There are weeks that mark a turning point in a company’s history. From March 2nd to 7th, 2026, ETYALAB experienced one of those weeks.
For five days, we hosted a group of consultants from the University of Charleston (South Carolina, USA) in Panama, who immersed themselves in our local business ecosystem with a clear objective: to co-design with us an internationalization strategy for ETYALAB consulting services.
A Real Immersion in the Panamanian Business Environment
The consultants from Charleston arrived with methodologies and a genuine willingness to understand how the business world operates in Panama: its commercial dynamics, its position as a logistics and financial hub of Latin America, its opportunities, and its cultural particularities.
What were we looking for with this consultancy?
ETYALAB has spent years building a solid value proposition in technology consulting. We’ve supported Panamanian companies in their digital transformation processes, operational optimization, and adoption of new technologies. But we had a question we wanted to answer rigorously: how can we take that outside of Panama more quickly?
The consultancy with the University of Charleston was structured precisely around that question.
We work together to identify:
-
Which ETYALAB services have the greatest export potential and why?
-
Which international markets represent the best opportunities for a company like ours, taking into account our geographical position and competitive advantages?
-
What strategic, operational, and communication adjustments do we need to make to position ourselves competitively outside of Panama?
-
How to leverage Panama’s role as a hub to make our location an advantage, not a limitation.
What We Learned Together
One of the most valuable insights that emerged during the week was this: technology consulting firms in Latin America tend to underestimate their own value in international markets. We have talent, a unique regional context, and competitive costs, but we lack a global narrative.
It was also a genuine exchange. They came to contribute methodology; they left with a much richer understanding of how the business world works in a dollarized, bilingual, and strategically located economy like Panama’s. That alone is valuable.
Panama as a Competitive Advantage
One thing we want to highlight about this experience is the role Panama plays in our internationalization strategy. We’re not a company that operates despite being in Panama. We’re a company that can grow because of being here.
The Canal, the Colón Free Zone, the banking system, air connectivity, the legal framework for international business: all of that is part of our context and, when well articulated, forms part of our value proposition for clients in other latitudes who want to operate in or from the region.
What’s Next?
The recommendations generated during the consultancy will become an action plan that will guide the international expansion of our services over the next few months.
We are working on defining priority markets, refining our value proposition for international audiences, and building the alliances that will allow us to make that leap with confidence.
Thank you, Charleston
To the consultants from the University of Charleston: thank you for coming, for asking unfiltered questions, for challenging our assumptions, and for generously sharing your knowledge.
The world is closer than it seems. And ETYALAB is heading towards it.
Are you interested in learning more about how ETYALAB can support your company’s international transformation and growth? Contact us and let’s talk.
