(Photo: CRH Archive/ Image for illustrative purposes)
(Then24.com) A study carried out in 2022 by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, office in Costa Rica (KAS), and the Academy of Central America (ACA) found that the country should improve inter-institutional coordination to support Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (Mipymes).
“At a global level, it is necessary to strengthen inter-institutional coordination to consolidate an integrated support system for entrepreneurship. There are numerous government agencies involved with Productive Development Policies, but better alignment mechanisms are required with a common goal, which should be the growth of business productivity, particularly of the smallest companies,” explained Luis Rivera, economist and researcher in charge. of the study.
Ricardo Monge, president of the ACAmentioned that the study makes a fundamental contribution, by contrasting the Costa Rican entrepreneurial ecosystem with that of other successful countries in this field, such as Finland, the Basque Country in Spain, Chile and Uruguay.
“The study shows us the way to have the institutional framework required for an efficient and effective entrepreneurial ecosystem, which facilitates the creation of new companies and jobs; increase formalization and tax participation and tax collection; strengthen and diversify the economy towards a more innovative and competitive one, and promote the stability and growth of local and regional economies,” he stated.
Evelyn Gaiser, director of KAS Costa Rica, pointed out that “an entrepreneurial ecosystem can be key to reducing unemployment and the growing gap in social inequality. Much of the Costa Rican economy is based on MSMEs. Having an entrepreneurial ecosystem could allow the country to increase its productivity, generate sources of employment and a more inclusive economic growth”.
“The formalization of a Competitiveness Council could provide the required inter-institutional coordination framework. At the level of the supply of productive support, the Integral Centers for Business Development (CIDE) should consolidate a model of personalized attention based on a systemic and comprehensive approach for the delivery of productive development servicesRivera added.
The study notes that CIDEs offer great potential to support this effort.
Rivera also mentioned that a strategic action would be the implementation of a management model as a practical foundation for the design of the offer of business support services, integrating management concepts from different areas: knowledge management, total quality, excellence in management, innovation, and corporate social responsibility, among others.
