Queretaro
Mexico's aerospace capital (80+ companies); built UNAQ to attract Bombardier (2005); 192 projects, $6.3B, 81,000 jobs; LG Innotek 3.5B peso plant.
Querétaro became Mexico's aerospace epicenter through deliberate government strategy. When Bombardier considered Mexican expansion in 2005, the state promised to build the country's first aerospace university (UNAQ)—a pledge that attracted the Canadian manufacturer and transformed the regional economy. Today over 80 aerospace companies including Safran and Bombardier operate here, with Germany's Diehl Aviation expanding in 2025 to serve Airbus, Embraer, and Boeing.
The state closed 2025 with 30 billion pesos in investment and 10,220 new jobs. Since the current administration began, 192 investment projects totaling $6.3 billion have created 81,000 formal jobs. In 2024, Querétaro climbed to fifth place nationally in job creation (52,000 new jobs). Automotive remains 35% of investment, with aerospace second, while the portfolio has diversified into electronics, plastics, and medical devices. LG Innotek announced a 3.5 billion peso manufacturing center for clean technologies.
By 2026, Querétaro will test whether aerospace leadership survives USMCA review uncertainty. If Mexican aircraft production maintains regional content compliance and UNAQ-trained talent continues attracting FDI, the state could anchor North American aviation supply chains. If trade negotiations restrict aerospace sourcing from Mexico, Querétaro's calculated bet on Bombardier may prove prescient—or premature.