Information collected from media reports over the past month:
- Automotive: German luxury automaker Audi, owned by Volkswagen, will build its first manufacturing plant in Mexico by 2016, the company announced. The assembly facility, planned to produce sport utility vehicles, will cost an estimated US$2 billion. (Bloomberg, April 19, 2012)
- Automotive: U.S. auto maker Ford will invest US$1.3 billion to expand capacity at the company’s production facility in the northern Mexico city of Hermosillo. The resources are planned to boost production at the stamping and assembly plant for new Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ models for 2013. (Torque News, April 2, 2012)
- Energy: U.S.-based solar technology company SolFocus will lead the development of a major new solar energy generation site in the northern Mexican state of Baja California. The project, to be built in conjunction with Mexican real estate developer Grupo Musa and U.S. contractor Synergy Technologies, is projected to cost over US$1.5 billion and generate 450 Mw. (San Francisco Chronicle, March 29, 2012)
- Biofuels: The Veracruz Bioenergies Institute (Inverbio) will invest US$2.3 million this year to produce sweet sorghum, sugar cane, jatropha, yucca and palm oil for use in the development of biofuels. Inverbio is contributing to efforts in Mexico to lower the cost of biofuels for aviation use. (Mexican Business Web, April 9, 2012)
- Aviation: Mexican airline startup AeroJal announced it will launch regional passenger service in the west and northwest of Mexico this year. The company will invest US$30 million to begin direct flights from Guadalajara to regional centers in the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Nuevo León. (El Economista, April 16, 2012)
- Food processing: Mexican baked goods multinational Grupo Bimbo announced it will undertake record investment of US$780 million this year. The company, which has carried out a series of overseas acquisitions in recent years, plans to expand its production capacity and improve logistics infrastructure in its new markets. (Milenio, April 17, 2012) Read the rest of this entry »
