The Role of Latin America in Advancing Global Tech
Latin America secures an impactful role in shaping the global tech landscape. Closely integrated with North America’s tech industry, Latin American companies, startups, and individual software engineers are increasingly being recognized for their unique skills and innovative thinking.
The region’s native advantages in the form of geographic proximity, aligned time zones, and English proficiency make it an excellent source of opportunity for collaboration and partnership with North American firms. As a result, it is catalyzing a new phenomenon wherein the conventional view of outsourcing is gradually evolving into a more collaborative, partnership-based arrangement.
The Latin American Advantage: A Deep Dive into the Region’s Tech Talent Pool
When we shift our focus to the Latin American talent pool, we start to clearly identify its unique advantages and potential. Over the last decade, Latin America has seen exponential growth both in terms of its tech industry and the number of highly skilled tech professionals it is producing.
Countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina are spearheading this tech revolution, cultivating a crop of talented tech specialists that are in high demand around the globe, especially in North America.
The steady 11% annual growth of the software developer community in Latin America clearly represents the region’s growing impact on the global tech scene. With this growth, Latin America is playing an increasingly important role in supporting North America’s tech industry by effectively filling a significant skills gap.
One might ask, why this extraordinary growth?
The answer lies in the region’s relentless push for education, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The result is a steady supply of highly skilled tech talent, which the world, especially North America, is keenly tapping into.
A report from Growth Business Intelligence indicates a dramatic increase in Latin American graduates from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Over the past decade, there’s been a noteworthy 200% surge, resulting in more than one million technically proficient professionals prepared to tackle global market needs.
North American companies are already seizing this opportunity. Tech giants like Google, Amazon, and IBM have set up research and development centers in various Latin American countries. They’re not merely outsourcing tasks but are truly integrating Latin American talent into their core operations. This approach fosters collaboration, mutual learning, and long-lasting partnerships.
One might ask, is this merely a one-sided advantage for North American companies? The answer, unmistakably, is No. Latin America benefits from this arrangement too. The creation of tech jobs stimulates local economies and the infusion of global market practices elevates the overall standard of the Latin American tech industry.
As we transition into an increasingly digital future, collaborations of this nature will not be an exception but a prerequisite for success. To highlight this point, we can turn to a quote from Thomas Friedman, a renowned author and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, who noted in his book ‘The World is Flat’ that global cooperation developed out of necessity, driven by worldwide economic trends.
“We do not just have a global economy anymore; we have a global supply chain. The more your company or country is plugged into it, the more prosperity it is likely to generate for you.” ― Thomas L. Friedman, The World is Flat
Latin America’s Contribution to the North American Tech Scene
The development of tech infrastructures and ecosystems across Latin America have also made significant strides in recent years. Tech hotspots, or ‘innovation hubs’, are rapidly emerging in major cities — São Paulo’s IT industry is booming, Buenos Aires is dubbed the ‘Silicon Valley of South America’, and Guadalajara is steadily raising its profile as Mexico’s ‘Digital Creative City’. These areas are not only attracting local talent but also inviting a wealth of international attention, encouraging knowledge exchange and cross-pollination of ideas.
Sourcing talent from Latin America opens doors to a more diverse and inclusive workforce for North American companies. Different perspectives from different cultures can provide unique insights and promote innovation – a factor that companies like Google and Apple have long realized.
Latin America’s growing significance in the global tech landscape cannot be ignored. Its impact on North America’s software engineering scenario is only the beginning of a larger role that the region promises to play in the years to come.
As the leading inclusive source for top technology/design talent in LatAm, EQUALS TRUE can help you extend your team capabilities in a responsive agile way. To explore the ways we can help contact us today.
Copyright © 2024 EQUALS TRUE. All Rights Reserved.
