Manufacturing 4.0: Digital Transformation as a Catalyst to Accelerate Development
Contributing 15.7% to the regional GDP, the manufacturing sector is a fundamental driver for the economies of Latin America and the Caribbean countries. New technologies are radically changing the way of production and becoming critical factors for the sector's competitiveness and resilience in the current market context.
Honduras, Where Low-Emission Manufacturing is Made Possible
Manufacturing is one of the main money-making, job-creating sectors in Central America. The current prices of renewable energy and the adoption of efficient practices are starting to cut the path towards carbon-low manufacturing, a competitive edge that could lead to export markets.
Boosting Exports While Reducing Carbon Emissions
In addition to offering various tax, customs, regulatory and other incentives for investors, free zones and industrial parks in Latin America and the Caribbean are increasingly adding another benefit to the mix: a reduced carbon footprint through self-supplied renewable energy for production.
Digitalization & Sustainability Come to the Clothing Industry’s Rescue
Spendthrift consumerism comes with massive environmental costs, and the “fast fashion” model in the clothing industry is highly wasteful and damaging to the planet. New digital business models focused on re-use and re-sale are changing the shape of the industry for the better in the region and elsewhere.
Five considerations for understanding the importance of the manufacturing sector
I landed on Monday, September 3rd, 2018, at the Port-au-Prince international airport in Haiti, completing a milestone that had begun on June 16th, 2004, in my native Costa Rica: visiting each of the 26 borrowing member countries of the IDB Group, promoting the development of Latin America and the Caribbean.