ALIDE open conference – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Topic 1: Structural change and productive innovation: the strengthening of capabilities and the transformation of the productive matrix.
When thinking about the future of Latin America, the obvious reaction is, how can we add value to our products and make them more knowledge-intensive? How to generate the conditions to achieve it? How to attract investors who contribute resources, assume risks, and have knowledge in these new industries? Is it sufficient to address existing natural product lines more deeply? Do Latin America and the Caribbean need to develop new lines of products or industries, that is, to rethink policies of industrial development and productive transformation perhaps somewhat forgotten? What are the international panorama and perspectives? How should the region’s international linkage be in a context of changes in the world economy? These are concerns that we are going to reflect upon with institutions that have a global regional vision.
Topic 2: Financing Productive Transformation with Equity: experiences and initiatives from development banks in order to include ESG principles in financing.
Financial entities are increasingly adopting the ESG principles, which underscores the need to take into account environmental, social and corporate governance factors in the business model, investment strategy and development of financing programs, in order to promote socially responsible investments. Hence, we shall reflect on the challenges and trends facing the region to promote sustainable finance, gender equity and the inclusion of women. Also, we shall present the financing tools promoted by the market in order to meet the sustainable development goals and the 2030 agenda.
Topic 3: Digital transformation in development banks: main plans and achievements in the region’s institutions.
The new communication and information technologies have constituted an important support for the development of products that operate through digital platforms that allow the massification of credits, better directing the support, real-time and low-cost attention, provision of a set of services –training, information, credit and technical assistance, and guarantees–, timely and distance-independent attention, linking and conducting business among clients. That is to say, the clients are linked not only with the bank but also with each other, while at the same time accessing financing and conducting business.
What innovative practices have been developed and can be assimilated by our entities? How can this disruption of technologies and business models facilitate financial and social inclusion from development financial institutions using internet platforms, and allowing their access through different mobile devices? How important can it be to promote productive transformation?
Topic 4: Support for productive development and transformation from the regional financial organizations.
The experiences of the regional financial organizations show us how these entities can be valuable allies of the countries and banks from a development banking that is very determined to support policies and measures aimed at inducing changes of a structural nature in the productive apparatus of our countries, through the provision of medium- and long-term financing for investment in projects that consider the modernization of the productive apparatus in order to improve its competitiveness, the promotion of exports, the incorporation of greater added value in products, the development of new industries with the ability to compete internationally, financing with seed and risk capital, business incubators, as well as changes in the energy matrix with an emphasis on the generation of cleaner energy and renewable sources that pollute less of the environment. We consider it necessary to know and share these experiences.