Chambers services

ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship expands to Latin America to fuel innovation and inspire innovators

  • 12 October 2021

ICC, in partnership with Cámara Argentina de Comercio y Servicios and Usina de Emprendedores, has launched the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship in Buenos Aires to prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs in the southern cone of Latin America.

Established in strategic locations around the world, the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship will work with local businesses, chambers of commerce, academic institutions, intergovernmental and governmental agencies, to enable local entrepreneurs in the southern cone of Latin America to expand their operations to global markets.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the lives and livelihoods of entreprenuers, business owners and young people everywhere. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reports that the pandemic has led to the worst-ever gross domestic product (GDP) contraction in Latin America’s history. Under these conditions, entrepreneurs and young people lack vital funding, networking, technology to scale their businesses and positively impact local economies.

From developing the skills of young people who face uncertain employment prospects to mentoring local start-ups and entrepreneurs, the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship will lay the foundations for the next generation of Latin American business leaders to compete and flourish in the post-COVID global economy.

“We are extremely pleased to open the Centre of Entrepreneurship in Buenos Aires, which will strengthen ICC’s long-standing presence in Latin America and accelerate private sector development across Latin America”, said ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO. “By providing SMEs, entrepreneurs, and young people with the tools and resources to fuel their most ambitious ideas, we can transform the lives and livelihoods of people across the continent. We strongly believe that the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship in Buenos Aires will expand local job opportunities and provide entrepreneurs with a gateway to global marketplaces.”

The new ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship in Buenos Aires will host a series of talks for entrepreneurs, chambers of commerce, businesses, banks and governments, to address the structural challenges facing emerging and developing markets, including youth employment, gender inclusion and education. By bringing together thought leaders, businesses and entrepreneurs, the Centre will create a thriving community of professionals devoted to bringing their innovative ideas to life.

Since 2020, ICC has launched several regional hubs of the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship to provide specialised training, mentoring and support services to help entrepreneurs establish, fund, manage and expand their start-ups. The first regional ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship was launched in Istanbul in early 2020 to serve the Central Asia and Caucus region and was followed in October 2020 by another regional hub in Beirut to serve the Arab region. Last month, ICC launched the ICC-ECA Centre of Entrepreneurship to serve the Africa and later this month ICC will launch a new hub in Jakarta to serve Asia Pacific.

Learn more about the ICC Centre of Entrepreneurship.