Uruguay exhibits technological muscle to be chosen as a ‘testbed country’

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With its “proximity” in dealing, its benefits for investors, and its connectivity as critical allies, Uruguay opens its arms to the talent of technology startups. It aspires to be chosen as a “testbed” country.

Having become the largest per capita exporter of software in South America and third in absolute terms, and with a production of US$1.9 billion 1,912 in 2019 (3% of Uruguay’s GDP), the sector is taking advantage of the Dubai Expo showcase to “approach” the markets of Asia and the Middle East.

THERE IS NO OTHER COUNTRY LIKE URUGUAY

This was stated to Efe by the general manager of the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology (CUTI), Andrea Mendaro, who emphasizes that Uruguay has a lot to offer as an IT and technology hub.

“We stand out with outstanding professionals, a robust industry, severe, very capable of adding value to any business; in the development of software solutions and also in the development itself”, she points out about Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), one of the seven thematic axes of Uruguay’s pavilion in Dubai.

Inés Bonicelli, deputy executive director of the investment, export, and country image promotion agency Uruguay XXI, also expressed herself along these lines. The country has “an excellent level” in this field.

In her opinion, Uruguay stands out in the region as “with the greatest stability, the best indexes of democracy and the best index of civil liberties”. She says, “makes the country reliable” when attracting investors or companies.

“We have freedom of capital flow, profit repatriation funds; foreign investors can invest directly, they do not need a local partner (…), we are the access to Latin America, and we are in the same time zone as North America”, he lists among the various attractions of the country.

PROXIMITY, TALENT, AND AMBITION

For Mendaro, the Rio de la Plata nation, which, with a delegation made up of more than 15 companies from the ICT sector led by CUTI, arrived in Dubai to make contacts mainly with businessmen from Asia and the Middle East, has an environment of peace and “closeness” that foreigners should go and “try-out”.

To this end, both Uruguay XXI and CUTI advocate the “Test Uruguay” plan, a proposal that invites startups or entrepreneurial talents to travel to Uruguay to see first-hand how easy it is for them if they decide to set up and operate from there.

“We want to position Uruguay as a ‘testbed country’ so that technology companies can test in small, controlled spaces, and if any technology (they develop) requires a particular regulation, we can facilitate that as well”, Mendaro points out.

For his part, Bonicelli assures that Asia is a critical region in Uruguay XXI’s strategy to attract talent.

“We have to bring the whole Asian world closer to Uruguay through technology and have alliances with countries that are at the forefront: China, Korea, Israel, Arab Emirates… They are at the forefront of innovation, and it is also useful for them to have alliances in Latin America,” he concludes.

Currently, three submarine cables are in operation connecting Uruguay with Argentina, the United States, and Brazil, which was added this year Google’s announcement of the construction of Firmina, which will link the U.S. west coast with Argentina Brazil, and Uruguay.

Multinationals such as Globant or Tata Consultancy Services installed in Uruguay; startups acquired or merged with foreign companies; or the launch on Wall Street in 2021 of the fintech dLocal, the first Uruguayan unicorn, are examples that speak of the innovative ecosystem of the South American country.