PANAMA

New Investment and Business Oportunities

Strategically located at the crossroads of the Americas. Panama experiences one of the moments of greatest development in its history. In 2009, despite the global economic downturn Panama had a preliminary 2.4% growth, one of the few Latin America countries that experienced positive growth preceded by an annual growth rate of 10.73% in 2008 and 12.11% in 2007.
The construction business in Panama, which, unlike in most other countries in the region, is proportionally much more intense, is yet another proof of this boom, where big commercial and residential real estate projects as well as hotels have emerged at prime locations in the city and touristic areas in the countryside, all aiming to satisfy the growing interest from foreign investors all over the world, attracted by the excellent reputation of Panama as a stupendous and safe investment alternative, as well as a place to settle, with a high quality of life and world class tourism destinations.
This growth, driven by private sector initiative, has brought about the development of a new and modern road, urban and port, as well as power generation infrastructure, which, together with the decision of the Panamanian Government to undertake an expansion of the Inter-Oceanic Panama Canal by building a third set of locks, leads to an extraordinary demand for advanced technology in machinery, equipment, construction systems and state-of-the-art materials. This mega project alone, the biggest infrastructure effort since the construction of the Canal itself, will need an investment of more than 5 billion Dollars over the next 8 years, which is the time estimated it will take to complete it.
Capac Expo Habitat will thus become more important than ever, as an efficient means of facilitating investment in real estate projects, the creation of joint-ventures, for hiring professional services and for marketing all kinds of innovative building and construction products, in a booming and expanding market.