Learning What It Takes to Build an Ecosystem

This Monday marks an important step for the ATP-Ready Sonora team. Four members of our task force will begin the Semiconductor Ecosystem Masterclass led by Arizona State University — a program designed to help regional leaders understand how competitive semiconductor ecosystems are built, aligned, and scaled.

It’s more than a learning experience. It’s a bridge between what’s already working in Arizona and what we’re building in Sonora — a way to translate global lessons into local action.

Customizing the Playbook for Sonora

Together with Arizona State University and Tec de Monterrey, we’re already developing a custom version of this program tailored specifically for Sonora, to be delivered in February 2026.

This hybrid edition will bring together around 40 key ecosystem members — across government, academia, and industry — and focus on four of our critical pillars: Talent, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, and Policy.

The goal is simple: use this program to align Sonora’s ecosystem and start co-developing the capabilities global OSATs and IDMs look for when choosing where to invest.

You can read more about how this connects to our broader Ecosystem Accelerator here.

Learning in Public

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing highlights and key learnings from our participation in the ASU Masterclass — focused on what this experience means for Sonora’s path toward building a stronger semiconductor ecosystem.

It’s a chance to reflect on the journey, connect the dots, and keep our shared momentum moving forward — one step, one conversation, one alignment at a time.

A Word of Thanks

A special thank-you to Kolab for sponsoring the participation of our four task-force members in the ASU program.

Their continued support in strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem of Northwest Mexico is helping move this work from concept to reality.

What’s Next

Our task force has been part of ecosystem-building initiatives before — across sectors, borders, and institutions. This time, we’re bringing that experience together with what we’ll learn through ASU’s program to co-design a version made for Sonora, in collaboration with ASU and Tec de Monterrey.

The February 2026 program will be our next milestone: turning shared insight into coordinated action, and advancing Sonora’s ecosystem alignment.

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.

What ATP Investors Need to Know

Backend operations depend on precision — not just inside the facility, but around it. That’s why ATP firms ask questions like:

• What’s the permitting timeline — and who owns it?

• Can U.S.-based technicians operate in Mexico — and vice versa?

• Are local suppliers covered on IP and liability?

• Can certifications transfer between countries or institutions?

• Will our logistics team run into problems at the border?

This is how risk shows up — not in press releases, but in the fine print.

What the Strategy Focuses On

That’s why Pillar 6 of the ATP-Ready Sonora strategy isn’t about creating new laws — it’s about reducing the friction in existing ones.

The current focus includes:

• Reviewing and streamlining permits and licensing

• Improving customs processes for ATP-critical equipment

• Supporting cross-border credential recognition

• Enabling workforce mobility for U.S.-Mexico ATP operations

• Clarifying supplier IP and regulatory obligations

This work isn’t designed to attract headlines. It’s designed to remove uncertainty.

The Value of Doing It Early

Risk doesn’t disappear once an OSAT sets up operations. It just gets harder — and more expensive — to fix.

That’s why this work is front-loaded. And why it’s not being done in isolation.

Government, universities, and companies are each part of this. Because de-risking isn’t a deliverable — it’s a process that depends on coordination.

And in a high-stakes, high-complexity industry like semiconductors, that kind of work can be the difference between momentum and missed opportunity.

Visibility Is Just the Beginning

In Sonora, we’ve started mapping our supplier base — documenting who’s out there, what they offer, and how they might connect to semiconductor value chains.

But mapping is only a starting point.

If the goal is to support outsourced assembly, test, and packaging (ATP) operations, supplier visibility needs to go deeper — and last longer.

It needs to move from a static list to something dynamic and useful. It needs to become infrastructure.

From Inventory to Interface

When an ATP firm evaluates a new region, they don’t just ask who’s available.
They look for signals.

• Who meets SEMI or ISO standards?

• Who can support cleanroom requirements or traceability?

• Who has passed audits, or is on a path toward qualification?

• What documentation exists — and who’s maintaining it?

A directory that answers those questions isn’t a communications tool. It’s part of the due diligence process.

What a Platform Could Do

A public-facing supplier platform could help external firms and local actors navigate the same questions — with filters based on:

• Capabilities, certifications, and sector experience

• Readiness levels and infrastructure compatibility

• Traceability systems, audit history, and upgrade potential

And for suppliers, it could offer a way to self-assess, benchmark, and connect to programs that support the next step in their development.

Over time, it becomes a shared interface: between local capabilities and global expectations.

A Step Toward Readiness

This kind of platform takes time. It depends on usable data, supplier engagement, and alignment with what OSATs actually look for.

But it’s a step worth taking now.

It turns early mapping into something more permanent. It starts to translate supplier intent into supplier signals.

And it reflects a simple idea:

Visibility isn’t the reward for being ready — it’s part of how regions get ready.

Don't Build a Tower. Build a Bridge.

Right now, several universities in Sonora are discussing how to respond to the momentum around semiconductors.

Some are proposing a dedicated master’s program in semiconductors. Others are exploring new degrees or specialized certificates.

This isn’t unusual. When a new industry priority emerges, the academic instinct is often to build a new tower.

It’s visible. It’s fundable. It feels like progress.

But semiconductors — and particularly ATP — don’t need a new tower. They need a bridge.

The most powerful thing a university can do right now isn’t create a siloed program. It’s to embed semiconductor knowledge and ATP-relevant skills into every major that touches the value chain: electrical, mechanical, chemical, industrial, materials.

That’s how the ecosystem gets to scale.

That’s how you make talent mobile.

And that’s how you build a pipeline that looks like what OSATs actually need.

We've Seen This Before

This same thing happened with entrepreneurship.

Instead of making entrepreneurial thinking part of every program — engineering, architecture, law, design — many universities created standalone entrepreneurship degrees.

The result? A few specialists. A missed opportunity.

Semiconductors are heading down the same path. We don’t need 20 students in a master's program. We need 2,000 students — across the state — learning semiconductor-relevant content, in programs that already exist.

And to get there, universities will have to do something hard: align with each other.

This is consistent with the approach ASU has taken in Arizona — embedding semiconductor capabilities into existing degree pathways instead of isolating them in standalone programs. The results speak for themselves.

Why This Matters

For micro-credentials and technician pathways to work, students need to be able to move between institutions — even across borders.

That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when:

• Curricula align around common standards

• Credits are transferable

• Programs embed ATP content horizontally, not just vertically

This is what SIA recommends in its workforce reports. And it’s what Sonora will need to do if it wants to build talent that’s not just available — but investable.

Alignment Beats Attraction

One of the most common strategies regions pursue is this: land a major investor — and let the rest fall into place.

It feels efficient. It looks bold. It creates headlines.

And for a while, it works.

But in semiconductors — and especially in backend operations like Assembly, Test, and Packaging (ATP) — this approach hits a wall.

Unlike aerospace, where Sonora's ecosystem gradually aligned after initial anchor investments, the semiconductor value chain moves faster, demands more, and depends on deeper integration across actors who don’t always speak the same language: universities, government, suppliers, infrastructure developers, regulators, and industry itself.

The hardest part of building regional capacity isn’t funding or even talent.
It’s alignment.

And that’s exactly what Pillar 1: Coordination is designed to address.

Not Just One Player — One System

Sonora can’t bet on a single OSAT arriving and magically triggering an ecosystem reaction.

To become a true hub for backend investment, the region needs shared frameworks, cross-sector coordination, and mutual accountability — now, not later.

Why?

Because none of the other pillars work in isolation:

• Talent needs universities aligning with each other — and with U.S. standards — so skills are transferable, microcredentials stack, and students can move across institutions without friction. That’s coordination.

• Positioning depends on telling a credible story — one that matches what OSATs find on the ground. That requires alignment between marketing, readiness, and reality.

• Suppliers don’t integrate themselves. They need visibility into ATP requirements and cross-institutional support to qualify and scale.

• Infrastructure must match actual use cases — not generic industrial templates.

• Policy is only effective when it reduces risk — and risk is reduced when everyone’s pulling in the same direction.

• Programs like the Ecosystem Accelerator are only as strong as the willingness of actors to sit down together and build.

In short: every pillar requires coordination.

Pillar 1 doesn’t sit on top of the others. It runs through them.

Coordination as a Competitive Advantage

What does real coordination look like?

It’s not a task force. It’s not a ribbon cutting.

It’s a process — slow, iterative, sometimes messy — that turns parallel efforts into shared momentum. It’s building the kind of cross-sector trust that lets a government agency back an experimental supplier pilot, or a university adapt its curricula based on feedback from a visiting OSAT team.

It’s also a first-mover advantage that can’t be bought or copied.

Because even if another region gets more funding or interest later, it won’t matter if its actors are still working in silos.

There are things time unlocks that money can’t.

So What Happens Now?

Sonora is already doing the hard work of building together.

he goal isn’t perfection — it’s convergence.

When the strategy is shared, the programs aligned, and the actors show up not as representatives but as co-builders, a new kind of momentum starts to form.

And that’s what makes a region investable.

Not noise. Not logos. Not luck. Coordination.

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.

And the regions that win are the ones that make it easy to say yes. Not by cutting corners — but by building systems that reduce friction before it starts.

That’s why we’re working to create something most places talk about, but few actually deliver: a Single-Window Regulatory Office.

Not a Website. A System.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a portal with checklists. It’s a platform — and a team — built to solve problems across agencies, so that companies don’t have to.

It’s modeled on international best practices from Asia and Europe, where high-value industries (like semiconductors, aerospace, and biomanufacturing) require clean, fast, predictable pathways to get up and running.

The idea is simple: instead of navigating 15 agencies, companies interact with one office that coordinates across:

• Permits and environmental approvals

• Customs procedures and duty exemptions

• Workforce certifications

• Infrastructure connections

• And anything else that affects time-to-operate

But it’s not just about paperwork. It’s about clarity, responsiveness, and trust — the kind that turns risk into readiness.

Competitive Advantage, Not Compliance Duty

Most governments treat regulation like plumbing — invisible until something goes wrong.

We see it differently. In a race where every region wants to attract ATP investment, the ones that will stand out are those that make it easy to build — legally, confidently, and quickly.

That’s what this office is designed to do: turn coordination into a competitive edge.

It also reduces the load on investors themselves. When companies don’t have to build workaround teams just to navigate red tape, they can focus on what actually drives value — operations, hiring, and local integration.

The future of industrial attraction doesn’t just depend on incentives. It depends on execution. And execution starts with removing friction — before it costs us the deal.

We’re building for that reality now.

Want to help shape a frictionless entry point for semiconductor investors?

We’re working to define the structure, scope, and early priorities for a Single-Window Regulatory Office.

If you’ve faced permitting or customs delays — or want to be part of the solution — we want your input.

Join the Policy Streamlining Effort →

Not Just Space — Readiness

It’s easy to assume infrastructure is just about land and buildings. Do we have enough square meters? Are the permits in place? Can we break ground quickly?

But in semiconductors — especially in backend operations like assembly, testing, and packaging — readiness isn’t measured in acres. It’s measured in reliability.

The companies we want to attract aren’t just looking for space. They’re looking for sites that are cleanroom-compatible, grid-stable, water-secure, and future-proofed for clean energy. And that’s not something you find. It’s something you build — on purpose.

The Wrong Park Can Kill the Right Strategy

Sonora has industrial parks. But that doesn’t mean it’s ready.

Most existing parks weren’t designed with semiconductors in mind. They lack the power quality, water redundancy, or contamination controls needed to run backend operations. And retrofitting after the fact is slow, expensive, and often incomplete.

That’s why the strategy calls for something more focused: a Smart Industrial Park built — or adapted — for ATP from the start.

That means:

• Uninterrupted, industrial-grade power with the ability to isolate clean zones

• Reliable water access and treatment, built with long-term demand in mind

• Zoning for cleanroom-ready environments

• And a clear pathway to clean energy integration, not as a bonus, but as an expectation

It’s not about overbuilding. It’s about building for what’s coming.

We’re Not Breaking Ground Yet — But We Are Lining It Up

We’re starting to work with existing industrial parks to identify which ones are closest to being ATP-ready, and what gaps still need to be closed. That includes things like backup systems, cleanroom zoning, and utility delivery — but also things like fast-track permitting and on-site customs handling.

The idea isn’t to pick winners. It’s to signal what “ready” looks like, so that the ecosystem can start moving in that direction — together.

Because once anchor firms show interest, it’s too late to start planning. The infrastructure race is won before the deal is signed.

The semiconductor world doesn’t reward available space. It rewards prepared ground. And that’s the difference we’re working to create.

Are you operating or developing an industrial park in Sonora?

We’re mapping potential sites for semiconductor backend operations — and identifying what it takes to close the gap between “available” and “ready.”

If you’re interested in participating, let’s talk.

Join the ATP Site Readiness Mapping →

Plant the Seeds Now

Sonora doesn’t need to become the next Silicon Valley. But if we’re serious about playing a long-term role in the global semiconductor supply chain, we can’t just train technicians and build factories. We also need to plant seeds for what comes next.

That means backing the people who invent, not just those who operate.

And in ATP, that starts with a handful of smart founders, faculty, and students — the kind of people who are already thinking about thermal materials, cleanroom automation, or test analytics software, even if the rest of the ecosystem hasn’t caught up yet.

We won’t need thousands of them. But we do need to let them know we’re building a space where their ideas matter.

Not Ready? Good.

Here’s the truth: Sonora isn’t ready for a full innovation district. We’re not launching a national lab. We’re not spinning out dozens of semiconductor startups next quarter.

But that’s fine. Innovation doesn’t start with infrastructure. It starts with permission — a signal to the right people that says: “If you’re working on something ambitious, we’ll take you seriously.”

That’s what a seed fund or challenge grant can do. Not just financially, but symbolically. It tells the ecosystem that ATP innovation is on the table, and that applied research doesn’t have to wait until the fabs arrive.

It also gives universities something to organize around. It gives early-stage entrepreneurs a reason to aim higher. And it gives the region its first look at where its innovation edges might be.

Start Small, Signal Big

The topics may sound technical — thermal packaging materials, sensor-driven test software, cleanroom robotics — but they point to a bigger question: What can Sonora contribute that goes beyond cost or location?

We’ll get there over time — through joint labs, university partnerships, and applied research programs that are already in planning. But before all that, we need to light a few fires.

And that means starting small: a modest challenge grant, a pilot fund, a prize for the best student prototype.

You don’t need a billion-dollar R&D program to start building innovation capacity. You just need a signal that says: we’re open for ideas — and ready to back them.

We’re not there yet. But we’re thinking about the people who’ll take us there.

Building something for the future of ATP?

We’re exploring seed funding and challenge grants for Sonoran startups and university teams focused on backend technologies.

If you're working on an idea — or want to help shape the call — we’d love to hear from you.

Express Interest →

Start with the Anchors

If you want to build an ecosystem, don’t start with everyone. Start with someone who matters.

That’s the logic behind every successful semiconductor region — whether it’s Penang, Singapore, Arizona, or Saxony. They didn’t wait until every supplier was in place, every university aligned, every industrial park shovel-ready.

They started by getting one anchor firm to care. Then everything else started to move.

Sonora needs to do the same.

Don’t Wait to Be Ready

It’s easy to think we need to perfect everything before we knock on the door — workforce programs finalized, cleanrooms commissioned, incentives passed, supplier platforms online. But global ATP players aren’t just looking for sites. They’re looking for partners who are serious, learning fast, and thinking long-term.

That conversation can — and should — start early.

Because the firms we’re trying to engage — companies like ASE, Amkor, and Advantest — don’t make decisions overnight. The earlier we connect, the more likely we are to shape their roadmap and improve our own.

That’s not about pitching. It’s about building trust through real engagement: site visits, dialogues, student collaborations, applied research, and co-designed pilots that say, we’re already acting like a region that belongs in the value chain.

Early Conversations Shape Real Outcomes

When anchor firms engage early, everything changes:

• Workforce programs shift from theoretical to targeted

• Supplier development becomes demand-driven

• Infrastructure gets designed around real requirements

• Local credibility grows — not just externally, but internally

And even if an investment doesn’t happen right away, the region gets smarter, faster, and more aligned.

Early conversations don’t just lead to deals — they lead to alignment. And alignment is what makes investment possible.

You don’t get picked by standing still. You get picked by showing up early, listening well, and co-creating what comes next.

That’s the kind of engagement we’re preparing for.

Want to help Sonora connect with global ATP firms?

We’re preparing a focused engagement plan with select industry leaders. If your company or institution can contribute — through supplier readiness, student collaboration, or technical insight — we’d love to connect.

Get Involved →

Don’t Build It Alone

It’s tempting to think we can get this done by working harder inside our own institutions — more budget, better programs, stronger messaging. But the truth is, the kind of change Sonora is aiming for won’t come from one actor doing more. It will come from many actors doing it together — on purpose, with clarity, and with each other.

The first step isn’t technical. It’s not about incentives, suppliers, or facilities.

It’s about coordination.

And in Sonora, that means something we still don’t have: a formal, focused, cross-sector body to drive this effort — and the relationships to make sure we’re not building it alone.

If Everyone Owns It, No One Leads It

Right now, different groups are moving in the right direction — universities launching training programs, state agencies hosting Arizona delegations, suppliers asking how they can get involved. But without a shared frame, everyone’s sprinting on parallel tracks. No one’s tying it together.

What we need is an ATP Task Force — a small, committed group of public, private, and academic actors that sees the full picture and owns the job of stitching it together.

This doesn’t mean building a bureaucracy. It means focusing our efforts through a real structure — one that can:

• Track progress across all pillars

• Connect the dots between talent, policy, and supply chain

• Ensure that when an OSAT visits Sonora, they see a region that’s not just motivated — but coordinated

And it’s not just about internal coordination. This task force must be binational by design.

Arizona isn’t just a neighbor — it’s an extension of the value chain we want to join. And without regular coordination with players like the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), ASU, and key U.S. firms, we’ll miss the chance to plug in while the window is open.

Why This Matters Now

Coordination isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the difference between strategy and drift.

The regions that are moving fastest — in the U.S., Asia, and Europe — all have one thing in common: they’ve put together focused, multi-actor groups that lead from the center. Groups that meet regularly. That update plans. That solve problems between meetings. That know how to build trust, not just decks.

If Sonora doesn’t do the same, we risk showing up late — or worse, showing up scattered.

The world doesn’t need another fragmented ecosystem with big ambition and no coordination. It needs regions that can work like systems — and show they’re ready.

This Task Force is how we begin.

Want to help lead Sonora’s ATP transformation?

We’re organizing the core actors to launch a multisector Task Force.
If you’re in government, academia, or industry and want to be part of this early coordination effort, let us know.

Express Interest →

You Can’t Build What You Can’t See

One of the most dangerous assumptions in supply chain planning is that the parts you need will be there when you need them. That someone, somewhere, is already making them. That all the tools and materials you’ll need to run a backend line — substrates, thermal compounds, packaging kits — are just one purchase order away.

But backend operations don’t work like that. Especially not in a place that hasn’t done them before.

So the first step to building a resilient ATP ecosystem in Sonora isn’t to break ground or court suppliers. It’s to map what matters — and figure out what we’re missing.

The Real Work Starts with a List

This sounds boring. It’s not.

Mapping input needs means sitting down and figuring out — in precise terms — what a backend operation actually consumes. Not in the abstract, but in SKUs, lead times, and dependencies.

What substrates do OSATs need for different packages? Which gases, compounds, and protective films are non-negotiable? What kind of thermal interface materials are used in testing? Who makes them, where are they based, and how often do they run into shortages?

This process doesn’t just populate a spreadsheet. It defines the universe of opportunity for Sonora’s manufacturing sector. It tells us what kinds of capabilities we should be building — and just as importantly, what not to chase.

Why This Matters

Every serious manufacturing strategy starts by asking: What would break us if it didn’t show up?

That’s especially true for ATP, where backend firms live and die by their ability to move fast, integrate globally, and avoid delays. Even small hiccups in the supply chain — a delayed shipment of lead frames, a shortage of traceability-compliant labels — can ripple into major production slowdowns.

It’s not just about what’s missing — it’s also about what’s overly concentrated. Many ATP-critical inputs are sourced from a handful of suppliers in Asia, creating single points of failure. Our map needs to show not only what Sonora lacks, but where North America lacks redundancy.

For Sonora, mapping ATP input needs is how we future-proof the system before it exists. It’s how we:

• Spot gaps early — before they become risks to investors.

• Identify entry points for Sonoran suppliers with transferable capabilities.

• Target high-leverage opportunities for local or regional production.

• Give global ATP firms confidence that we know what we’re doing.

And maybe most importantly, it’s how we avoid the trap of building supply chain infrastructure that looks good on paper but doesn’t match what real companies actually need.

From Map to Playbook

This mapping effort won’t just sit on a shelf. It will directly shape:

• Supplier audits

• Capability assessments

• Technical assistance programs

• Matchmaking efforts with global buyers

• Even the design of industrial parks and logistics hubs

In a world where geopolitics and supply shocks can redraw the map overnight, the regions that stay competitive are the ones who know their inputs cold — and act before others do.

If we want Sonora to become a critical backend node, we need to start by mapping its critical supply nodes. That’s not the sexy part of the story. But it’s the part that makes the rest of the story possible.

Are you a manufacturer in Sonora?

We're mapping the inputs that global ATP companies rely on — and identifying local suppliers who can step in, scale up, or adapt.

If you think your company could play a role, we want to hear from you.
Join the Supplier Mapping Effort →

Why We’re Betting on Technicians

When people think about semiconductors, they picture engineers — PhDs in cleanrooms, inventing the future. And that’s fair. But if Sonora wants to be taken seriously in the semiconductor value chain, especially in backend operations, it needs to bet big on someone else: the technician.

Not as a side bet. As the starting point.

Because the truth is, ATP lines and fabs don’t run on PhDs. They run on people who can show up every day and keep the machines running. People who don’t need a four-year degree, but who do need to know what they’re doing — and learn it fast.

A Global Industry Built on Short-Cycle Skills

Across the U.S. and worldwide, the semiconductor workforce gap is most acute not at the top of the pyramid, but at its base. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), 39% of unfilled jobs by 2030 will be technician roles, most of which require some post-secondary training — but not a bachelor’s degree.

This is both a crisis and an opportunity.

A crisis, because if we don’t train these workers, ATP operations won’t scale. An opportunity, because we can build that workforce faster and more affordably than trying to mint thousands of new engineers from scratch.

It’s why the CHIPS Act makes workforce development a top priority. It’s also why forward-looking regions — from Ohio to New York — are doubling down on short-cycle, modular training programs designed to fill this exact gap.

And it’s exactly why Sonora is acting now.

What We’re Doing About It

We’re prioritizing the development of ATP Technician Training Programs built around three core principles:

1. Short-cycle formats: Programs that get people job-ready in months, not years.

2. Modular certifications: Stackable skills that let workers build careers step by step.

3. Industry alignment: Training co-designed with — and validated by — the companies we aim to attract.

Think less like a university syllabus, and more like a high-performance pit crew: tight training, precise execution, continuous improvement.

This isn’t just theory. With partners like ASU, local universities, and global OSATs, we’re already co-developing the formats that will let Sonoran workers hit the ground running.

Why It Matters

If you’re a young person in Sonora wondering what to do next, this matters because it creates a new path to high-paying, future-proof jobs — no degree required.

If you’re a policymaker, it matters because it’s the fastest way to close the workforce gap and deliver inclusive economic growth.

And if you’re an OSAT leader evaluating where to expand, it matters because it signals that Sonora gets it — and is building the exact kind of workforce you need.

Design may start the process. Fabs may build the chip. But ATP is where quality meets scale — and that’s where Sonora is investing first: in the people who’ll make it all work.