Automotive Cluster Laguna opens Center for Innovation 4.0

The Automotive Cluster Laguna gave an important step forward in the development of the region by opening in Torreon the Center for Training and Innovation in Manufacturing 4.0, a space that will work to prepare youngsters beginning to incur in the industry of La Comarca.

With an initial investment of 65 million pesos from private initiative and from the same Cluster Laguna, was launched the first stage of the manufacturing complex, which includes two plants, one of 1,500 square meters and the other of 900, in addition of four training rooms, engineering departments, design, quality and measuring, warehouse, as well as an international business center, where potential foreign investors for La Laguna could be received.

The president of the organism, Jose Luis Hotema de Santiago, said to Mexico Industry, that this center will seek rendering training services for companies and students from La Laguna, aiming to continue encouraging the region’s competitiveness, what will allow the expansion of different companies for the first semester of the year.  He said that about three years ago, from the beginnings of the Cluster, they detected the need of having prepared people in the region that develop their operative skills.

“It is in fact something needed not only by the automotive industry, but the entire manufacturing industry, trying to avoid exhaustion human capital problems, something that frequently happens in industrial areas such as the Southeast Region of Coahuila, the Bajio or Nuevo Leon before the high demands the industry requires every day,” he said.

Such facility is located at boulevard Diagonal Las Fuentes, in Torreon, but it will benefit the population of La Laguna in general, since companies and institutions from the municipalities of Matamoros, San Pedro and Viesca, in Coahuila, as well as Gomez Palacio and Lerdo, from Durango could generate alliances with the Automotive Cluster La Laguna to be part of this Center for Training and Innovation in Manufacturing 4.0.

“It is an important moment for La Laguna, it is time to raise hands, and for all municipalities converging here, as this kind of investments promote the competitive advantages we have as human capital.  We believe that with this kind of centers we will achieve attracting investment demonstrating the same businessmen that we have qualified personnel.  Since they arrival they will be able to know they have the entire workforce available and that we will adjust to their needs,” said the president of the Automotive Cluster Laguna at the opening ceremony.

The event was attended by businessmen, directives from plants Lincoln Electric and Caterpillar de Torreon, with whom they collaborate in the operability of such center, as well as deans and directors from public and private universities from La Laguna, in addition of officials from Coahuila and Durango.

“It has been a need of the business sector for some time having trained personnel since the beginning and this provides a complete turn that will benefit companies from different industries in the region,” said Roberto Munoz del Rio, president of the Laguna Council of Private Initiative (CLIP, by its Spanish initials.)

Meanwhile Raul Garza del Valle, Coordinator of the National Employment Service in the Comarca Lagunera, said that they will provide support for the continuous and constant improvement of technological trends.

FIRST LEVEL EQUIPMENT

In addition to the ribbon cutting that settled the launching officially, demonstrations were held of the activities that will take place at the Center for Training and Innovation in Manufacturing 4.0 which will have capability for 250 people.  Samples were in charge of the personnel from Lincoln Electric and Caterpillar Torreon, respectively.

Later, a tour was held guided by the authorities from the Cluster through the two plants that are part of this initial stage, where was observed high technology equipment that they have and with which youngsters from La Laguna are already working since last September.

Equipment and machinery the center currently has are CNC machining centers, CNC lathes, CNC eroding, industrial robot with Lincoln welding equipment, as well as an industrial robot arm, among others.

Likewise, it was confirmed that they are expecting to receive a laser cutting equipment from the Commercial Aggregate from the Chinese Embassy in Mexico, since recently Chinese businessmen have shown special interest in start projects by establishing in La Laguna.

 SEEDBED KNOWLEDGE

On the other hand, on this learning factory is sought attracting young people and align them with the Federal Government program, “Jovenes Construyendo el Futuro” (Youngsters building the future.) said Hotema de Santiago.

“By adding ourselves to the national program created by the president of the republic, we will be generating jobs and shaping youngsters to enter into the industry, and for that we depend on the support that the three Government instances (Federal, State and Municipal) can provide to the apprentices as training scholarships,” he noted.

Likewise, he detailed that they requested 500 scholarships to the National Employment Service, in order for youngsters be able to be trained and receive support during the training time, “with the commitment of when finishing, they can be placed in some of the companies.”

All companies from the automotive industry settled in La Laguna are participating in this project, among them: Linamar, Johnson Controls, Toyota Boshoku and Cableados del Norte. 

 EXPO CLUSTER 2019

As usual, the Cluster La Laguna is preparing the fourth edition of Expo Cluster Automotriz Laguna 2019 to take place from May 29^th to 31^st at the facilities of the Expo Feria de Gomez Palacio, Durango.

A total of 101 stands will be present at the most important automotive event of the year in the region, since there will be offered more than 950 million dollars in supply, gathering more than 20 buying companies in the country.

The event will also have conferences addressed to innovation and forefront technology in the automotive sector, business tables and a job fair of the automotive sector.