CAF (Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean) and Microsoft signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize cooperation in several areas of joint work between companies, which benefit Latin America and the Caribbean and promote technological innovation in the region .
Sergio Díaz-Granados, executive president of CAF, and Tito Arciniega, president of Microsoft Latin America, believe that the agreement will help to disseminate and encourage the exchange of knowledge in fundamental aspects for the development and growth of the region, such as artificial intelligence ( AI), digital skills, sustainability and connectivity.
“Decisively advancing the digital transformation of our countries will require, among other elements, strengthening the region’s digital innovation capabilities, increasing investment rates in digital infrastructures and improving human capital skills to create dynamic growth in the digital economy . That is why at CAF we are celebrating this agreement to continue contributing knowledge, technical assistance and financing to digital inclusion, the transformation of societies through the responsible use of AI and other emerging technologies, and environmental sustainability supported by digital technologies,” he said. Sergio Díaz-Granados.
The president of Microsoft Latin America, Tito Arciniega, highlighted that “This agreement represents an important milestone in the consolidation of our relationship with CAF, with whom we share a vision focused on promoting the region's development through access and use of technology, promoting connectivity, digital skills, employability, responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence and the creation of a sustainable future”.
Within the areas of activity, the agreement seeks to promote the responsible use of AI, through initiatives to adopt and apply the technology to improve the population's quality of life. Furthermore, it wants to increase the efficiency of public entities and promote their use as an enabler of opportunities for the region, applying best practices to build safe, secure and transparent AI systems that benefit society. In this sense, CAF and Microsoft have begun to develop a set of AI applications in the region that serve to solve the most pressing challenges in our countries.
In the field of digital skills and employability, the agreement includes the provision of training so that everyone can acquire the digital skills necessary to face a changing economy. As part of the implementation of this program, in the coming days, a Cybersecurity course for women in the region will be announced. Likewise, on March 25th, the Digital Marketing 360 course will open, which will reach 6 thousand women.
In relation to connectivity, the agreement will develop joint initiatives that allow the expansion of high-speed, low-cost internet connectivity, through devices that take advantage of white spaces in the radio spectrum, with Microsoft's Airband program, to benefit communities that have no connection, especially rural populations.
In terms of sustainability, the signing of the agreement will promote initiatives that enable environmental sustainability to be boosted in development activities, such as reducing the gap between the countryside and the city, creating conditions that increase rural productivity and enable economic and social development to be achieved, to promote a more sustainable future for the region.
Both parties agree on the importance of this agreement, which not only represents an important milestone in the consolidation of the relationship between CAF and Microsoft, but also strengthens their commitment to boosting the growth of people and companies across the region.
About CAF
CAF, the development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, has the mission of promoting sustainable development and regional integration through financing public and private sector projects, providing technical cooperation and other specialized services. Founded in 1970 and currently made up of 21 countries – 19 from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Spain and Portugal – and 13 private banks, it is one of the main sources of multilateral financing and an important generator of knowledge for the region. Find out more at www.caf.com
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