The Hidalgo state government is seeking to ensure that the 1,700 direct jobs created by Solar International Core Canada, which will invest 1.46 billion US dollars (2 billion Canadian dollars) in the construction of a pharmaceutical ingredients plant in the Zapotlán Economic Development Hub, go to residents of Hidalgo.
“In discussions with the Secretary of Economic Development, we were looking at the profiles required for these 1,700 jobs, the skills needed to get started while the company is being established. We will be training and preparing these individuals, and we prefer that Hidalgo residents fill these positions. Allow us to be selfish once again, but Hidalgo comes first,” said the state’s Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare, Oscar Javier González Hernández.
He believes that the 1,700 specialized jobs will be filled by graduates from higher education institutions located in Hidalgo. However, the state official acknowledged a persistent shortage of qualified professionals in the productive sector.
The investment timeline anticipates that construction of the first phase of the Zapotlán Welfare Hub will begin in October 2026. This phase will house the Canadian company’s investment, which plans to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients and generic medications, generate specialized, high-value-added jobs, promote scientific development in the region, and foster academic collaboration.
Henkel Escorza noted that the Hidalgo state government will select the developer for the Zapotlán Welfare Hub this month, and the revocable business activity trust will be signed in June. The first phase of this project, covering 150 of the 900 hectares available, will be carried out between now and 2028.
The Canadian pharmaceutical company’s investment will occupy 100 hectares and is expected to begin this year, Henkel Escorza explained. The company will initially allocate 70 million Canadian dollars for the acquisition of the land where the plant will be built.
The Zapotlán Welfare Hub will be developed through a trust, with the state government contributing the land, while the developer will carry out the necessary infrastructure work to establish services, urbanize the area, and build facilities to attract investment. Additionally, Nacional Financiera will manage the funds generated from the purchase of lots by the companies that will locate there.
However, the state agency added that the project encompasses not only industry but also complementary services such as hospitals, daycare centers, financial centers, fire stations, service stations, and higher education institutions, all of which will be established to ensure the proper use of this industrial park.
Furthermore, a photovoltaic park will be installed to provide energy to the initial investments established in the development hub.
During Governor Julio Menchaca Salazar’s administration, more than 125 billion pesos in private investment have been attracted, surpassing in less than four years what the previous three administrations combined achieved.
This investment will translate into 163,000 new direct and indirect jobs, providing livelihoods for thousands of families in the state.
There are also 120 established projects with national and international companies, some of them new investments and others expansions. Sixty-two percent of these are already operational.
Source: milenio
