Bioentrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean: Contributions of the IICA Center for Agribioentrepreneurship and Investments
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Abstract
This article analyzes the evolution, achievements, and key contributions of the IICA Center for Agribioentrepreneurship and Investments between 2020 and 2025, within the broader effort to promote bioeconomy-based, science-driven, and innovation-oriented entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean. The process began in 2020 with the creation of the Bio-Emprender platform, aimed at strengthening capacities and supporting economic recovery through bio-based entrepreneurship, and evolved into an integrated institutional model with the establishment of the Center in 2024.
Using a staged methodological approach—combining open calls, ecosystem mapping, capacity-building programs, specialized mentoring, incubation, and acceleration—the Center has contributed to the consolidation of a regional agribioentrepreneurship ecosystem that articulates public institutions, academia, private sector actors, and financial organizations. The implementation of sector-specific challenges, training programs, and structured accompaniment mechanisms has enabled the identification, development, and scaling of bio-based business initiatives across diverse productive sectors.
Among the most significant results is the LATAM Impact Agribioentrepreneurship Competition 2025, which received more than 1 118 applications from 20 countries, highlighting the growing dynamism of the regional bioeconomy. Overall, the findings underscore the relevance of coordinated, evidence-based institutional mechanisms to accelerate the development, scalability, and territorial impact of agribioenterprises in the region.
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