Growth Potential Key industry clusters in Metro New Mexico are growing rapidly as they take advantage of partnership opportunities with our two national laboratories, numerous universities and research facilities, and a critical mass of businesses, suppliers, support organizations, and customers. Growth Potential By Industry Cluster(Source for information on this page: Next Generation Economy and NM Economic Development Partnership)
Aviation & Aerospace - Aviation and aerospace firms are attracted to New Mexico for its flying weather, open airspace, business-friendly programs, and talented workforce.
- The state offers the infrastructure these firms need with the Albuquerque International Sunport, White Sands Missile Range, two Air Force bases, an Air Force research lab, two national laboratories, and many community airports.
- A growing pool of investors and a rapidly expanding aerospace cluster, anchored by Eclipse Aviation's plant for manufacturing a very light jet, and Virgin Galactic's planned investment in a commercial spaceport, make the state attractive for aviation and aerospace entrepreneurs.
- New Mexico's forward-thinking community is open to new visions in aerospace. The state offers several incentives specifically for aerospace firms.
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Bio-Based Business - The cluster has grown steadily for more than 10 years and covers everything from pharmaceuticals and medical technology manufacturing to bioinformatics.
- The University of New Mexico is one of two universities in the nation with a high-performance parallel computer.
- New Mexico has a wealth of mathematicians at the national laboratories, UNM and the National Center for Genome Resources.
- The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has already spun out numerous new companies such as Tricore, Concise Logic, InLight Solutions and the NM Cancer Care Alliance.
- Both Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs are strong in biotechnology and bioscience.
- Bio-related firms come to New Mexico for its research base and appealing incentives.
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Electronics - New Mexico's electronics cluster is one of the nation's most productive, with high-tech exports of $2.35B (2000 data) with electronic components (primarily from Intel) accounting for 90% of that total.
- Activities include computer chip and silicon wafer manufacturing, as well as the production of components and electronics assembly.
- New Mexico leads the nation in the number of PhD scientists and engineers relative to the labor force, according to NextGen Economy.
- The state offers many incentives specifically related to the electronics sector, along with across-the-board benefits, making it attractive for companies to do business here.
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Energy - New Mexico's abundant natural resources position the state as a leader in renewable energy development.
- The country's growing energy needs and the kind of research and development it will take to meet them in the future may account for almost $100 billion in the next 10 years.
- The state enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine per year and sustained winds are the norm, making it an ideal location for solar and wind energy.
- The state is poised to take a national leadership role in research, development, manufacturing and integration of hydrogen energy technology.
- Incentives specific to the energy industry attract energy-related entrepreneurs to the state.
Top High Technology This cluster includes subgroups in optics/photonics, microsystems, MEMs, and nanotechnology. - Optics/Photonics
- The Department of Defense moved its High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office from Washington D.C. to Albuquerque in 2001 so it would be located in a place with a high concentration of laser work.
- The state is quickly becoming known as the center of excellence for developing the technologies needed to field the next generation of laser and electro-optical systems.
- The optics cluster has evolved from government contractors to companies that design, develop and manufacture optics systems and components for both the public and private sector.
- Opportunities in the future will be in precision measurement, because the tools are more and more dependent on optics technology.
- Optics will play a major role in microsystems and nanotechnology.
- Microsystems/MEMs (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)/Nanotechnology
- The sector has so many widespread applications in transportation, telecommunications and medicine that some experts consider these technologies the biggest thing since the semiconductor.
- New Mexico has all the elements necessary for a successful microsystems cluster: research centers, companies with small tech expertise, an environment of innovation, venture capital, support networks, a qualified workforce, and a great quality of life that attracts creative, skilled employees.
- Sandia National Laboratories, a pioneer in microsystems, has recently built a world-class Microsystems Engineering and Sciences Applications (MESA) facility.
- The national labs are developing a collaborative nanoscience user facility, the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies.
- Albuquerque was named No.1 for Nanotechnology by Small TImes magazine in 2003.
- Alliance member PNM has an endowed a chair at the UNM Microsystems Institute.
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Manufacturing & Machining - New Mexico's strengths in the manufacturing and machining cluster include a highly productive workforce, competitive wage rates, low workers compensation premiums, low utility costs, affordable properties and appealing incentives.
- In recent years, the state has seen growth in the manufacturing of paper, plastics, machinery, and printing.
- The proximity to the maquila plants in northern Mexico offers further opportunity for manufacturing companies here.
- The state offers many incentives specific to manufacturing & machining, along with other benefits, making it very attractive for companies to do business.
Top Digital Business This sector encompasses information technology, software, digital imaging, digital media and film. - One of Central New Mexico's biggest clusters with over 850 companies.
- Its strengths lie in cluster supercomputers, informatics, data mining, environmental software, educational technologies, multimedia, Internet technologies, cyber-security and encryption, and networking technologies.
- Digital Media includes graphics animation, visualization, geospatial information, multimedia and medical imagery.
- The Digital Media Garage at UNM is a major resource for students, teachers and businesses requiring high tech equipment and a specialized facility.
- The Film Office supports film and television productions in the state.
- This is one of the state's up-and-coming sectors, with more than 40 films shot here since 2003, and generating an estimated $500 million in revenue.
- A non-profit corporation, Big House Props & Costumes, has established a full-scale costume warehouse.
- The state has a number of film festivals, including the Taos and Santa Fe Film Festivals, the Environmental Film Festival, the Independent Indigenous Film Festival, the Three Minute Film Festival and the Duke City Shootout.
Top Operations Centers - This cluster encompasses customer relationship centers, telemarketing and back office operations.
- Larger companies, even those from outside the state, are outsourcing the types of services offered by operations centers in order to streamline their budgets.
- A high concentration of employees who speak a second language makes the region appealing for bilingual activities.
- New Mexico has a work-friendly labor force that is willing to work for entry-to mid level wages.
- Industry specific incentives have lured 16 major operations centers, which employ almost 10,000 workers, to the state.
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