Expansion: What would you like to be remembered from your tenure as ambassador of Slovakia in Mexico?
Terezia Šajgalíková: I would like a first company to set up here during my role as ambassador… I don’t care what sector, honestly. I want them to come and spread the word that investing and being in Mexico is a good idea. Like Good Idea Slovakia, which is our motto as a country brand, I want Slovak companies to come to Mexico and say that it is a good idea.
I: What has happened? Why hasn’t any company from your country arrived in Mexico yet?
TŠ: You, Mexico, do everything well, according to my perception; Now we see the phenomenon of nearshoring. I think the problem is cultural. Slovak entrepreneurs are used to investing on the other side of the planet. They go more, or went more, towards Russia, Ukraine, due to the proximity of the language. We are Slavic nations, learning Russian was compulsory in the past. Obviously the older generation of businessmen still speak Russian. They go to China a lot too. Before 1989 we were part of a block of socialist countries, therefore there was already an established network of contacts.
Those contacts are still there and these businessmen take advantage of contacts from the past. However, we want to show you that there are other parts of the world where there are many possibilities, and one of those parts is Mexico.
E: Are there fears when thinking about investing in Mexico?
TŠ: Fear is quite a strong word. I think it’s more ignorance. The first unknown is the language, because in Slovakia people speak mainly Slovak, English or German, due to the proximity of Austria. The first challenge is to learn Spanish; However, for Slovaks it is not difficult to learn Spanish, but if one does not speak any words it is a challenge. Distance is another, and the perception of security outside of Mexico is not good. And it has gotten worse.
E: Could the increase in the perception of insecurity be the main obstacle?
TŠ: I don `t believe. The main factor is the lack of knowledge, in general, about what Mexico is and what it can offer, and that is why we are here, to provide correct information and paint Mexico as a country where it is worth investing.
Expansion: Do you have a clear investment objective?
TŠ: My goal is to bring a first company that later brings others. That is my dream. That the companies see that they should not be afraid, that everything can be managed, that Mexico does offer incentives and the states can provide good logistics to take advantage of the proximity to the United States. I want to be pragmatic and with small steps I believe that we are going to achieve it here. When they see that it is practical, that it works, others will arrive.
E: What state of the country could it reach? Is there any prospect?
TŠ: I don’t think they have any status selected yet. Obviously each one has its incentives, its advantages, disadvantages, it has its logistics, level of security or insecurity. I think it will depend on that, on what the state can offer.
E: In what time could this become a reality?
TŠ: We do not know. Actually, it is the first time that we have received a request from a (powder metallurgy) company saying “we need an industrial park of such a size, with a connection to roads”. We don’t know yet how long it will take. It is the first time that we have a project like this.