State of progress of industry 4.0 in the maquiladora: effects on employment in Mexicali, Mexico

The maquiladora industry in Mexico especially in the north of the country represents an important source of employment and social security, therefore, this article addresses the question of what would happen if new technologies displaced workforce in this economical sector? The objective of this research is to determine the maturity level of Industry 4.0 in the electronic maquiladora of Mexicali, in Baja California and its possible repercussions on the employment for operators and engineers. To understand and know the nature of this phenomenon, a case study was carried out on five of the most important companies in the region, the methodology used was quantitative and qualitative. Three surveys were designed based on the research of the Sectorial Model Reference Industry 4.0 made by the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) and the European Regional Development Fund and were applied to engineers in the department of investigation and development, operators, and to a Human Resources worker. In this regard was designed an interview that was applied to a key expert that gave us the point of view about the actual status of the developing of the industry 4.0 in the city of Mexicali. The overall conclusion is that the state of advancement of Industry 4.0 in the electronic maquiladora in Mexicali has an intermediate digital maturity (level 2-3), that is, in many cases the technology is known and used, but only by specific processes. Regarding the digital skills of engineers, it was found that they are highly trained to face the challenges of the new digital era, while the operator positions report a level of digital competence between low and medium, which places this profile of worker in a vulnerable situation for keep their position.