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The event will seek to promote trade in services between groups of exporters, buyers, startups and investors.
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In its eight editions, this meeting has generated export opportunities for more than US$ 65 million and investment opportunities for more than US$ 22 million.
As part of the iconic initiatives of the Pacific Alliance’s promotion entities, the IX Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum LAB4 + will be held between July 14 and 26, focusing on the promotion of trade in services and with the participation of entrepreneurs in FinTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, EdTech, internet of things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, virtual and augmented reality and cybersecurity.
The purpose of LAB4+ is to promote the safe reactivation of the region’s economy through the generation of business opportunities for exporters and entrepreneurs in the bloc’s service sector.
The event also seeks to position the countries of the Pacific Alliance as hemispheric leaders in the promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation and the use of technologies of the fourth industrial revolution.
“Innovation has become a transversal axis for ProChile. In this sense, LAB4+ allows an additional possibility for startups and scaleups in our country to connect with the most important innovation ecosystems in Latin America, in search of alliances, business and new investments. LAB4+ takes place in a period of unprecedented digital acceleration, which has allowed many of them to scale globally,” said ProChile’s General Director, Jorge O’Ryan.
“This multilateral meeting promotes the participation of companies and investors from countries on four continents, which demonstrates the potential of the Pacific Alliance in terms of business. During the pro tempore presidency of Colombia, we have proposed to jointly promote our offer of services and the attraction of foreign investment,” said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.
In this regard, Monica Duhem Delgado, Head of the Global Economic Intelligence Unit of the Mexican Ministry of Economy highlighted that “the COVID19 pandemic has urged companies worldwide to rethink their business strategies and innovate, and LAB4+ has become the ideal space where the Pacific Alliance service companies demonstrate this potential. Mexico celebrates the opportunity that the companies of the bloc have in this edition to expand their opportunities beyond the North American region and to include other markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. In the case of Mexico, the participation of MSMEs exporting services and startups was very high. We wish the greatest success and the closing of new business to all participating companies.”
“With the LAB4+ Forum we promote the development of an ecosystem within the group and the internationalization of a high value-added offer is enhanced. We hope that the 30 Peruvian SMEs of services with technological products that will participate, and all the attendees of the bloc, can access important opportunities for their business development and economic growth,” said the executive president of PromPerú, Amora Carbajal.
Agenda and participants
Participants in this version of LAB4+ come from priority markets such as Canada, the United States and Costa Rica, as well as Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, countries that make up the Pacific Alliance. For the first time in the history of this forum, investors from Europe and the United Arab Emirates will be invited to take advantage of their interest in the bloc’s markets.
The sessions, which will be held virtually, will be as follows:
- Inauguration and academic agenda, from July 14-15.
- Business roundtable, from July 21 to 23.
- Pitch sessions, from July 21 to 26.
LAB4 + is the pioneer event in joint promotion activities in Latin America, including export and investment components focused solely on trade in services.
This is the third time that Colombia organizes the event, first held in 2013, and which is held annually, developed by the bloc’s promotion authorities: ProChile, ProColombia, the Mexican Ministry of Economy and PromPerú.
