Mexico City – The Korean Embassy in Mexico, in collaboration with Mexico's Ministry of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECHTI), the Ministry of Economy, and the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI), successfully co-hosted the third Korea-Mexico Economic Forum. The event, held in Mexico City, drew over 80 participants and centered on critical discussions concerning semiconductor industry policies and intellectual property rights.
The forum delved into Korea's advanced semiconductor strategies, Mexico's ambitious KUTSARI semiconductor industry project, Mexico's patent policy, and Korea's renowned employee invention system. Key officials from President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration, including Juan Díaz de León, Undersecretary of SECHTI, Santiago Nieto, Director General of IMPI, and Ulises Canchola, Special Envoy for Emerging Technologies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, actively participated, exchanging insights and fostering deeper dialogue.
Undersecretary Díaz de León underscored Mexico's aspiration to collaborate with Korea, a global leader in both semiconductor technology and intellectual property, to fortify supply chains and nurture innovation ecosystems. The KUTSARI Project, launched by President Sheinbaum, aims to transform Mexico into a key player in the global semiconductor landscape. Named after the Purepecha word for "sand," KUTSARI involves establishing a National Semiconductor Design Center and regional hubs in Puebla, Jalisco, and Sonora. This multi-phase initiative, stretching from 2024 to 2030, seeks to enhance domestic chip design capabilities and eventually move into manufacturing, supported by reforms to patent laws to streamline processes and attract foreign investment.
Korean Ambassador to Mexico, Heo Tae-wan, highlighted the strategic alignment between Mexico's economic development plan, "Plan Mexico," and Korea's growth policies focused on cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and quantum computing. "Plan Mexico" emphasizes digital transformation and technological sovereignty, a vision closely mirrored by Korea's advanced technological pursuits. The forum serves as a testament to the growing convergence of their national strategies.
Santiago Nieto, Director General of IMPI, revealed the increasing engagement from Korean innovators, noting that Korean patent applications in Mexico have surpassed 2,800 over the past seven years. This statistic underscores the robust and deepening cooperation in the intellectual property domain, further solidified by existing agreements like the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding between IMPI and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on industrial property cooperation.
The biennial Korea-Mexico Economic Forum, first launched in 2021, continues to be a pivotal platform for strengthening economic and technological collaboration. This ongoing dialogue reflects the broader robust bilateral relations established in 1962, marked by a strategic partnership for mutual prosperity initiated in 2005, and significant trade relations, with Korea standing as Mexico's sixth-largest trading partner globally. Officials from the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association and the Korea Invention Promotion Association also attended, indicating a comprehensive approach to fostering future partnerships and investment.
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