Colombia’s Pacific Region Lauds New Enterprise Platform Focused on Territorial Development

The Pacific region of Colombia, comprising Chocó, Cauca, Tumaco, Buenaventura, and Cali, has introduced a new business platform aimed at boosting regional competitiveness. The Plataforma Empresarial del Pacífico, developed by the region’s five Chambers of Commerce in collaboration with USAID’s Juntanza Étnica Program and ACDI/VOCA, seeks to address structural barriers to business growth and enhance the region’s presence in national and international markets.

The economic backdrop for this initiative is a 9.1% GDP growth in 2023, elevating the Pacific region’s economic output to $211 trillion COP. The platform aims to leverage this growth by focusing on strengthening businesses in the cultural and environmental sectors, which are seen as pivotal for the region’s economic future.

The Plataforma Empresarial del Pacífico, with the support of regional Chambers of Commerce, could potentially play a key role in the business ecosystem of the Pacific region. These Chambers are tasked with promoting competitiveness and improving the export capacity of regional businesses, particularly those rooted in cultural traditions. The initiative is designed to facilitate better commercial relationships between Colombia and other countries, targeting the inclusion of businesses from the Pacific region.

Ana María Castillo, Director of Competitiveness and Internationalization at the Cali Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the platform’s potential to connect Pacific businesses with global markets. “This initiative will allow us to assess the readiness of Pacific entrepreneurs, strengthening them and linking them with national and international markets. One of our strategies this year is to support their participation in the Go Global Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in October 2024, which will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of these enterprises,” said Castillo.

As part of the platform’s activities, a business maturity diagnostic will be conducted to determine the readiness of companies for internationalization. This diagnostic will guide the development of tailored training programs that address identified barriers and strengths. For those companies deemed ready, an internationalization route will be defined, including certification processes, connections with key players in value chains, and relationship-building with partners.

The Juntanza Étnica Program of USAID and ACDI/VOCA is integral to this initiative, aiming to enhance the inclusion and competitiveness of businesses with a territorial focus in international markets. This includes designing a sustainability framework for the platform, integrating ethnic and territorial considerations into the Chambers of Commerce’s documents, and developing an international positioning route for cultural enterprises.

One key focus of the program is to create a support model for the growth and internationalization of businesses based on the Pacific region’s cultural assets. The expectation is that by 2025, there will be a strengthened offering of cultural enterprises in the region with a clear orientation towards international markets.

The platform was officially launched on August 13 at the Cali Chamber of Commerce, with participation from USAID, ACDI/VOCA, representatives from national, regional, and local governments, allied Chambers of Commerce, and other key stakeholders.

The Juntanza Étnica Program, in addition to promoting cultural heritage and safeguarding native languages as outlined in the Decade of Indigenous Languages Plan, emphasizes the contributions of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities to the nation’s social, cultural, and economic fabric. This collaboration is part of a broader effort to strengthen governance, autonomy, identity, and sustainable development within these communities.