The first concern should be having qualified engineers
Taiwan's ITRI is collaborating with Sonora on a scientific park project to elevate Mexico's technological content beyond nearshoring and manufacturing. Taiwan emphasizes developing specialized engineering talent as the foundation, not infrastructure—a lesson from its own decades-long tech industry development.
- Taiwan's ITRI collaborating with Sonora government on scientific park project since 2024
- Project now in third phase after two years of development
- Taiwan emphasizes specialized engineering talent over infrastructure as foundation
- Initiative targets semiconductors, electric vehicles, AI, and automation sectors
Taiwan's ITRI is advancing beyond manufacturing partnerships with Mexico, proposing scientific parks and innovation ecosystems. A Sonora project aims to replicate Taiwan's tech development model while prioritizing human capital over semiconductor infrastructure.
Matthew Chao sat in the offices of Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute in Hsinchu, one of the world's most consequential research facilities, and described a vision for Mexico that went well beyond the factories and supply chains that have already begun reshaping the country's manufacturing landscape.
Taiwan and Mexico have been moving closer on technology for years, but Chao, who leads international strategy for the ITRI's industry and science division, was articulating something different: the possibility of transplanting the entire ecosystem that turned Taiwan into a global technology power. The institute, which helped incubate companies like TSMC, was already working with Sonora's government on a scientific park project—a collaboration that began two years ago and is now in its third phase.
The formal agreement came in 2024. Taiwan would provide strategic planning, workforce development, regional competitiveness analysis, and investment attraction services for what would become Sonora's Scientific and Technological Park. The goal was not just to build another industrial zone, but to create the conditions for a genuine innovation ecosystem that could draw Taiwanese companies into semiconductors, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and automation. It was, in essence, an offer to help Mexico replicate the model that had worked in Taiwan.
But Chao was clear about what Mexico should prioritize first, and it was not what many assumed. When asked what the foundational step should be, he did not talk about land, electricity, or factory buildings. He talked about people. "If you ask me what comes first, I would say talent," he said. The real constraint was not infrastructure. It was engineers—qualified, specialized engineers who could design and develop technology rather than simply assemble it.
This reflected Taiwan's own history. Decades ago, Taiwan had no semiconductor industry to speak of. The country's strategy was deliberate and patient: send engineers abroad to learn, build knowledge, then develop capabilities at home. Only after that foundation was in place did the infrastructure and the factories follow. Chao was suggesting Mexico consider the same sequence. "Beyond infrastructure, electricity, or available land, I believe the first concern should be having qualified engineers," he said.
The implication was significant. Mexico's interest in semiconductors was well known, and the country had made clear it wanted a seat at the table of global chip manufacturing. But Chao was suggesting that the real work—the harder, longer work—was not building fabs. It was building people. Without that, factories would remain dependent on imported expertise and imported decision-making. With it, Mexico could begin to own its own technological future. The Sonora project was designed to test whether that was possible.
Citas Notables
If you ask me what comes first, I would say talent— Matthew Chao, Deputy General Director of Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center, ITRI
Beyond infrastructure, electricity, or available land, I believe the first concern should be having qualified engineers— Matthew Chao
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would Taiwan focus on Sonora specifically, rather than a major industrial hub like Monterrey or Mexico City?
Sonora has existing manufacturing capacity and proximity to the U.S., but it's also a blank slate in some ways—less locked into traditional industrial patterns. That makes it easier to build something new from the ground up.
When Chao says talent is the priority, what does he actually mean? What kind of talent?
Specialized engineers—people who can design semiconductors, develop AI systems, engineer electric vehicles. Not assembly line workers. People who can innovate, not just execute.
Taiwan did this decades ago. How long did it take them to go from sending engineers abroad to having a real industry?
It was a multi-decade process. They didn't rush it. They built the human foundation first, then the companies and infrastructure followed. That's the lesson Chao is trying to share.
Is Mexico actually ready for this? Does it have the universities, the secondary schools, the pipeline?
That's the real question. The Sonora project is partly about figuring that out—assessing what exists, what needs to be built, what partnerships with universities and training institutions are needed.
And if Mexico does develop that talent, what happens to the factories?
Then the factories become something different. They're not just assembly plants anymore. They become centers of innovation and design. That's when you actually own the value chain.