Gateway to nearly half the country’s population, with one of Mexico’s best telecoms systems, Hidalgo is well positioned to take full advantage of its natural, material and human resources
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he
ambitious policy of Hidalgo
State’s government to install digital community centres in all
of its 84 municipalities is nearing completion. It has been an uphill
struggle; the majority of the population of nearly 2,230,000 –
half of which is under 22 years of age – lives in rural communities,
scattered over 8,054 square miles of territory. Just four households
in 100 have access to a computer and only half of these have access
to the internet.
The e-Mexico initiative has been taken up and renamed e-Hidalgo.
The state government’s goal is “to support, with technology,
the different social and economic programmes, and in this way offer
the public more efficient and effective services”.
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Manuel
Angel Núñez Soto, the State Governor, says:
“Technological change is radically transforming society – it’s
giving rise to a ‘knowledge society’. The e-Hidalgo system
should ensure the right of everyone to access public information, so
that when a public body acts, it does so transparently. It will also
guarantee the dependability and security of public information.
Our aim is to close the gap between those
who have access to technology and those who do not, and to stimulate
development in IT. We want to become the best digital government in
Mexico,” he says.
“It’s important to emphasise
that in order to reach the objectives of the
e-Hidalgo system, it’s necessary to gain the collaboration of the
people of the region; their participation in the development of the
state from a sectoral focus to a global one is crucial.”
Hidalgo already has one of the best telecommunications
industries in the country, and an important satellite-tracking system,
located in the town of Tulacingo. As a result of the state’s extensive
telecommunications infrastructure The Mexico Stock Exchange has selected
Pachuca as the location for its back-up information centre which provides
support to global financial markets.
| The state’s overwhelmingly youthful population will benefit from its ambitious digital projects, a vital part of the region’s overall economic development |
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Although
Hidalgo plays host to foreign companies from around the world, the governor
is keen to attract even greater foreign direct investment. The development
of e-Hidalgo and of the economy of the state go hand in hand, he says.
In the interests of this development, the
state government is pushing forward its highway construction programme,
including the ‘North Arc’ which connects the Pacific Ocean
to the Gulf of Mexico and the north-south route, effectively bypassing
congested Mexico City and its sprawling suburbs.
Hidalgo is strategically located at the
heart of Mexico. The capital, Pachuca, is only 55 miles from Mexico
City and excellent highways and rail systems connect it to the capital
and to neighbouring states. This means that Hidalgo is the gateway to
45 per cent of Mexico’s population. Since the country has signed
free-trade agreements with more than 32 countries, making it the leading
exponent of free trade worldwide, Hidalgo is ideally situated for foreign
investment.
With a GDP of more than £1.3 billion,
Hidalgo contributes about 1.4 per cent to the country’s total.
Manufacturing is Hidalgo’s main business, contributing about 30
per cent of the state’s overall GDP. Its seven major industrial
parks are suitable for almost any type of industrial activity.
e-Hidalgo will give the public wider internet access
There are also private and municipal industrial
estates available to potential developers in Actopan, Huejutla, Tepeapulco
and Tula, all with fully connected services. The state government, through
the Corporation of Industrial Infrastructure (COFOIN), plans, develops
and finances the development of new industrial land to meet the increasing
demand for modern factory sites.
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| From growing technological change and new highway construction to encouraging visitors to its lush green valleys and the high sierra, Hidalgo state is moving into the future fast |
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Tula,
Tepeji del Rio, Tepeapulco and Mineral de la Reforma, as well as Pachuca,
are the state’s main industrial centres, while the ‘Automotive
Corridor of Hidalgo’ looks destined to become one of the most important
industrial zones supporting Mexico’s car industry.
Hidalgo is also Mexico’s largest producer
of cement and manganese, and generates about eight per cent of the country’s
electricity and 19 per cent of its petrochemicals. Fruit, vegetables
and dairy products are also important, contributing about nine per cent
of state GDP, and agriculture employs just over a quarter of the working
population.
Mr Soto says: “We see many areas of
opportunity for investment projects in industries such as automotive
parts, railway transportation, textiles and clothing, processed food,
electronic assembling, telecoms and construction materials.”
The state also offers great scope for the
development of a tourist industry. It has a rich cultural and artistic
tradition, and, at Tula, it has one of the most important pre-Hispanic
sites in the country. Many of its haciendas and colonial buildings have
been preserved and are well worth visiting.
In Pachuca, a new development known as
‘The Silver Zone’, is under way. The area comprises smart
residential developments, service and shopping centres, and the David
Ben Gurion Cultural Centre.
In addition to these facilities, the high
sierra, lush green valleys and three national parks make Hidalgo an
excellent place for visitors who want to get away from the bustle of
Mexico City.
Mr Soto says: “We’ve tried to take advantage of the geographical
location of the state, as well as its abundant natural, material and
human resources.”
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