The meeting, organized by SEGIB, CEIB, the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism, the Cabildo de Tenerife, the Government of the Canary Islands, and CEOE Tenerife, will bring together around 100 representatives from the public and private sectors of 22 Ibero-American countries, consolidating a unique platform for dialogue, cooperation, and action in favor of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
Visa's support not only reinforces its commitment to business development in the region, but also positions the company as a reliable partner in driving the growth of the more than 93 million SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean, which are responsible for 60% of formal employment.
“Our commitment is to work side-by-side with governments, business chambers, and the financial sector to accelerate the adoption of digital tools that allow SMEs to grow and compete as the true economic and employment engine of the region,” said Ana María Rojas, Senior Vice President of Commercial Solutions and Money Movement at Visa Latin America and the Caribbean. She added: “We want to go beyond payment methods: to boost digital capabilities, access to data and services, and contribute tangibly to regional development with more transparency, traceability, and formalization, aligned with public priorities.”.
Visa will have intense participation in this edition, which takes place under the motto “Small businesses for big countries” and is structured around four thematic pillars: Territory, Talent, Transformation, and Traction. Through its Commercial Solutions team, the company will promote tools that facilitate access to financing, optimize working capital management, and connect SMEs to national and international value chains, enabling them to operate more efficiently, securely, and scalably.
“Visa's comprehensive portfolio for SMEs includes unique, modular, and flexible commercial solutions, tailored to the growth stage and needs of each entrepreneur,” Rojas highlighted.
According to the Vice President, the company recently established a new partnership with Uplinq, “the first global credit assessment and scoring platform for institutions that offer loans to small businesses. This collaboration will allow issuers in Latin America and the Caribbean to improve credit analysis for MSMEs, leveraging advanced AI models and assessment systems based on Uplinq's data. Together, Visa and Uplinq will open new avenues for the growth of these businesses, expanding access to credit and ensuring that these businesses have easy access to the affordable capital they need,” she stated.
With over 50 confirmed speakers, including 15 government representatives, 30 business leaders, 13 organization presidents, and 20 high-level institutional managers, the Forum will also host delegates from more than 50 regional institutions and multilateral organizations such as OIE, OECD, CENPROMYPE, CELIEM, IDB, CABEI, Fundación Carolina, AMPYME, UNE, and COPANT. With over 500 confirmed in-person participants and extensive virtual engagement, the event solidifies its position as one of the most relevant platforms for strengthening the MSE ecosystem, making this edition one of the most ambitious and representative to date.
In addition to thematic panels and keynote conferences, the program includes a closed-door meeting between the public and private sectors, three technological routes open to the public, and the “Employability Goal” journey, organized by CEIB in partnership with FIJE and Conecta Iberoamérica, focusing on the role of SMEs in labor formalization and territorial development. Thus, Visa joins an essential meeting to advance towards a more connected, competitive, and sustainable Ibero-America.
A purposeful evolution: from commitment to action
Since its first edition in Panama (2013), the Forum has consolidated itself as a unique dialogue space for Ibero-American SMEs. In its seventh edition, participants will discuss the current challenges of the sector in a context of digital transformation, green transition, and global economic tensions, promoting practical and concrete decisions.
O encontro se estrutura em torno das 4T, a strategy that seeks to strengthen the Ibero-American business fabric based on four pillars:
''' Talento – training, employability, and inclusion to unleash human potential.
''' Territory – public policies, funding, and local competitive ecosystems.
''' Transformation – innovation, digitalization, and sustainability as drivers of change.
''' Traction – commerce, internationalization, and value chains that drive growth.
The Forum combines spaces for strategic dialogue and active participation over two days, with agile debate tables, inspiring lectures, and thematic panels focused on talent, territory, transformation, and traction, bringing together experts from across the region.
Registrations are open in mipyme.espacioempresarialiberoamericano.org
