New Competitiveness Center is created in the Colombian Caribbean with support from the OAS-RIAC

Colombian entrepreneurs and researchers have a new ally on the road to regional competitiveness. With support from the OAS as Technical Secretariat of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC), the Universidad Autónoma del Caribe opened the Caribbean Competitiveness Center (CCC) last April 9 in Barranquilla, Colombia.  

The CCC seeks to improve the competitiveness potential of the Caribbean Coast. At the Center’s inauguration, Ramses Vargas Lamadrid, Rector of the Universidad Autónoma del Caribe (AUC), stated that for Colombia "If there is one thing that is not turning back for us - that is the internationalization of our economy. But internationalization is a great challenge that must be met with intensive preparation to overcome weaknesses and strengthen our comparative and competitive advantages," adding that the University "Enthusiastically assumes its role to ensure access to and maximize the impact of internationalization for middle income sectors of the Caribbean population."  

The AUC of Barranquilla became a member of the RIAC in October 2013. From then on and due in part to the exchanges enabled with other academic competitiveness centers and the technical support of the RIAC-OAS, the University undertook the creation of the Center for Competitiveness, which will continue to be supported by the OAS to promote its development and consolidation.  

The Centre is conceived as an interdisciplinary unit that will provide reflections, analysis and proposals on territorial and business competitiveness; based on research of excellence and knowledge networks that will facilitate decision making by entrepreneurs and territorial agents. As part of the initial efforts planed, clusters will be mapped out, followed by the identification, analysis and evaluation of potential productive sectors. This initiative seeks to encourage the participation of small enterprises in value chains to boost the competitive transformation and sustainable development of the Colombian Caribbean region.  

"From the OAS and the RIAC, we pledge to continue assisting the CCC and to provide the necessary support in the exchange of experiences with other exemplary regions in the Americas, which will help consolidate the Center" said Juan Carlos Montoya from the RIAC-OAS team at the inauguration. The CCC has been invited to participate alongside other Academic Competitiveness Centers to exchange their experience at the Americas Competitiveness Forum in Trinidad and Tobago to be held from October 8 to 10, 2014. .