On August 21st and 22nd, the Automotive Supply Forum was held in León, Guanajuato. This event served as a critical meeting point for the automotive industry, featuring participation from prominent leaders and government officials.

With a 13,000-square-meter exhibition space, the forum became a hub for creating synergies and business opportunities within the sector over two days. The event is expected to generate an economic impact exceeding $200 million through more than 2,500 B2B business meetings.

The opening ceremony was attended by industry and government leaders, including Carlos Talamantes Aguirre, President of CLAUGTO; Guillermo Romero Pacheco, Secretary for Economic Reactivation of León; Rolando Alaniz Rosales, Honorary President of CLAUGTO; Takuji Iwashita, CEO of Mazda Mexico; Ramón Alfaro, Secretary of Sustainable Economic Development of Guanajuato; and Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, Governor of Guanajuato. 

During his remarks, Guillermo Romero Pacheco highlighted the forum's importance for professionalizing the automotive sector in Guanajuato and emphasized the positive impact of nearshoring in the region. He also outlined three critical challenges for the industry: improving the electrical energy system, enhancing infrastructure, and advancing workforce development.

Rolando Alaniz Rosales shared remarkable statistics about the sector's growth in Guanajuato, noting a 23.9% increase this year, with exports reaching $16.865 billion in the first half of the year. He emphasized the diversity of automotive products manufactured in the state, exported to 98 international markets.

The event also marked the swearing-in of Carlos Talamantes as the new President of CLAUGTO. Talamantes pledged to continue developing Guanajuato's automotive supply chain in collaboration with the government and industry players.

Ana Luisa Elizondo, Purchasing Manager at VCST Mexico, and María Villarreal from Promeba shared their experiences, emphasizing how the forum allowed them to establish valuable connections with suppliers and multinational companies.

Attendees were invited to participate in the CLAUGTO Automotive Talent Program, which featured workshops aimed at supplier training. Additionally, there were two keynote presentations by Yordi Rosado and Carlitos Páez, along with a purchasing panel involving companies such as VCST, Toyota, BOS, ZKW, and Hirshmann.

Closing the inaugural event, Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo highlighted Guanajuato's sustained growth over recent decades and the essential role of the automotive industry in this progress. He encouraged entrepreneurs to continue investing in the sector, a cornerstone of the state's economy.

Throughout the 2024 Automotive Supply Forum, we facilitated over 12,000 business opportunities through our exclusive B2B area, where buyers and suppliers engaged in productive business meetings.

We extend our gratitude to our strategic partners: the Government of Guanajuato through the Ministry of Sustainable Economic Development, as well as the municipalities of León, Silao, Irapuato, Celaya, and Salamanca. Additional thanks go to Canacintra, Apimex, and the clusters from San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, and Jalisco.

We also thank our sponsors for their support in this 11th edition: Peasa-Prominox, Climas del Tablero, Aldo Transportes, Bend, Iberdrola, BanBajío, Oxxo, Packaging, Bus City, Renishaw, Artefactos de Hule, Novotech, Plateros Trucking, Suajes del Bajío, Mundo de la Seguridad, and Especialidades Gráficas del Centro. 

Special thanks to exhibitors who showcased their brands during the event, including Flexico, Contyquim, Purifika, Puerto Lázaro Cárdenas, and Mobil, for presenting their brands to the thousands of attendees.

Your support has made the success of this event possible.