Tijuana’s medical device industry, already one of the largest manufacturing hubs of its kind in the Americas, is preparing to move further up the value chain. The Baja California Medical Device Cluster has announced plans for a Center for Innovation and Development of Medical Devices in Tijuana, aimed at adding product design, engineering and research and development to the region’s established production base.
The proposal was presented in the cluster’s annual report, led by its president, Rosa Castañeda, marking the first year of the current board’s administration, Mexico Business News reported on September 17, 2026. The initiative is backed by the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation (Tijuana EDC), which promotes investment and binational business in the city.
From manufacturing to innovation
For decades, Tijuana’s strength has been building medical devices designed elsewhere. The new center is meant to keep that manufacturing advantage while developing higher-value activities locally — the kind of design and engineering work that can anchor companies in the region for the long term.
The push comes as trade tensions, supply-chain restructuring and geopolitical pressures change how and where medical technology is made. Carlos Alejandro Salazar Gaytan, president of the National Association of Health Care Suppliers (ANAPS), told Mexico Business News that the sector has become “a strategic component of the global macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape.”
Mexico’s medical device sector by the numbers
Citing Inter-American Development Bank data, Salazar Gaytan outlined the size of the industry:
- About US$22 billion in global trade, roughly 8.6% of the global medical device market
- More than 3.6% of Mexico’s total exports
- More than 160,000 direct jobs
- Annual growth of about 9.1%
- About 64% of Mexican-made medical devices exported to the United States
- More than 10,000 registered devices across more than 2,000 technology categories
- Expected average investment of more than US$500 million per year over the next five years
Mexico is Latin America’s leading medical device exporter and ranks among the world’s top five.
Why location and policy matter
Medical devices depend on specialized supply chains that span electronics, biomaterials, sensors, software and sterilization. Cities that can support several of those stages become more attractive to investors, and Tijuana’s proximity to the U.S. market gives it an edge. That same dependence on U.S. exports means the 2026 review of the USMCA could affect investment decisions, rules of origin, regulatory standards and regional supply chains.
Salazar Gaytan stressed that public-private cooperation and domestic policy will shape the sector’s future. “Efficient regulation, transparent public procurement and institutional stability can encourage innovation and investment,” he said.
What it means for Tijuana’s medical community
For a city best known to many international visitors for its clinics and hospitals, a local innovation center would strengthen the connection between Tijuana’s healthcare services and the technology behind them. Whether the project succeeds, observers note, will depend on the region’s ability to develop technology — not only to manufacture it.
Tijuana Medical News will follow the project as details on funding, location and timeline are announced.
Resumen en español
El Clúster de Dispositivos Médicos de Baja California, presidido por Rosa Castañeda, anunció planes para crear en Tijuana un Centro de Innovación y Desarrollo de Dispositivos Médicos, con el respaldo de Tijuana EDC. El objetivo es sumar diseño, ingeniería e investigación y desarrollo a la base manufacturera de la región. Según datos del BID citados por Carlos Alejandro Salazar Gaytan, presidente de ANAPS, la industria mexicana de dispositivos médicos representa unos 22 mil millones de dólares en comercio global, emplea a más de 160,000 personas y crece alrededor de 9.1% anual. La revisión del T-MEC en 2026 podría influir en la inversión y en las cadenas de suministro del sector.
Source: “Tijuana Pushes Medical Device Industry Toward Innovation,” Mexico Business News, September 17, 2026.
