vier continued, “I think an exhibition about freedom of speech is very necessary here in Europe.” “But Javier,” replied the artist, “the exhibit doesn’t exist, it’s just a project.” “That’s how everything starts,” replied the speaker, “saying what you think and doing what you say.” Rivelino smiled.

In 2009, the monumental sculptural installation entitled Our Silence opened at the end of November in white Lisbon, at the foot of the Marquis of Pombal; in 2010, the exhibit was placed in the Juan Carlos I park in Madrid, and then on the Louis de Bruselas Avenue, in the City of the Arts of Potsdam, and in Villa Borghese in Rome. In 2011, the gagged sculptures spoke to him in the garden of the Brit-ish Parliament’s Victoria Tower, but the freedom of expression message could not reach Paris that February because of the conflict surrounding the French citizen Florence Cassez; Moscow was the next stop, from there St. Petersburg and finally on to the Zocalo in Mexico City.

After three years without being exhib-ited, Our Silence embarked on a new path: from January 2015 the exhibit will be on show in San Diego, California, on the wa-terfront at Ruocco Park where it will stay until mid-March, thanks to the support of the Consulate General of Mexico and the San Diego port authorities. N

read more at:

www.nuestrossilencios.com

Indio Fernández and the moment that An-tonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (Anthony Quinn) became the first Latin American actor to win Best Supporting Actor, to the last two years when Mexican artists have taken home the awards for Best Director, Best Photography and, finally, Best Picture.

In fact, this year, the 87th celebration of the Oscar Awards was the stage on which the name of our country received several mentions. Since 2013, Mexico has attracted the attention of the entire world thanks to Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar for Best Director and Emmanuel Lubezki’s for Best Pho-tography. This year Lubezki repeated the award in the same category, while Alejan-dro González Iñárritu won the Oscar which makes 2015 the second consecutive year that a Mexican has taken Best Director. Furthermore, Birdman was awarded Best Picture of the year and won a fourth Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Although Birdman was not produced in our country, it is a clear example of national talent. Mexico has one of the most mod-

ern and internationally renowned cinema complex infrastructures. Although it is still necessary to further stimulate the distribu-tion of national films, the production of Mexican films has grown exponentially in recent years, from 12 films in 2002 to 126 in 2013.

The awards to Gravity and Birdman are perhaps the most widely diffused and recognized Mexican nominations in histo-ry—although only 350 copies of Birdman were released, it was a box-office success—, not only due to the overwhelming exposure provided by the Internet, but for the qual-ity of both works. What unites Gravity and Birdman is not only the common origin of their directors and photographer, it is the greater complexity and subtlety that might be explained as a way of seeing, a new con-figuration of that eye that is the film indus-try itself, and which with the joint work of Mexican talent is renewed and flourishes. There are many ways to see the world, and Mexico projects its world with ever greater strength and clarity. N

The Hollywood story began the year af-ter the start of the Mexican Revolution, with the foundation of a first film studio. In the same year, another fifteen studios arrived, and sixteen years later the Acad-emy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, was born. The first award ceremony was held in 1929 and the first statuette was received by Emil Jannings for Best Actor for his magnificent performance in two silent films: The Last Command directed by Josef von Sternberg and The Way of all Flesh by Victor Fleming. Today, Hollywood as an industry, has local replicas all over the world—India, Nigeria and Sweden—, however, the annual trans-mission of the Oscar awards has become an incomparable phenomenon seen in almost every corner of the world by tens of mil-lions of viewers.

Mexico has a long history not only in Hollywood, but in the Oscar awards them-selves, from the (unconfirmed) story that the model for the statuette was Emilio el

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| Negocios ProMéxico

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The Lifestyle The Lifestyle

the wachowskIs

film An episode of the series

sense8 in mexico, to Be releAsed on

netflix

fIcunam 2015 internAtionAlizAtion plAtform for independent mexicAn filmmAking

by luis archundia*

by luis archundia*

During November 2014, the Wachows-kis, makers of the famous Matrix trilogy, filmed an episode of their series Sense8 in locations in Mexico City. The episode will be one of ten first-season episodes and will be released on Netflix. The science-fiction series tells the story of eight people from different parts of the world—one of which is Mexico City—who, after suffering a tragic death suddenly find themselves with a mental and emotional connection. The eight main characters are able to see and talk to each other and know their deepest secrets. All are pursued by an organization that intends to capture them to analyze and kill them. The series is expected to air at the end of 2015.

The episode filmed in Mexico City will feature Spanish actor Miguel Ángel Silvestre (Los amantes pasajeros), who shares the screen with stars like Daryl Hannah (Blade Runner, Kill Bill), Naveen Andrews (Lost), Tuppence Middleton (The

Imitation Game, Jupiter Ascending), Jamie Clayton (Transform Me), Aml Ameen (The Butler, The Maze Runner), Brian J. Smith (Stargate Universe), Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who), Tena Desae (The Best Ex-otic Marigold Hotel), Doona Bae (Cloud Atlas, Jupiter Ascending), Alfonso Herrera (La dictadura perfecta), and Eréndira Ibar-ra (Capadocia, Más negro que la noche), among others.

Experienced line producer, Anna Roth (Titanic), coordinated all aspects of shoot-ing in Mexico throughout the two weeks it took, finding locations that will show the splendor of Mexico City to millions of viewers around the world. For Hollywood decision-makers, Mexico is a privileged production destination due to its advan-tages in cost, geostrategic location, and talent, among many other reasons. N

*Project manager of creative industries,

Proméxico

From February 26 to March 7, we cel-ebrate another year of the UNAM Inter-national Film Festival (Festival Interna-cional de Cine de la UNAM, FICUNAM), whose films are screened in the University Cultural Center and other venues of the country’s leading university.

Since its first edition in 2011, FICU-NAM has stood out by screening films which would normally be outside the com-mercial circuit. Around 95% of the work that is screened, which includes documen-taries, fiction and hybrids, are not backed by a distributor in Mexico. FICUNAM, therefore, not only functions as an impor-tant showcase within the country for inde-pendent films, but also as an export plat-form through an international gathering of festival programmers and markets. The FICUNAM programmers mainly prefer works that are authored independently, as well as the proposed narrative and produc-tion models of each piece.

FICUNAM includes three sections of competition: International Competition, dedicated to new filmmakers; Mexican Competition, aimed at Mexican filmmak-ers; and Feats Competition. Meeting of Film Schools, aimed at film students from the Ibero-American region. The Retro-spective section completes the program-ming, which in addition to the areas of competition, is the backbone of the festi-val. The section Mexico, Right Now! is a space that nourishes the Mexican Compe-tition selection along with International Competition; in other words, both Inter-national Competition and Mexico, Right Now! include Mexican films that will compete for the Mexico Puma Award.

Meanwhile, Contemporary Manifesto speaks of what is happening with the work of the international grand masters, just as the section El Porvenir is aimed at up-and-

coming filmmakers whose work the FICU-NAM considers the cinema of the future.

Programming is done in permanent collaboration with the Cátedra Ingmar Bergman in film and theater (dedicated to the study of those disciplines) and is com-

plemented by the FICUNAM tour, which travels around Mexico for nine months once the festival has finished. N

*Project manager of creative industries, Biu,

Proméxico

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Negocios ProMéxico |

62 March 2015

The LifestyleNegocios proMéxico | The Lifestyle

TANE recognizes Mexico’s inherent abili-ties, since pre-Colombian times, in the art of silverwork. As a company, TANE is committed to the development of Mexi-can artisan talent, but also to that of other nations interested in the silversmith’s art. TANE reinvents itself this year and makes a revamped appearance in key design events in Europe.

The brand was founded in the forties by José and Rosa Vilner, of Russian origin and merchants by trade; during the Second World War they moved from Paris to Mex-ico City. Once established in the Mexican capital, they opened a leather goods store that soon switched to silver and which in the sixties, under the direction of their son, Pedro Leites, acquired a cult status: a must for celebrities like Jackie Kennedy, Cath-erine Deneuve, and Oscar de la Renta. TANE quickly expanded its silver produc-tion and finally set up its own silversmith workshop. For Bodo, collaborating on TANE’s international launch is part of a revaluation—that he has carried out with brands such as Lladró (Spain) and Nikko (Japan)—in which the designer takes a material with an intrinsic value and strong historical ties, invigorates it, and makes it relevant again.

“In Europe, TANE has been part of an important cultural exchange of silver-working skills for some time,” explains Bodo; “Few know it, but its specialized academies in France and Mexico are cen-ters of excellence that have trained many of the silversmiths of the most prestigious

luxury brands in France. TANE’s emphasis is on keeping traditional skills alive for fu-ture generations,” he comments.

Bodo’s main interest is preserving tra-ditional techniques to continue the legacy of outstanding craftsmanship. “I really like the approach TANE has towards its work-force: it recognizes and promotes skilled labor and trains apprentices from scratch for several years until they are capable of producing pieces for the company. This sense of excellence and instruction really appeals to me. The quality of the work is exceptional.”

It is clear that silver has a special at-traction for Sperlein on several levels. “Silver is associated with so many things. Traditionally, a person’s fortune consisted of his belongings in silver and jewels. If the members of a family had to move or were displaced during some social upheaval, they knew that if they took their silver pieces with them, they would be able to survive. Historically, silver has played an important role in most households, not just the wealthy, but also those who only had a set of buttons or a silver bowl; the value of silver was universally known and appreciated, and we want to bring some of that recognition back. These pieces are contemporary relics, and I hope they are treasured by new generations that are interested in longevity and authentic-ity.” Silver also possesses many reflective properties that make it perfect for lighting products; its natural and antibiotic proper-ties give it increased importance in modern

tanesilver under A neW lightThe London-based brand designer and consultant, Bodo Sperlein, has been chosen by TANE—a Mexican silversmiths and luxury jewelry company—for the world launch of its new collection of silver pieces for the home. An innovative approach to symbolism and the properties of silver as a contemporary, artisanal, and luxury material in this new and extensive collection—that ranges from lighting objects to tea sets—brings silver right back into the heart of the home, firmly and beautifully introducing this precious metal to the 21st century.

by negocios proméxico

medical practices, which is why it was used for the creation of water jugs and table-ware in Roman times and the Middle Ages. “I like the fact that we are turning to the past to find solutions to current problems. For all these reasons I felt it was the right time to reintroduce silver to the center of the home. You can feel it has a right to be there again,” says Bodo.

This first collection includes articles made solely of silver, but we should be prepared for the unexpected. Bodo has collaborated with the renowned geologist, Luis Haghenbeck, to incorporate comple-mentary materials—like Mexican recinto (a type of volcanic rock), wood, or porce-lain—that embrace the precious essence of silver, at once earthy and bright. The re-sult? A handcrafted collection of beautiful contemporary treasures. N

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PARA exPORTADOReS

eNTRevISTA A lA exCeleNTíSIMA SeñORA SONjA HylAND

EMbajadora dE Irlanda En MéxICo

DISTRIbUIDORA HORTIMex EMprEsa ganadora dEl prEMIo naCIonal dE

ExportaCIón 2014 En la CatEgoría pEquEñas y MEdIanas CoMErCIalIzadoras

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por comce

por enrique jacob rocha

por abraham karol weller lara

por embajadora maría carmen oñate muñoz

Negocios ProMéxico |

64 Marzo 2015

Para Exportadores

deproméxico

Vivimos tiempos de cambios. No sólo el contexto global marca agendas de gran in-terés para empresarios y go-biernos, también el contexto

nacional ofrece nuevos retos y nos invita a crear nuevas oportunidades. La innova-ción y la creatividad son motores de gran potencial: no sólo trazan rutas, también re-inventan el panorama y son la herramienta perfecta para afrontar el cambio.

En esta ocasión publicamos una entrevis-ta a la Embajadora de Irlanda, Excelentísi-ma Señora Sonja Hyland, quien nos mues-tra las grandes oportunidades que Irlanda tiene para México y aquellas que empresa-rios y gobierno irlandeses han ubicado en nuestro país. Nos comparte su visión res-pecto a la cercanía comercial y cultural de nuestros países y nos recuerda las fortalezas del nuestro.

Más adelante, un experto en la mate-ria nos ofrece una panorámica del nuevo sistema electrónico –cuya resolución fue publicada en el Diario Oficial de la Fede-ración en junio del año pasado– y nos des-taca algunos elementos a tomar en cuenta al momento de su entrada en vigor, en julio de este año.

Además, presentamos un análisis del co-mercio exterior desde la perspectiva de un agente aduanal, documento que nos pre-viene respecto a los acuerdos globales en la materia y las oportunidades que éstos traen consigo; pone en liza la importancia de for-talecer la industria nacional e incluir con-tenido regional en nuestras exportaciones.

La Directora General para África y Me-dio Oriente de Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores destaca los esfuerzos diplomá-ticos entre la Liga de Estados Árabes y nuestro país, cuyo objetivo es diversificar la política exterior, promover espacios de intercambio cultural, académico y de ne-gocios, así como lograr un mayor acerca-miento con dicha región.

Finalmente Negocios ProMéxico cierra con un artículo del Presidente del Instituto Nacional del emprendedor, que nos ofrece la amplia gama de apoyos y estímulos que dicha institución ofrece para el éxito de las industrias creativas y las tecnologías de la información, instrumentos indispensables para la innovación y el desarrollo no sólo de dicho sector, sino del país en su conjunto, dada la transversalidad de estas industrias.

Espero que estos contenidos sean de su interés.

¡Bienvenidos a Negocios ProMéxico!

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IndustrIas CrEatIvas

Lear Corporation es una empresa que se dedica a la fabricación de asientos para automóvil y componentes eléctricos, ade-más surte a líneas de alta calidad como Audi y Volkswagen; cuenta con presencia en 36 países y en México posee una sólida plantilla laboral de 49,000 empleados en 12 estados de la República.

ampip.org.mx

culos Renault vendidos en México son im-portados de Francia, Corea, Colombia, Es-paña, Argentina y Brasil. La directiva refirió que la participación de Renault en el merca-do nacional asciende al 2.2% y que el obje-tivo es acrecentarla este año a 2.5% o 3%.

Añadió que con las tres agencias que la francesa ya tiene en Nuevo León, la ex-pectativa es facturar en 2015 unas 1,200 unidades, casi 35% más respecto a las ven-didas en 2014 en la entidad.

www.negociosreforma.com

autoMotrIz

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COlOCAN PRIMeRA PIeDRA De leAR CORPORATION eN TlAxCAlA

evAlúA ReNAUlT PlANTA eN MéxICO

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Como continuación de la estrategia de ex-pansión nacional de la Asociación Mexica-na de Internet, A.C., el 25 de marzo se llevó a cabo la inauguración de la Delegación Re-gional Occidente, con sede en la ciudad de Guadalajara. Esta representación de AMIP-CI estará a cargo del Instituto Jalisciense de Tecnologías de la Información (IJALTI), en la persona de su Director General, Jacobo González Torres, y atenderá a los estados de Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima y Michoacán.

Una de las primeras actividades de la Delegación Occidente de AMIPCI será res-

El 5 de marzo se inauguró la nueva planta de Phillips Industries en el Complejo Indus-trial de Davisa en Arteaga. Esta ceremonia se realizó a cuatro meses de que se iniciaran las operaciones en las nuevas naves indus-triales. A inicios de octubre de 2014 se dio a conocer que Phillips Industries, luego de siete años de operaciones en el Parque Industrial La Angostura, se preparaba para mudarse a una nueva planta en el parque industrial que Davisa estaba desarrollando en Arteaga.

Los planes de expansión de la planta, así como los cambios que la reforma fis-cal generó en el sistema de shelter, fueron los que ocasionaron que Phillips Industries dejara las instalaciones que ocupaba en el

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lA AMIPCI Se ReGIONAlIzA eN bUSCA De ACORTAR lA bReCHA DIGITAl

INAUGURAN NUevA PlANTA De PHIllIPS INDUSTRIeS eN ARTeAGA

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La empresa japonesa Toyoda Gosei ini-ció su proceso de construcción en el par-que Castro del Río, con una inversión inicial de 67 millones de dólares. A la ceremonia celebrada en las instalacio-nes del parque industrial el pasado 4 de marzo, acudieron autoridades estatales y municipales, al igual que directivos de la compañía a nivel nacional y municipal.

El gobernador Miguel Márquez Már-quez informó que para 2019, la empresa planea concluir su inversión de 90 millones de dólares en el parque con 800 empleos.

El mandatario estatal comentó que esta es una de las veinte empresas japo-nesas instaladas en el parque Castro del Río, siendo Japón el primer inversionista extranjero del estado.

www.am.com.mx

Con el fin de fortalecer la innovación tecnológica y el desarrollo de talento, Ciudad Creativa Digital y Digital Skills Academy (instituto líder en educación de tecnologías digitales en Irlanda) firmaron un acuerdo de colaboración en el marco del cuarenta aniversario de las relaciones diplomáticas entre México e Irlanda.

Digital Skills Academy es una institu-ción de capacitación en línea, educación y certificación tecnológica con reconoci-miento mundial. Con este acuerdo se bus-ca ofrecer más opciones de competencias digitales para los socios de la industria y organizaciones clave en México.

www.jalisco.gob.mx

INICIA CONSTRUCCIóN eMPReSA jAPONeSA eN IRAPUATO

FIRMAN ACUeRDO De COlAbORACIóN CIUDAD CReATIvA DIGITAl y DIGITAl SkIllS ACADeMy El pasado 10 de marzo el Gobernador de

Tlaxcala, Mariano González Zarur, junto a directivos de la empresa estadouniden-se Lear Corporation, colocó la primera piedra de esta factoría que se instalará en Ciudad Industrial Xicohtécantl II en Huamantla, con una inversión de vein-ticinco millones de dólares. La empresa planea iniciar operaciones en marzo de 2016 y generar cuatrocientos empleos.

La automotriz francesa Renault evalúa instalar una planta en México y es posible que este año tome la decisión de concretar o no dicho proyecto, reveló Magdalena López Estrada, directora general interina de Renault México.

La directiva detalló el fuerte crecimien-to en ventas que ha tenido la firma en Mé-xico, al señalar que en 2014 Renault factu-ró 24,900 unidades, 17% más que en 2013 frente a una media nacional de 7% de to-das las marcas de vehículos en México.

López Estrada refirió que todos los vehí-

paldar al evento E‐Commerce México 2015 –un foro empresarial que pretende reunir a los principales actores del comercio electró-nico en Jalisco– que se realizará el 25 y 26 de junio de este año en Expo Guadalajara. Este evento es iniciativa de un grupo de em-presarios jaliscienses y presentará a más de cincuenta empresas expositoras, proveedo-res de soluciones y herramientas en la cade-na de valor del comercio electrónico, ade-más de un selecto grupo de conferencistas.

www.amipci.org.mx

Parque Industrial La Angostura, a donde llegaron en enero de 2008 para apoyar las operaciones de Daimler Truck. Al evento asistieron los principales directivos de Phi-llips Industires y representantes de los Go-biernos Estatal y Municipal.

La planta cuenta actualmente con una plantilla de 420 trabajadores (setenta de ellos nuevos ingresos), aunque para finalizar el año, deberán llegar a los quinientos tra-bajadores; en 2014 cerraron con una pro-ducción de veinte mil arneses por semana y actualmente están por llegar a los 36,000 semanales.

www.vanguardia.com.mx

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| Negocios ProMéxico

Marzo 2015

Para Exportadores Para Exportadoresfotos cortesía embajada de irlanda en méxico

eNTRevISTA A lA exCeleNTíSIMA SeñORA SONjA HylAND

emBajadoRa de iRlanda en méxiCo

por negocios proméxico

PROMéxICO (PM).- ¿Qué aspectos desta-caría de la relación México-Irlanda?

eMBAjADORA hyLAnD (eh).- Para Irlan-da, México es un socio clave, es uno de nuestros veinte socios comerciales más grandes del mundo (no sólo de Latinoa-mérica). Respecto a exportaciones de bie-nes de Irlanda a Latinoamérica, México recibe 65%. Somos un país pequeño en términos de población, nuestras exporta-ciones (bienes y servicios) son el motor de nuestra economía, y lo fueron de nuestra recuperación después de la crisis global de 2008, sobre todo las industrias de tele-comunicaciones e informática.

PM.- Durante 2014 hubo una misión co-mercial, ¿cuál es su análisis de resultados de dicha misión?

eh.- Lo que hemos visto durante esta mi-sión es que hay grandes oportunidades para empresas irlandesas en el sector de telecomunicaciones e informática. Tenemos empresas muy flexibles y creativas en la industria de software para dichos sectores. México es un mercado enorme y la reforma nos brinda mayores oportunidades y com-petitividad. Hay muchas empresas irlande-sas trabajando en el desarrollo de software para añadir valor, servicios y mejoras en estos sectores. Tuvimos ocho empresas en esta misión. Todas ellas identifican grandes oportunidades en el mercado mexicano. Por otro lado, hay empresas mexicanas que trabajan en diversos mercados de América Latina, y eso es algo que le interesa a las empresas irlandesas, pues tener una buena relación con socios mexicanos permite ac-ceder al mercado de América Latina y al de EUA. Tenemos ya una relación fuerte con los actores principales del sector de teleco-municaciones mexicano y trabajamos día a día para materializar cada oportunidad.

PM.- ¿A qué atribuye el incremento de las exportaciones de Irlanda a México?

eh.- Como he dicho, en primer lugar los sectores de TIC y agroalimentario –sobre todo lácteos. Una inversión que a mí me llama la atención es la de Irelandia –la em-presa de Ryanair, la primera línea aérea de bajo costo, muy exitosa en Europa–; una de las primeras inversiones de Irelandia en el mundo fue en México con Viva Aerobús, que tiene dos socios –Irelandia e IAMSA. Esa fue una de las primeras inversiones ir-landesas en el mundo en términos de aero-líneas de bajo costo, y ha tenido un éxito enorme. La misma compañía irlandesa ya opera en Colombia y tiene en mente ex-pandirse por América Latina. El sector ae-ronáutico es muy importante para Irlanda, pues también hay muchas empresas de esta

industria que trabajan con mucho éxito en México; creemos que habrá más oportuni-dades, sobre todo en las aerolíneas de bajo costo, pues esta industria crecerá mucho en toda América Latina.

En segundo lugar, también están los sectores farmacéutico, dispositivos médi-cos y ciencias de la vida; ambos países sos-tienen un comercio que vale más o menos cuatrocientos millones de dólares anuales. Alrededor del día de San Patricio nuestro ministro de salud realizó una visita a Mé-xico para promover empresas irlandesas que están invirtiendo en industrias de estos sectores, e investigar dónde están las opor-tunidades para ellas. México tiene algunos retos de salud pública, como la obesidad y la diabetes. En Irlanda tenemos una red de centros de investigación con financiamien-to del gobierno que trabajan en muchos temas, entre los que se encuentran algunos relacionados con salud pública y otros que podrían interesarle a México.

En tercer lugar, el sector energético –hoy día el mundo entero está interesado en este sector mexicano. Irlanda no tiene empresas enormes en el sector petrolero, pero tenemos empresas con mucha expe-riencia en servicios para el sector energé-tico y en el de energías renovables, pues en Irlanda tenemos mucho viento y agua. Tenemos empresas muy interesantes en la industria eólica, y ahora vemos mucho interés de estas empresas por invertir en México. En noviembre pasado había una empresa interesada en invertir en este sec-tor en México, ahora hay cuatro.

nuestra economía y aprovechar nuevas oportunidades. Tenemos empresas que han sobrevivido la crisis, que son más fuertes y que están buscando mercados nuevos y nuevas oportunidades que les permitan diversificar sus socios y sus ne-gocios, es en este contexto que hemos in-crementado nuestras exportaciones.

Por otro lado, las reformas en México nos permiten ver nuevas oportunidades en el sector energético, en el sector de servi-cios financieros y en el sector de telecomu-nicaciones, entre otros. Por ejemplo, una industria específica es la de lácteos, en la que México tiene un déficit de producción doméstica mientras que Irlanda tiene más vacas que personas (4.5 millones de po-blación contra 6 millones de vacas). Por ello vemos en el sector agroalimentario una oportunidad y hemos tenido mucho éxito al respecto en los últimos años; de 2009 a 2014 las exportaciones a todo el mundo de este sector se han incrementado 45%; nosotros tenemos la meta de incre-mentar la producción de leche 50% hacia 2020. Vamos a producir más leche mien-tras que México tiene un déficit. El año pasado la exportación de productos lác-teos (por ejemplo, leche en polvo y otros derivados) de Irlanda a México tuvo un valor de casi ochenta millones de dólares; creemos que en el futuro tendremos aún más oportunidades. En distintos sectores vemos oportunidades específicas: donde México necesita algo, Irlanda ofrece esos bienes o servicios.

PM.- ¿En qué sectores Irlanda está intere-sada en invertir en México?

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eh.- Para nosotros el mercado mexicano es muy interesante. Se trata del número catorce en el mundo por su tamaño. Para una empresa irlandesa no es el mercado más obvio: una pyme irlandesa primero voltea a Europa, EUA, Australia o Asia, pero naturalmente no volteamos a Méxi-co. Durante la crisis económica en Irlan-da nos dimos cuenta de que no es posible sostener negocios sólo con nuestros so-cios históricos, la diversificación es clave para nosotros en términos de hacer crecer

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las reformas en México nos permiten ver nuevas oportunidades en los sectores energético, de servicios financieros y de telecomunicaciones, entre otros.

Tenemos clusters de muchas áreas importantes para México, en las que han tenido éxito. Por otro lado Irlanda busca diversificar sus mercados y estamos muy contentos de atraer más fuentes de inversión, vemos en México una oportunidad muy importante.

PM.- ¿Podría hablarnos de similitudes en-tre Irlanda y México?

eh.- De principio la cultura, tenemos simi-litudes en nuestra historia, una de ella es el tema migratorio y sus consecuencias eco-nómicas. Pero también ambos somos un país de pymes, somos países interesados en tener inversión extranjera directa. Ambos estamos intentando utilizar las empresas extranjeras multinacionales que ya están en nuestros respectivos países no sólo para crear empleo y exportaciones, sino también para impulsar el desarrollo de las pymes lo-cales. Hemos visto que es muy exitoso el desarrollo de un cluster de empresas locales que trabajan con multinacionales. Ha sido muy interesante ver esto en Irlanda –los en-laces y los vínculos entre el empresariado internacional y el local– y hemos inverti-do en este desarrollo y estamos buscando siempre oportunidades para aprovechar al máximo este tipo de compañías en Irlanda, no sólo para generar empleo sino también desarrollo.

PM.- ¿Qué oportunidades hay en Irlanda para México?

eh.- Somos un país pequeño, pero tenemos acceso al mercado de la Unión Europea sin barreras, sin tarifas y sin obstáculos. Es-tamos hablando de un mercado de cerca de quinientos millones de personas. Irlan-da es el único país de habla inglesa en la eurozona. También tenemos trabajadores altamente capacitados, somos el primer lugar en el mundo respecto a la disponi-bilidad de mano de obra calificada, y nos encontramos en los primeros lugares de adaptabilidad y flexibilidad de nuestra fuerza laboral. Tenemos un régimen de impuestos corporativos muy competitivo y

transparente. No estamos hablando de un mercado de bajo costo sin impuestos, sino de uno con un régimen competitivo muy transparente y sencillo, con una fuerza la-boral muy bien calificada.

Existe un importante cluster de empre-sas internacionales que ya han invertido en Irlanda, tenemos nueve de las diez compa-ñías globales más importes de software, también las nueve más importantes de la industria farmacéutica global, las diez compañías más grandes de Internet, quince de las veinte compañías más importantes en tecnología médica. Tenemos clusters de muchas áreas importantes para México. Irlanda busca diversificar sus mercados y estamos muy contentos de atraer más fuentes de inversión, vemos en México una oportunidad muy importante. Quizá para los inversionistas mexicanos Irlanda no sea la sede más obvia respecto a invertir en Europa, pero una vez que se analizan los elementos clave y las ofertas que tenemos para las empresas, Irlanda representa una oferta de gran envergadura.

PM.- Además de los casos antes menciona-dos, ¿cuáles son los casos de éxito de in-ternacionalización de Irlanda en México?

eh.- Kerry Group es la empresa más grande en el mundo de ingredientes para prepara-ción de alimentos. Su centro de excelencia global para América en Querétaro, y tam-bién tienen fábricas en ese estado y en Hi-dalgo. Es muy interesante porque aquí en

México no sólo producen los ingredientes, también hacen investigación y desarrollo, y trabajan directamente con las empresas para crear productos especialmente dise-ñados para éstas. Ése es un caso de éxito, que produce 800 empleos, y destacan a México como un centro de excelencia para toda América Latina y Norteamérica. Ellos trabajan con las empresas más grandes de México y con transnacionales. No se nota tanto porque no hay una marca comercial de ellos, más bien trabajan y producen dis-tintos productos para muchas otras marcas.

PM.- Dado que el sector TIC también en México ha crecido notablemente y es uno de los sectores que estamos impulsando, ¿cuál es la historia del sector en Irlanda y por qué se ha vuelto tan atractivo y se ha desarrollado como uno de los sectores de la relación bilateral?

eh.- Hay varios elementos. La atracción de compañías extranjeras multinacionales en el sector de informática ha sido clave. Con ellas el interés y el expertise han crecido mucho, y hemos tenido la oportunidad de aprovechar la presencia de estas empresas para desarrollar nuestras propias empresas. Irlanda ha puesto mucho énfasis en el sector de las pymes y vemos que las empresas más destacadas y más exitosas en los sectores de tecnologías y software comienzan como microempresas que van creciendo. También la adecuación en Irlanda es importante en este contexto. Entre los países de OCDE

tenemos más alumnos graduados entre las carreras de ciencias, matemáticas e inge-niería. Somos el primer lugar en la OCDE en este contexto. Como gobierno estamos en lo que hacemos mejor. También inver-timos en pymes y a veces directamente en los sectores que nos interesan. Buscamos generar un entorno que ayude a las pymes a empezar y crecer, tenemos un crédito de impuestos para empresas –por ejemplo– y varios incentivos en términos de financia-miento e impuestos, apoyos y servicios. Y todo este conjunto nos ha permitido tener un cluster de estas industrias. Enterprise Ireland promueve exportaciones y a Irlanda como socio, pero no sólo ayuda a las em-presas cuando están exportando, sino las ayuda desde que están comenzando. IDA es la instancia que se dedica a la atracción de inversión extranjera directa. N

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Han transcurrido ocho meses desde enton-ces, y lo más importante es que la fecha pre-vista por los legisladores para la entrada en vigor de una de las nuevas disposiciones de mayor relevancia se aproxima. Si bien la ci-tada reforma –también llamada coloquial-mente miscelánea mercantil– entró en vigor al día siguiente de su publicación junto a otras disposiciones, en esta ocasión me refe-riré específicamente a lo relativo al Sistema Electrónico que, de acuerdo al transitorio segundo del decreto de reforma, la Secre-

NUevO SISTeMA eleCTRóNICO eN MATeRIA MeRCANTIl

la inaplazaBle enTRada en viGoR

El día 13 de junio de 2014 se publicó en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el decreto por el que se reformaron, adicionaron y derogaron diversas disposiciones de carácter mercantil en el Código de Comercio, la Ley General de Sociedades Mercantiles, la Ley de Fondos de Inversión, la Ley General de Títulos y Operaciones de Crédito, la Ley Federal de Derechos y la Ley Orgánica de la Administración Pública Federal.

por josé pablo césar fernández*

taría de Economía deberá establecer a más tardar el próximo día 16 de junio de 2015.

Vale la pena recordar que en su mo-mento se habló de que gran parte del ob-jeto de la miscelánea mercantil es que a nivel internacional México brinde mejores condiciones económicas y jurídicas a las empresas y a sus inversiones, lo que inclu-so permitiría a nuestro país avanzar entre cuatro y cinco posiciones en el rubro “Fa-cilidad para hacer negocios” del reporte Doing Business del Banco Mundial.

Pero, ¿qué es lo que empresarios nacio-nales e internacionales deben saber acerca de dicho sistema, en tanto que regulará la materia mercantil en nuestro país? A con-tinuación citaré algunas disposiciones que deben considerarse.

· En términos generales todas las publi-caciones que deban realizarse confor-me a las leyes mercantiles se realizarán ahora a través del Sistema Electrónico y surtirán efectos a partir del día si-guiente de su publicación. Lo anterior sin perjuicio de las publicaciones que deban realizarse de conformidad con otras disposiciones, como aquellas de carácter civil o las previstas por las le-yes especiales.

· Específicamente para los empresarios transportistas, además de estar obliga-dos a fijar sus reglamentos en los pa-rajes públicos, en la parte más visible de sus oficinas y en cada uno de los

vehículos destinados a la conducción, deberán publicarlos en este sistema.

· Aparentemente la Ley General de So-ciedades Mercantiles es la legislación que sufrió mayores cambios con la inclusión del Sistema Electrónico; sin embargo, a la luz de la miscelánea mercantil estos cambios son simples y serán de fácil aplicación para quienes están involucrados en el gobierno cor-porativo de las sociedades mercantiles de nuestro país.

· Si todo marcha conforme a los plazos de entrada en vigor previamente aludi-dos, a partir del próximo 16 de junio las publicaciones relativas a las activi-dades de las sociedades mercantiles de-berán realizarse en el Sistema Electró-nico –en sustitución del Diario Oficial de la Federación, los periódicos oficia-les de los estados o de los periódicos de mayor circulación de la entidad del domicilio de las sociedades. Es preciso mencionar que dichas publicaciones son aquellas relativas a los aumentos o disminuciones de capital social, la constitución de nuevas sociedades, la transformación, vigilancia, fusión, es-cisión, disolución y liquidación de las sociedades, así como las publicacio-nes de las convocatorias de asambleas para resolver dichos actos jurídicos. De igual forma, será a través del sis-tema que las sociedades extranjeras deberán cumplir con su obligación de publicar anualmente su balance gene-

ral de la negociación visado por un contador público titulado.

· Respecto a la obligación para aque-llas sociedades anónimas que emiten obligaciones que representan la par-ticipación individual de sus tenedores en un crédito colectivo constituido a cargo de la sociedad emisora de pu-blicar anualmente su balance certifi-cado por contador público, a partir del próximo 16 de junio dicha publi-cación deberá efectuarse en el Sistema Electrónico, en lugar del Diario Ofi-cial de la Federación.

Lo anterior, sin duda representa un impulso a la competitividad y a la pro-ductividad de las empresas en el país, de forma que éstas podrán publicar confor-me a lo establecido por la ley, sus con-vocatorias de asambleas y demás avisos –por citar algunos actos– con mayor fa-cilidad y eficiencia, y de forma gratuita, lo que les permitirá ahorrar recursos que año con año forzosamente destinaban al pago de estas publicaciones.

Sugerimos revisar y –de ser necesa-rio– adecuar los estatutos sociales de las sociedades mercantiles ya existentes, pues parece inminente que la Secretaría de Economía cumplirá con el plazo pre-visto en la miscelánea mercantil 2014, y establecerá el Sistema Electrónico a más tardar el próximo 16 de junio. N

* Basham, ringe y correa, s.c.

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El comercio exterior es actualmente un fuerte motor económico de nuestra na-ción, consecuencia de la apertura del mercado interno a través de mecanismos para la eliminación de barreras arancela-rias y fomento a la exportación. Las ci-fras referentes al comercio internacional son realmente alentadoras, ya que apor-tan alrededor de 65% del producto in-terno bruto (PIB) y generan uno de cada cinco empleos en México.

Ante la magnitud de estas estadísti-cas, es necesario analizar las razones que llevaron al comercio exterior de México a ser lo que es hoy en día. Nuestro país nos sorprende nuevamente con oportuni-dades globales de desarrollo, y refrenda la vocación exportadora de los mexi-canos y de sus productos alrededor del mundo.

El tratado de libre comercio más reconocido es el suscrito en 1994 por Canadá, EUA y México, ya que rompió con muchos paradigmas económicos e históricos de su momento. Además del TLCAN, nuestro país tiene acuerdos con distintas regiones del orbe; China, Co-lombia, Israel, Japón, Perú, la Unión Eu-ropea y Uruguay son algunos ejemplos de nuestra diversidad comercial.

Dentro de este concierto internacio-nal los agentes aduanales en México son fundamentales para el comercio exterior y para las cadenas globales de suminis-tro, ya que son los encargados de aplicar correctamente las preferencias arancela-rias dependiendo el país de origen, y en gran medida son ellos los que dan vida a los tratados de libre comercio.

De igual forma, declarar contribucio-nes federales y realizar la clasificación de mercancías bajo un sistema armonizado de criterios autorizados por la Organización Mundial de Aduanas (OMA), son funcio-nes propias de los agentes aduanales.

el COMeRCIO exTeRIOR deSde la peRSpeCTiva de un aGenTe aduanal

por abraham karol weller lara*

En un mundo competitivo el valor agregado resulta esencial para atraer in-versión extranjera directa a nuestro país, por tal motivo todos los actores involu-crados en los procesos de comercio ex-terior deben aportar mejores soluciones que faciliten los negocios internacionales. En el caso concreto de los agentes adua-nales se han empezado a implementar medidas encaminadas a ofrecer valores añadidos a las operaciones comerciales, y gradualmente han migrando hacia un nuevo modelo de operadores logísticos acreditados (OLA) que certifican la segu-ridad de sus procedimientos aduaneros.

Una nueva era de tratados de libre co-mercio irrumpe en el panorama internacio-nal. Los denominados megaacuerdos refie-ren a las negociaciones comerciales entre varios países de distintos hemisferios; una prueba de ello es el monumental Acuerdo Estratégico Transpacífico (TPP), que en-vuelve a una docena de naciones dispuestas a signar el acuerdo multilateral.

Los países apuntados en las nego-ciaciones del TPP son: Australia, Brunei, Canadá, Chile, EUA, Japón, Malasia, Mé-xico, Nueva Zelanda, Perú, Singapur y Vietnam. Nuestro país puede aprovechar esta gran oportunidad global para el de-sarrollo y beneficiarse de las economías

del Pacífico Asiático; en este contexto, continuar fortaleciendo a la industria na-cional e incluir contenido regional a nues-tras exportaciones debe ser la prioridad.

El descalabro que sufrió recientemen-te la Ronda de Doha –al no aprobarse por unanimidad el paquete de medidas destinadas a reducir y simplificar los trámites en las aduanas– ha revelado las dificultades por las cuales atraviesa la Organización Mundial del Comercio (OMC), y se vislumbran negociaciones internacionales representadas por blo-ques. El bloque de Norteamérica con-templa a los países del TLCAN. El co-mercio exterior mexicano es considerado preponderante.

Para nuestra nación se avizoran va-liosas oportunidades en materia comer-cial, la posición geográfica de México nos permite conectarnos con los principales polos económicos y recibir mercancías de todo el mundo. Aunado a lo anterior, el Programa Nacional de Infraestructura (PNI) 2014-2018 proyecta importantes inversiones en materia de competitividad portuaria, necesarias para recibir y des-cargar mercancías internacionales.

Contribuir al comercio internacional representa una tarea colectiva, la suma de esfuerzos por parte de autoridades,

iniciativa privada, agentes aduanales, importadores y exportadores resulta in-dispensable para el funcionamiento del sector. Optimizar nuestra cadena de su-ministros dará mayor relevancia a toda la región de Norteamérica y será esencial para posicionar a México como una au-téntica plataforma logística. N

fuenteS COnSuLtADAS en LíneA

· LXXV Congreso de agentes aduana-les, conferencia “Tendencias inter-nacionales del Comercio Exterior: A 20 años del TLCAN y 28 del GATT” [video en Youtube j.mp/TICEa20TL-CAN]

· Artículo de opinión “¿Quién mató la Ronda de Doha?”, por la Embajadora Lourdes Aranda [página de COMEXI http://j.mp/QMRD_LA]

· Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Office of the United States Trade Represen-tative www.ustr.gov/tpp

LeyeS COnSuLtADAS

· Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos

· Leyes aduaneras y de comercio exterior

* egresado de Derecho de la universidad Aná-

huac de Xalapa y agente aduanal sustituto

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COMCe.- ¿Cómo inició su negocio?

hORtIMex (hM).- El negocio de las hor-talizas lo inicié en 1958 con tres hectáreas de chile caribe para el mercado nacional; al inicio lo vendíamos en el mercado de abastos de Culiacán, Sinaloa, después incrementamos las hectáreas a doce, con ello la siembra daba el volumen suficien-te para cargar el producto en camiones y enviarlo a otros estados de la República. Quería hacer lo que a mí me gustaba, ya tenía experiencia en el manejo de horta-lizas por haber trabajado con otros agri-cultores y quise iniciar mi propio negocio. Iniciamos la exportación en 1961 con chile caribe.

COMCe.- ¿Cuáles son sus estrategias de co-mercialización en el extranjero?

hM.- Considero que la mejor estrategia de comercialización es estar a la vanguardia, actualizarse día con día en todos los aspec-tos que integran este tipo de negocio –inno-vación y diversidad de nuestros productos, tecnología en nuestros procesos, garantía de calidad y capacitación para nuestros empleados– con el fin de ser reconocidos y mantener la sustentabilidad en todo mo-mento. Hemos conquistado al mercado internacional con la calidad de nuestros productos, manteniendo volúmenes impor-tantes para que nuestros clientes puedan hacer negocio al igual que nosotros, pero

sobre todo con calidad en los servicios y ge-nerando confianza durante los procesos de comercialización. Esos son los factores más importantes para que nuestros clientes nos tengan presentes todos los días.

COMCe.- ¿Qué importancia tiene partici-par en ferias internacionales?

hM.- Es una oportunidad importante para presentar nuestro negocio ante merca-dos internacionales y contactar a clientes potenciales que con el tiempo se vuelven clientes constantes, beneficiándonos mu-tuamente. Actualmente ochenta por ciento de nuestros productos son exportados a los mercados de Canadá y EUA.

COMCe.- ¿Que riesgos trae consigo la ex-portación?

hM.- En este negocio el riesgo más latente y lo que ocupa muchos de nuestros esfuerzos es lograr mantener la calidad óptima de los productos durante el proceso de exporta-ción, pues se trata de productos perecederos a los que debemos dar un trato especial para que lleguen en excelentes condiciones a los mercados a los que están dirigidos. Nunca hemos tenido problemas para exportar los productos, la parte logística ha estado siem-pre cubierta; lo único que en ocasiones se ha complicado es la producción por proble-mas típicos de clima o plagas.

DISTRIbUIDORA HORTIMexempReSa GanadoRa del pRemio naCional de expoRTaCión 2014

en la CaTeGoRía pequeñaS y medianaS ComeRCializadoRaS

El 5 de septiembre de 2014 el Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto y Valentín Diez Morodo, presidente del COMCE, hicieron entrega del premio Nacional de Exportaciones, en el marco de clausura del XXI Congreso de Comercio Exterior, a empresas destacadas por su participación en el mercado extranjero.

entrevista a hortimex por comce

COMCe.- ¿Han logrado alguna alianza o joint venture?

hM.- No tenemos alianza con ninguna otra empresa, somos un equipo de empresas agrícolas y distribuidoras dirigidas por un mismo dueño, en la que la toma de deci-siones se realiza en torno a las necesidades del cliente.

COMCe.- ¿Cómo ha beneficiado a sus pro-cesos la tecnología?

hM.- La tecnología es un elemento muy importante en nuestros procesos de pro-ducción, empaque y comercialización, con ella buscamos cada día la excelencia en la calidad del servicio que brindamos, y he-mos logrado ser más eficientes en todo lo que hacemos.

COMCe.- ¿Cuál es la clave del éxito que ha obtenido Hortimex?

hM.- El éxito lo hemos obtenido gracias al equipo de gente que labora en nuestra em-presa y que ha seguido paso a paso los cam-bios que hemos incursionado para mejorar lo que hacemos, otro factor clave ha sido la constante implementación de tecnología de vanguardia y sistemas de alta calidad.

COMCe.- ¿Cuál ha sido el aprendizaje más sobresaliente en la trayectoria de Hortimex?

hM.- Que se requiere dedicación y cons-tancia para lograr cada objetivo; también se necesita innovación para ser más com-petitivo en cada momento y lograr el re-conocimiento mundial que la compañía se merece.

COMCe.- ¿Qué retos vienen para Horti-mex?

hM.- Actualmente nos hemos puesto un reto importante: aumentar el número de hectáreas y el volumen de producción con el objetivo de lograr una cobertura más amplia al distribuir nuestros pro-ductos; buscamos exportar prácticamen-te a lo largo de todo el año, esto brinda-rá un valor agregado a nuestros clientes. Tenemos un proyecto muy grande de ex-pansión en otro punto del país que nos ayudará a consolidar aún más nuestro grupo agrícola; este proyecto lo iniciare-mos con cincuenta hectáreas de cultivo protegido y un empaque con tecnología de punta.

Por último queremos agradecer al COMCE y a todo su equipo de trabajo la oportunidad que nos ofreció de postular por el Premio Nacional de Exportación 2014 para finalmente obtenerlo. Espe-ramos que el COMCE continúe con su motivante trabajo, y siga inspirando a las empresas mexicanas para que exporten sus productos, en beneficio de nuestro país. N

fotos cortesía de comce

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| Negocios ProMéxico

Marzo 2015

Para Exportadores Para Exportadores

Del 23 al 27 de marzo se llevó a cabo la Semana Árabe en México, evento median-te el cual el Gobierno de la República pre-tende promover un espacio de intercambio cultural, académico y de negocios con los países que integran la Liga de Estados Ára-bes, y con ello fortalecer sus vínculos.

Con el propósito de promover el acer-camiento entre México y los países árabes, en abril de 2006 nuestro país suscribió el Memorándum de Entendimiento para el Es-tablecimiento de un Mecanismo de Consul-tas en Materias de Interés Mutuo México-Liga de Estados Árabes –LEA, que agrupa a veintidós naciones–, y pocos meses después estableció el Fondo Mexicano de Coopera-ción Internacional para el Desarrollo, que ha

MéxICO y el mundo áRaBe

Dentro de la estrategia de diversificación de la política exterior de México en la actual administración, las relaciones con los países árabes ocupan un lugar de

gran relevancia.

por la embajadora maría carmen oñate muñoz*

permitido la instrumentación de proyectos de cooperación en temas tanto científicos y técnicos, como culturales y educativos.

En marzo del año pasado México y el Consejo de Cooperación para los Estados Árabes del Golfo firmaron un memorán-dum sobre consultas políticas, orientado a incrementar el diálogo con esa región. Las relaciones de México con Arabia Saudita, Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Kuwait y Qatar obtuvieron un nuevo dinamismo con las dos visitas realizadas el año pasado por diversos funcionarios del Gobierno de la República y por empresarios mexicanos, la primera de las cuales fue encabezada por el Secretario de Relaciones Exteriores, el Doctor José An-tonio Meade Kuribreña, en marzo de 2014.

México está interesado en lograr un mayor acercamiento con la región árabe, con la que compartimos antecedentes cul-turales dada su preeminencia a lo largo de la historia del mundo y su importancia fundamental para la paz y la estabilidad internacionales.

Creemos que es indispensable propi-ciar un mejor conocimiento entre nuestras sociedades y mayor difusión al potencial de nuestros intercambios, por lo que del 23 al 27 de marzo de 2015 –en conjunto con diversas instituciones mexicanas y las embajadas de los países árabes en nuestro país– celebró la Semana Árabe en México, en el marco de la conmemoración de los setenta años de la fundación de la Liga de Estados Árabes.

Sabemos que un mejor conocimiento recíproco facilitará los intercambios co-merciales y financieros de mutuo beneficio con esas naciones, entre las que se encuen-tran los seis mayores exportadores de pe-tróleo y gas del mundo, los cuales cuentan con un alto ingreso per cápita y un impor-tante nivel de desarrollo. N

* Directora General para África y medio orien-

te, secretaría de relaciones exteriores

México es un referente importante a ni-vel internacional en estas dos industrias estratégicas, es líder en economía crea-tiva en América Latina2, es 37.7% más competitivo en costos para el desarrollo de software3 –en comparación a EUA– y posee una inigualable ubicación geográ-fica, con lo que se consolida como una de las economías con mayor apertura, con una red de tratados de libre comer-cio que le otorga acceso preferencial a 45 países.

En el INADEM ampliamos las posi-bilidades de éxito de los emprendedores y pequeños empresarios de estos segmen-tos empresariales, impulsamos su innova-ción, competitividad y proyección, tanto

en el mercado doméstico como a nivel global. Para ello contamos con diversos programas que permiten detonar su cre-cimiento a nivel global, levantar capital, reforzar su modelo de negocios y proteger sus activos más valiosos.

Por ejemplo, a través de una de las convocatorias del Fondo Nacional Em-prendedor (FONDEMP) –la 3.3, “Impul-so a emprendedores y empresas mediante el Programa de Emprendimiento de Alto Impacto”– promovemos el emprendi-miento de alto impacto, entendido como una propuesta de negocio con base en una innovación en un proceso, producto o ser-vicio que, además de ser rentable, trans-forme su entorno y beneficie a su comu-

nidad, sector, equipo de trabajo y socios. Gracias a esta convocatoria las empresas de reciente creación (startups) y aquellas que están buscando crecer (scaleups) pue-den acceder a apoyos de hasta tres mi-llones de pesos y cinco millones de pesos –respectivamente– para financiar certifi-caciones que les permitirán comercializar sus productos y servicios, profesionalizar su equipo de trabajo y contratar servicios de consultoría especializada en modelos de negocio, estrategias de comercializa-ción o institucionalización de empresas, entre otros apoyos.

Además, este año impulsaremos la puesta en marcha de dos programas pilo-to con el apoyo de los gobiernos estatales:

INADeMfoRTaleCeR el éxiTo de laS induSTRiaS CReaTivaS y laS TeCnoloGíaS

de la infoRmaCión y laS ComuniCaCioneS mexiCanaS

Las industrias creativas y del sector de las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC) se consolidan como componentes cada vez más importantes en las economías basadas en el conocimiento, en tanto que son catalizadoras de innovación y cambios tecnológicos, además de que ofrecen ventajas comparativas para el desarrollo de negocios1. Por ello, el Instituto Nacional del Emprendedor apoya el éxito de los emprendimientos en industrias creativas y empresas

vinculadas a las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones.

por enrique jacob rocha*

foto cortesía notimex

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80 Marzo 2015

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1. Un programa con el que se pretende llevar a los emprendedores y empresas de alto impacto a representar a México en eventos estratégicos, donde les apoyen en la incorporación de prácticas internacio-nales, integración de redes de contactos, levantamiento de capital y proyección in-ternacional de sus propuestas.

2. Un segundo programa consiste en que las empresas de la industria creativa y del sector TIC cuenten con el apoyo que re-quieren para la identificación, gestión, va-luación y comercialización de sus activos intangibles; con esto se abrirían nuevas oportunidades de financiamiento, dado que no es posible valuar a las empresas de estas industrias de la misma forma que otras, pues concentran su principal valor en algo que no es tangible.

En materia de financiamiento hemos coinvertido recursos por más de 1,300 mi-llones de pesos para la constitución de 31

fondos de capital semilla que permitirán de-tonar una inversión total de más de 3,200 millones de pesos, lo que beneficiará a em-prendimientos de alto impacto en etapas tempranas, no sólo con recursos sino con la experiencia de los gestores e inversionis-tas del fondo en un momento crucial de su desarrollo, con lo que se elevarán sus po-sibilidades de éxito posterior (incluidos los vinculados a las TIC e industrias creativas).

Adicional a ello, el INADEM colabo-ra con otros aliados nacionales e interna-cionales que promueven este sector, como BootCamp en Finlandia –que se realizará del 25 al 29 de mayo–, realizado especí-ficamente para que las empresas de dise-ño puedan incorporar nuevas ideas a sus iniciativas y fortalezcan su modelo de ne-gocio con interacción de otras empresas a nivel mundial.

También impulsamos de manera im-portante la generación de nuevos empren-dedores en estas industrias a través del programa de retos públicos, con los que

se convoca a la población en general –la mayoría jóvenes que están buscando em-prender o incorporarse a algún emprendi-miento– a que desarrollen ideas en el área tecnológica, para buscar solucionar una problemática interna o externa de alguna institución pública de cualquier nivel.

La política del Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto está orientada para a que los beneficios de la era digital y los avances tecnológicos se perciban incluso en los pe-queños negocios tradicionales, en los que se presentan bajos niveles de adopción de tecnologías4, lo que les impide aprovechar nuevas oportunidades de negocio. Por ello en el INADEM contamos con programas de apoyo específico que privilegian la for-mación empresarial de los pequeños co-mercios, apoyados en herramientas tecno-lógicas y metodológicas, para que a través de dispositivos móviles acepten pagos con tarjeta de crédito o débito, diversifiquen su oferta de servicios, generen fuentes adi-cionales de ingreso, tengan un mayor co-nocimiento de sus mercados, controlen de manera más eficiente sus inventarios, sis-tematicen su manejo de precios, facturen electrónicamente e identifiquen oportuni-dades de negocio, basados en modelos de georreferenciación.

Si está interesado en conocer más acerca de éstos y otros programas que el INADEM ofrece, visite nuestro portal www.inadem.gob.mx, donde seguramen-te encontrará el apoyo que necesita. N

*Presidente del instituto nacional del em-

prendedor

1. tan sólo el sector tic –de 2000 a 2010– tuvo

un ritmo de crecimiento anual del 5.7%, mien-

tras que el de la economía mundial fue tan

sólo de 4%. fuente: imco (2014): Los empren-

dedores de tic en méxico.

2. onu (2010): Informe sobre la economía

creativa.

3. Declaraciones de francisco n. González

Díaz, Director General de Proméxico, du-

rante su participación en la reunión ejecu-

tiva de socios de la international chamber

commerce , en noviembre 2014, recogidas

por cnnexpansión, en su portal en línea,

disponible en: www.cnnexpansion.com/eco-

nomia/2014/11/03/videojuegos-y-entreteni-

miento-oportunidades-para-mexico

4. cifras de los censos económicos de ineGi

2014, revelan que tan sólo el 18.9% de las

micro empresas usa equipo de cómputo y

15.7% internet.foto archivo