Reflecting on the information technology revolution in business, examples like Uber, the world’s largest mobility company that owns no vehicles, come to mind. Another case is YouTube, the platform with the most videos globally, which produces no content of its own. Facebook, on the other hand, hosts the largest amount of user-generated digital content, yet creates none of it.
To better illustrate the impact of technology, consider an example from the agricultural sector: a corn producer working on a one-acre plot can generate an annual income of approximately Q.6,084. However, if this producer used information to identify high-demand export products, they could allocate half of the plot to French beans or peas for export and the other half to corn, boosting their annual income to around Q.37,000. This example demonstrates how information and software can transform productivity in any industry.
In the software sector, demand has grown exponentially. A systems engineer specializing in software development can generate exports worth Q.280,000 per year. Why has this change and surge in demand occurred? The answer lies in the fact that software is driving the next level of productivity in businesses. In every industry where it’s implemented, software enables companies to make better decisions, optimize processes, explore new ways of doing business, and enhance the customer experience with their products and services. An interesting example is the footwear industry. Today, we see tennis shoes equipped with chips that synchronize with mobile phones, allowing users to track steps, speed, distance traveled, and more—all made possible by software.
If a Guatemalan entrepreneur in the footwear industry is not considering the use of information technology in their business, it will be challenging to compete globally in the coming years. This will force them to sell their products at very low prices due to a lack of differentiating features. The next generation will work in jobs that do not exist in today’s market, many of them created thanks to software. How should Guatemala prepare to take advantage of this growth wave?
In 2016, Agexport presented a high-impact roadmap to the Ministry of Economy to accelerate the growth of the information technology, software, and digital content sector. This roadmap outlined how the country could generate at least 31,489 jobs in the sector by 2024. This could be achieved if three key sectors in the country work together: academia, private enterprise, and government.
Academia plays a crucial role in equipping students with world-class knowledge in technology and software. Private enterprises must focus on attracting new opportunities through services and exports. Finally, the government, in its facilitating role, should invest in education programs, ease trade, and implement favorable public policies. With joint actions from these sectors, the goal is to differentiate Guatemala in the global market and transform it into a top-tier exporting country.
