Latin American free trade zones commit to transforming the sector

The event brought together 38 international speakers from 26 countries around the world.

The 26th edition of the Ibero-American Free Trade Zone Congress, held in Barcelona, has focused on the challenges to transform the sector, in addition to strengthening ties and continuing to grow in accordance with the SDGs.

El Congress of Free Trade Zones of Ibero-America, celebrated on Barcelona from November 7 to 9, has closed with an eye on the challenges to transform the sector, in addition to strengthening ties and continuing to grow according to the ODS.

La Global Alliance of Economic Zones has announced the 50 free zones in the world that are a reference in this field. Among them are 17 free zones in Latin America, which demonstrates the potential of this economic development model in the region.

The president of the Association of Free Zones of the Americas, Claudia Pérez LlanoHe emphasized the confidence this recognition generates in the free trade zone concept. "These are zones that generate development, contributions, and stability, and what we want is to identify which ones can serve as models for other countries to implement and accelerate their growth," he stated.

In countries where free zones are an investment pole for new economies, one of the main focuses is to reduce the footprint that their activities have on the environment. An example is the Basque Country Technology Park, whose head of marketing and innovation, Cristina Andres, has commented on his strategy.

“We are currently bringing together an innovation ecosystem of 647, almost 650 high-tech companies and 20.000 people across the six campuses where we have been working,” Andrés explained. “We recently inaugurated the Energy Campus, the Abanto campus, which will be the cornerstone of the energy transition, contributing to the decarbonization of the economy and in the the Basque Country«.

The 26th edition of this annual congress has brought together 38 international speakers from 26 countries around the world and is now facing its next edition, which will take place in Curasao in November of 2024.

The Ibero-American Free Trade Zone Congress has been an opportunity for professionals in the sector to debate the challenges and future opportunities for this economic development model. The transformation of the sector involves innovation, sustainability and international cooperation.