Written by: Basant El-Farmawy
Experts in the industrial and technological sectors agreed that the availability of energy infrastructure and the quality of electricity supplies represent two decisive factors in companies' decisions regarding investment locations, warning that a lack of sufficient energy could drive projects toward other regions.
Yucatan Forum Discusses the Future of Industry and Energy
The first forum, "The Future of Industry: Energy, Intelligence, and Competitiveness," was organized at Marista University, where participants discussed key themes including the availability and quality of electricity, energy efficiency, technology, and the development of human resources.
The session was moderated by Raúl Monforte González, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and featured participation from Carlos Gomory Martínez, Vice President of Canasincentra Mérida; Alfonso Meza Díaz de León, Manager of Siemens Services; Germán Bonilla Bermúdez, Operator of Bajío Ventures Office; and Octavio Azcue Moralia, Deputy Director of Administration and Finance at the Electric Energy Provision Trust Fund (FIED).
Energy Infrastructure as an Investment Driver
Bonilla Bermúdez, a specialist in attracting industrial investments, emphasized that Yucatan possesses great potential, but a lack of sufficient energy could lead projects to move to other regions, stressing the need to prepare youth to meet the demand for talent in the sector.
For his part, Azcue Moralia explained that energy efficiency can reduce company costs and limit their vulnerability to supply interruptions, noting that the fund finances projects that pay for themselves through the energy savings they achieve, which spares companies from diverting resources from their core operations.
Technology and Automation to Improve Consumption
Meza Díaz de León reviewed the role of automation, artificial intelligence, and metering systems in controlling consumption, recovering energy, and avoiding waste, warning that these solutions require high-quality energy and well-designed projects.
Industrial Sector Priorities
Gomory Martínez identified priorities consisting of certainty and stability in supply, the need for new substations to transmit energy to consumption centers, and access to natural gas, in addition to reviewing electricity costs and the impact of environmental taxes when resorting to emergency generators during peak periods.
Experts' Wishes if Granted a "Magic Lamp"
The forum concluded with a question posed by the moderator to the participants: If a genie were offered to you to grant one wish in the field of energy and industry, what would you ask for?
Meza Díaz de León called for increasing collective awareness regarding the responsibility of rationalizing the consumption of available energy. Azcue Moralia called for the efficient utilization of existing energy and the courage to implement ambitious projects that transform good intentions into viable investments. As for Gomory Martínez, he wished for "certainty" in three areas: the competence of graduates, the quality of purchased technology, and the stability of regulatory procedures for projects. Meanwhile, Bonilla Bermúdez requested tools that create favorable conditions for industrial and community development, and the improvement of industrial energy infrastructure in a way that reflects on competitiveness.
