By: Radu Serrano
Newer technologies and their applications seem to integrate seamlessly into all aspects of our daily lives, from VR games to smart devices and driverless cars. On the other hand, innovating on the scale of a whole country isn´t that straightforward, nor is it hassle free.
According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2015, Panama is ranked 62nd of 141 countries and fifth in the regional Latin American & Caribbean ranking. The top scores are being held by Barbados (37th), Chile (42nd), Costa Rica (51st) and México (57th). However, we are also labelled as a ‘pillar outperformer’ in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. This is no time to rest on our laurels. Panama has several weaknesses and improvement points across the 7 GII pillars and their 79 indicators.
There is a lack in the ease of paying taxes, which translates to our 127th place. Our ICT access places us midway, on the 71st spot, while the Government´s online services drops us further down, to the 87th slot. E-Participation, which reflects on a government´s ability to share information and interact with its citizens online, gives us a better standing at 64th. And, regarding sustainability, we are better (54th) than half the countries when it comes to how close we are to our established environmental policy goals.
This was a micro x-ray into our reality, but the diagnostic is clear: we must continue to look for ways to innovate. Next August 4th, AMCHAM Panamá is organizing the forum #SmartCityPanama, with the aim of promoting a common agenda between the public/private sectors and organized citizens, in ICT innovation, sustainable development, and mobility & urban services for the betterment of the citizens´ quality of life. The long term idea is to make our cities ‘smart’, starting with our metropolis. The event will include speakers from the National Authority for Governmental Innovation (AIG), Polytechnic University of Madrid and City Hall. It will also feature the participation of Metricarts, UBER Panamá, CISCO and the Panamanian Chamber of Information Technology, Innovation and Telecommunications (CAPATEC).
The data presented in this report was taken from the Global Innovation Index 2015.