Background:

The Global Value Chain (GVC) is a recurrent approach to analyse the changes in the production geography in the auto-parts industry. Attending to GVC, certain regions have the decision power to coordinate the productive and technological innovation. This spatial model is dynamic and it is thus possible to modify the initial status of a region within GVC. This paper aims to analyse the keys in the evolution of Mexico in the auto-parts sector from the GVC perspective, focusing on the development of home companies and the role of institutions.

Methodology:

The methodology combines a qualitative and quantitative analysis to compare key variables from domestic firms and institutions belonging to a Mexican region (el Bajío) and a Spanish region with an intermediate status in the GVC (North-west region).

Results:

The multinationalization degree of Mexican companies, understood as the presence of leading domestic multinationals in the industry, is lower than in the Spanish region. Furthermore, Mexican domestic companies’ show activities with lower added value and complexity, and they are mostly simple suppliers of components or raw materials and therefore are not in the first levels of supply within the GVC. This reduces the technological innovation and it causes a scarce diversification of knowledge in the Mexican region, with competencies and capabilities comparatively simpler than in the Spanish one.

Conclusions:

The multinationalization and the technological innovation capacity of domestic companies are a key for Mexico to evolve within the automobile GVC. Regarding institutions, the improvement of some innovation infrastructures in terms of performance, and a better definition of public policies towards the multinationalization and the promotion of technological innovation in domestic companies can favour the evolution of Mexico within the GVC.