The IV Americas Competitiveness Forum will bring together public authorities, businesspeople, and high level experts from the 34 countries in the region in plenary sessions, roundtable discussions, simultaneous panel sessions and bilateral meetings to discuss how competitiveness can be improved in the current economic context.

During the forum, specific and urgent problems that hamper competitiveness are covered. The participants will discuss issues such as the access to financing; the quality of infrastructure; access to clean and low cost energy; and the challenge of balancing economic growth with environmental protection, among other topics.

Along the same lines, it is considered crucial to discuss what platforms allow countries to truly increase their productivity such as how to develop talents for the knowledge economy, in which ways ICTs could be leveraged and massively distributed in companies, especially the smaller ones, and the importance of cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship in each country.

These are important topics for economic progress, which the leaders of the Americas and the Caribbean cannot put off, for they will remain on the top of our competitiveness agenda beyond the current global financial crisis. Participating in this dialogue with the most influential group of leaders of the hemisphere is a great opportunity.