Americas Competitiveness Forum

About

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez hosted the inaugural Americas Competitiveness Forum on June 11–12, 2007, in Atlanta, GA, which was streamed live.

The Americas Competitiveness Forum provided a venue for government ministers from the Western Hemisphere to come together with leaders from the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations, to explore cutting edge ideas and best practices in several key areas of competitiveness.

The ACF’s main tracks were:
• sparking and sustaining innovation
• creating solutions in education and workforce development
• designing successful global supply chain strategies
• fostering small business development and growth

This forum was more than a discussion; it served as a launching pad for a continued, practical dialogue on competitiveness in the Western Hemisphere.

Background
Why this Forum?
Immediately following the November 2005 Summit of the Americas held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, President Bush recommended that the first high-level meeting be convened to focus on improving the region’s competitiveness.

Economies in the Western Hemisphere are not collectively advancing as fast as other regions of the world. According to the World Bank’s 2007 report “Doing Business,” this unrealized potential is attributed, in part, to existing barriers in starting and maintaining a business. The report finds that most Latin American countries are advancing at a much slower pace in terms of implementing business friendly reforms than the rest of the emerging world. Similarly, the World Economic Forum’s 2006 “Global Competitiveness Report” concludes that of the 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries ranked in the report, only nine countries improved their competitiveness ranking from the prior year. Both reports highlight steps that governments could take to unleash the full potential of entrepreneurs.

What are the ACF’s Main Topics?
The Americas Competitiveness Forum (ACF) assisted participants in generating and implementing ideas through an inter-active discussion centered on national, regional, and global case studies and best practices. The ACF’s main tracks were: sparking and sustaining innovation, creating solutions in education and workforce development, designing successful global supply chain strategies, and fostering small business development and growth.

Innovation: This track examined trends in innovation, for example the growth in innovative service industries, best practices and case studies in alternative energy technology; biosciences research, and national innovation management. ACF participants engaged in a series of panel discussions and site visits to explore how public-private sector partnerships strengthen scientific and technological bases and discussed how technology innovation can meet challenges at the national and regional level.

Education and Workforce Development: This track examined the relationship between education, training, and workforce development, and the crucial role these combined factors play in strengthening competitiveness. Specialists in the field of economic development, members from the academic community, and representatives from creative public-private partnerships engaged government officials, as well as each other, in a series of panel discussions from both topical and regional perspectives.

Global Supply Chain Strategies: Supply chain efficiency has become a key factor in creating a competitive advantage in the global economy. Participants in this track heard from a panel of experts on how the operational environment continues to challenge the capacity in various markets, how security considerations must be factored into supply chains, and how government regulations may affect the efficiency of the supply chain throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Small Business: The objective of the small business development track was to discuss tangible ways to facilitate business creation and growth. This includes to identify ways to make trade financing more available for small businesses, promote effective branding and marketing, minimize the regulatory barriers and obstacles involved in starting and operating a business. Representatives from small business development agencies and lending institutions were on hand to interact with participants.

What are the ACF’s Anticipated Results?
The ACF intends to serve as an on-going vehicle for governments, the private sector, academia, and non-governmental organizations to explore best practices and case studies on the issue of competitiveness in the Western Hemisphere. By highlighting practical examples, the ACF intends to provide information for decision makers to take steps to strengthen competitiveness in each country and in the region, in general.

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