Guatemala has climbed 12 positions in the Global Competitiveness Index.

The improvements of the Central American country in intellectual property protection and in edge-cutting technology availability in the Global Competitiveness Index Ranking developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows the world some interesting advances.

According to Agexport, due to the development of videogames, apps, software and other technical experiences, Guatemala is entering markets in North America, Central America and Latin America.

The IT and digital industry has grown 8% in 2015 when compared to the previous years, according to recent estimations.

“Guatemala is moving forward in the development of content and software. The strategies we have implemented, such as strengthening alliances with the academic and public sector, technical training among young people and global positioning, have made thousands of people from all over the world to use apps developed by Guatemalan talent”, explained the president of Agexport IT commission, Oscar García Colon.

The industry “is growing” and during 2015 it reached revenues for USD 123.7 million in foreign markets. “This accounts for an extra of USD 9.2 million than in 2014”, stated García.

As one of the strategies to enhance employment creation in the export services industry and technology areas, Agexport, with the support of the European Union Youth Employment Program and the Guatemalan Ministry of Economy, shall offer courses on technological solutions development during 2016.

The program, called Digital Talent, will offer scholarships for 300 unemployed youngsters who want to enter the ICT industry.