Panamá joins Mobile World Capital Barcelona
Panamá is the first country to join Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital). The Central American country and the MWCapital Foundation have signed an agreement, the aim of which is to facilitate the implementation of mobile technologies and solutions that will enable the development of Panamá’s educational, enterprising and innovative potential. This commitment is groundbreaking in the process of other countries’ governmental bodies adhering to MWCapital.
With the agreement, which was signed by the CEO of the Mobile World Capital Foundation, Ginés Alarcón and the General Administrator of the Panamá’s Autoridad Nacional para la Innovación Gubernamental (AIG), Eduardo E. Jaén, Panamá is investing in its economic and social development by asserting the competitive advantage that new technologies and mobility can provide and by positioning itself as a benchmark in Latin America in the field of mobile technologies.
The Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation will accelerate the implementation of solutions in two specific spheres: smart cities (mSmartCity) and transport (mTravel). Other collaborations will also be explored in terms of mobile payments (mWallet), healthcare (mHealth), and information and entertainment (mContent).
For their part, the Panamanian government and the AIG will be collaborating in industrial projects in mTravel, via which MWCapital is working on the creation and implementation of specific solutions for the transport ecosystem, providing expertise and experience in logistics and maritime transport, in which Panamá is a world leader.
“Joining the Mobile World Capital we are again helping to implement technologies that will contribute to close the digital gap”, said Mr. Jaén. Mobile World Capital Barcelona’s CEO, Ginés Alarcón, stated: “With this agreement, we keep moving forward to pursue our mission: boosting the use of mobile technologies to improve citizens’ quality of life”.
It has also been agreed that the Mobile World Capital Barcelona Foundation will be linked to the 54th Annual Meeting of the Assemblies of the Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Investment Corporation and of the 23rd Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will be held in Panamá City on the March 13th and October 18th, respectively.. These two events will serve to present all projects and initiatives that could be of interest to attendees and, in particular, those related to mobile payments and the use of NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, which will be used in both events.
About the AIG
The Autoridad Nacional para la Innovación Gubernamental is Panamá’s body in charge of modernising the State by means of Information and Communication Technologies. It is responsible for planning, coordinating, issuing directives and promoting optimum use of information and communication technologies in the governmental sector in order to modernise public management. It also recommends the adoption of policies, plans and national strategic actions relative to this matter.
About Mobile World Capital Barcelona
Mobile World Capital Barcelona Mobile World Capital Barcelona is an initiative aimed at turning the city into the permanent global centre of mobile technologies, where people, companies and institutions work together to exploit the potential of mobile technologies as an element to transform daily life and create new business opportunities.
Promoted by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Barcelona City Council, Fira de Barcelona and GSMA – that represents the interests of over 800 mobile phone operators worldwide and over 2000 companies in the mobile ecosystem –, is based on four pillars: MWHub and MWCongress, concerned with industrial and business development, MWCentre and MWFestival that impact people and their social life.
Barcelona, 5th December 2012
Mobile World Capital Barcelona Press Office
+34 93 233 3555 / 93 233 2659
press@mobileworldcapital.com
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