{"693319":{"#nid":"693319","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Partners With Panama to Chart National AI Strategy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPanama has launched its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/aipanama.gob.pa\/assets\/docs\/EN-2-Panama-AI-Strategy.pdf?v=5\u0022\u003ENational Artificial Intelligence Strategy\u003C\/a\u003E, a 10-year road map designed to strengthen the country\u2019s position in artificial intelligence (AI) and advance its broader digital transformation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe strategy, announced in July 2026 as part of Panama\u2019s National Agenda on Advanced Technologies, was developed through a partnership between \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.senacyt.gob.pa\/en\/\u0022\u003EPanama\u2019s National Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation\u003C\/a\u003E (SENACYT) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ai.gatech.edu\/techai\u0022\u003ETech AI\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia Tech\u2019s AI solutions developer. The effort brought together leaders from government, academia, industry, and civil society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe strategy identifies priorities for AI across economic development, workforce preparation, digital infrastructure, governance, research, and international collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/pascal-van-hentenryck\u0022\u003EPascal Van Hentenryck\u003C\/a\u003E, the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and professor at Georgia Tech and director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Artificial Intelligence Institute for Advances in Optimization (NSF AI4OPT), helped lead the development of the strategy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPanama has a unique opportunity to leverage its position as a global logistics and financial hub to become a trusted leader in AI,\u201d Van Hentenryck said. \u201cThe strategy lays out what is needed to develop the talent, infrastructure, data, and institutions to support that ambition.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPanama\u2019s focus on artificial intelligence comes as the country expands its role in Latin America\u2019s technology ecosystem. The 2025 Latin American Artificial Intelligence Index classified Panama as an \u201cAdopter\u201d nation and reported a 1.47-point increase in the country\u2019s score from the previous edition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding the strategy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVan Hentenryck and Timothy M. Brown, interim managing director of Tech AI at Georgia Tech, authored the strategy following months of engagement with stakeholders throughout Panama.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe process included workshops, interviews, and a nationwide survey that gathered input from more than 6,700 Panamanians. Government officials, researchers, industry representatives, educators, and community members contributed perspectives on the country\u2019s opportunities and challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe strategy was shaped by what we heard from people across Panama,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThat input helped identify where AI can have the greatest impact and what Panama needs to build the capacity to use it effectively.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe resulting framework is organized around five foundational pillars:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e63d31f24618abcf7df45a7b2bd2eae7a\u0022\u003EGovernance and regulatory framework\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9af6d28ca4bec8254975b48f03fb1aaf\u0022\u003EHuman talent and institutional capacity\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e41076cdcd1f7d0bcb89245621e2b7b2a\u0022\u003EData and infrastructure\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e2f99153996a8d2dcd7fd441f5cbdbd4d\u0022\u003EEthics, inclusion, and sustainability\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e8a00b3720cfffd64b33e5c82894c04a1\u0022\u003EInternational cooperation and global standards\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, the priorities are intended to support AI adoption across sectors including logistics, financial services, healthcare, agriculture, education, manufacturing, government services, and energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the center of the strategy is a vision for Panama to become \u201cLatin America\u2019s Trusted Hub for AI Innovation.\u201d The plan builds on the country\u2019s established role in global logistics and finance, envisioning a \u201cDigital Canal\u201d that supports the secure movement of data, technology, talent, and innovation throughout the region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEduardo Ortega-Barr\u00eda, national secretary of science, technology, and innovation at SENACYT, said the strategy provides a foundation for Panama to participate more fully in the global AI economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAI is transforming economies, societies, and the way we work,\u201d Ortega-Barr\u00eda said. \u201cFor Panama, this strategy is about preparing our country to participate in that transformation while ensuring that innovation creates opportunities for our people and strengthens our competitiveness.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConnecting research and policy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe strategy reflects contributions from Georgia Tech researchers and experts, SENACYT leadership, policymakers, international advisers, and private-sector stakeholders. AMD also participated in the initiative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKeith Strier, senior vice president of Global AI Markets at AMD, said international partnerships will be important as Panama develops its technology ecosystem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPanama is building its domestic AI capabilities and infrastructure together with the United States as a strategic partner,\u201d Strier said. \u201cThis is an important moment as Panama establishes its role in the global AI ecosystem.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Georgia Tech, the project illustrates how the Institute\u2019s research and technical expertise can inform national-level technology planning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than focusing solely on AI development, the strategy connects technical capabilities with workforce preparation, research capacity, infrastructure, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, and responsible governance. It also calls for efforts to expand access to AI opportunities in rural and underserved communities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVan Hentenryck said developing the strategy required understanding Panama\u2019s priorities alongside the opportunities presented by emerging technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWorking on a national strategy requires bringing together different perspectives,\u201d he said. \u201cPanama has its own strengths, challenges, and ambitions, and those were essential to shaping a strategy that can work for the country.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom strategy to implementation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe launch marks the beginning of the next phase: putting the strategy into action.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe road map includes recommendations for expanding AI education and workforce training, strengthening research capacity, improving digital infrastructure and cybersecurity, establishing responsible AI governance, and creating mechanisms to support entrepreneurship and innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFranklin Morales, head of the International Technical Cooperation Office at SENACYT and project lead for the AI initiative, said the strategy provides a starting point for that work.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNow this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning,\u201d Morales said, quoting Winston Churchill. \u201cAfter months of work, Panama launched its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, a vision of what this country needs to build for a new technological era.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe launch of the strategy is an important milestone, but the real work begins with implementation,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThe focus now is on turning these priorities into lasting capacity, developing talent, and infrastructure while supporting research, entrepreneurship, and responsible AI adoption.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor Panama, the strategy establishes a framework for using artificial intelligence to strengthen economic competitiveness, expand opportunity, and support the country\u2019s role in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech AI experts partner with Panama\u2019s science, technology, and innovation agency to develop a national vision for artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech AI experts partner with Panama\u2019s science, technology, and innovation agency to develop a national vision for artificial intelligence and advanced technologies."}],"uid":"36348","created_gmt":"2026-10-20 14:43:54","changed_gmt":"2026-10-20 15:01:09","author":"Breon Martin","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Panama City, Panama","dateline":{"date":"2026-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681481":{"id":"681481","type":"image","title":"Georgia-Tech-Partners-With-Panama-to-Chart-National-AI-Strategy.png","body":null,"created":"1792508311","gmt_created":"2026-10-20 14:58:31","changed":"1792508311","gmt_changed":"2026-10-20 14:58:31","alt":"Georgia Tech Partners With Panama to Chart National AI Strategy","file":{"fid":"265891","name":"Georgia-Tech-Partners-With-Panama-to-Chart-National-AI-Strategy.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/20\/Georgia-Tech-Partners-With-Panama-to-Chart-National-AI-Strategy.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/10\/20\/Georgia-Tech-Partners-With-Panama-to-Chart-National-AI-Strategy.png","mime":"image\/png","size":187780,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/10\/20\/Georgia-Tech-Partners-With-Panama-to-Chart-National-AI-Strategy.png?itok=ahKIE0d3"}}},"media_ids":["681481"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/aipanama.gob.pa\/","title":"National AI Strategy of Panama"},{"url":"https:\/\/ai.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech AI"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.senacyt.gob.pa\/","title":"SENACYT Panama "}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660368","name":"Tech AI (Artificial Intelligence)"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"}],"keywords":[{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreon Martin\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech AI\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI Marketing Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}