Pillar 6: Policy Certainty, Workforce Mobility & Investor De-risking

Written By Manuel Molina

Deliver a transparent, stable, and investor-friendly policy framework — including workforce mobility — to reduce execution risk and accelerate ATP investment decisions.

KEY ACTIONS

  1. Create a Single-Window Regulatory Office. Launch a “one-stop” platform to coordinate permits, customs, and compliance at state and federal levels — modeled on international best practices.

  2. Simplify Customs and Tariff Procedures. Streamline import processes for semiconductor inputs — including used equipment — through WTO-aligned fast-track measures. Explore RFE (Recinto Fiscalizado Estratégico) designation to enable duty exemptions and attract ATP-related investment.

  3. Strengthen IP Protection and Conformity Standards. Promote a “culture of IP respect,” with clear enforcement mechanisms and safeguards against disclosure in regulatory reviews.

  4. Implement Transparent Trade Controls. Align with international export control regimes and train local suppliers to comply with semiconductor-related regulations.

  5. Ensure Data Flow and Cybersecurity Alignment. Avoid data localization rules; support secure, cross-border transfer of semiconductor design and production data.

  6. Bundle Investor De-risking Tools. Provide legal clarity, contract model templates, and policy guarantees for land use, labor rules, and environmental compliance.

  7. Establish frameworks for cross-border skills recognition. Collaborate with Mexican federal authorities and U.S. partners to align semiconductor-relevant certifications and job profiles for talent mobility.

  8. Coordinate state-level metrics and tracking systems. Standardize workforce data collection across institutions to better evaluate training outcomes and inform investment decisions.

Related Field Notes

Field Notes
Risk Is in the Details

In semiconductor manufacturing, risk isn’t always about location. It’s about what happens when a company tries to operate.

A permit that takes too long. Tooling stuck in customs. A certified engineer who can’t work across the border. IP that isn’t clearly protected.

These aren’t future problems — they show up early, in conversations and checklists. And for OSATs considering new sites, they matter.

Read More →
Friction is a Dealbreaker

In semiconductor investment, execution risk kills more deals than cost. And execution risk lives in one place more than anywhere else: the regulatory maze.

How fast can we get a permit? How long to import used equipment? Who handles customs? What are the environmental review timelines? Are there surprises?

These aren’t afterthoughts — they’re make-or-break factors.

Read More →
Manuel Molina

De 1993 a 1997, como directivo en InfoSel, formé parte del equipo que desarrolló la primer red de acceso a Internet en México, instalando nodos de acceso y oficinas comerciales en 32 ciudades del país. Desde entonces he dedicado mi vida a investigar las formas en que la tecnología influye en el comportamiento humano.

Estoy particularmente interesado en redes, plataformas y protocolos con el potencial de:

1) Ampliar el acceso al conocimiento (educación, aprendizaje, análisis de datos, nuevas ideas)

2) Ampliar el acceso al capital (sistema financiero actual, crypto, capital humano, infraestructura tecnológica)

3) Ampliar el acceso al bienestar (salud, wellness, comunidad, entretenimiento, diversión)

Más acerca de mi aquí: https://www.sailorseven.org/acerca

https://sailorseven.org
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Pillar 5: Infrastructure Enablement
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Pillar 7: Applied Research & Innovation Capacity