Georgetown Americas Institute

The Georgetown Americas Institute’s Latin America in the Global Economy (LAGE) program is a multiyear initiative to advance research and promote dialogue within the academy and with governments, the private sector, and civil society around the most critical economic challenges facing the region. A critical focus will be the emerging position of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in a new global economic trade architecture characterized by deep structural changes.

In 2023 with the support of CAF - Development Bank of Latin America, the LAGE program will support a one-year research effort focused on untapped opportunities in global value chains (GVCs). The global economy is changing, bringing new challenges and opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). To address critical questions for LAC the Georgetown Americas Institute and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America collaborated to launch a joint research program "Latin America: Untapped Opportunities in Global Value Chains." This program brought together a group of highly recognized LAC experts to address knowledge gaps in existing research and ensure its relevance for policy discussions and private sector strategies. The program consisted of six studies, combining different methodological approaches, and provided a comprehensive assessment of LAC participation in GVCs and its potential and readiness to face a new emerging policy environment regarding the evolution of GVCs.

In 2025, GAI partnered with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean to launch a groundbreaking research collaboration, "Global Value Chains in the Era of Industry 4.0 in Asia and Latin America," exploring how Industry 4.0 technologies are reshaping GVCs in East Asia and Latin America.  As digital transformation, automation, AI, and smart manufacturing redefine the global economy, this initiative examines how emerging technologies can enhance productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability in key sectors across both regions. By leveraging comparative research, expert analysis, and policy engagement, the project aims to identify strategies that enable developing economies to seize the opportunities of Industry 4.0—while addressing risks of technological exclusion and growing digital divides. The research focuses on sector-specific studies across industries such as automotive, electronics, agribusiness, pharmaceuticals, mining, fintech, and digital services, among others, highlighting best practices, innovation pathways, and policy tools that facilitate technological integration into GVCs. It will also examine how public-private collaboration, workforce development, and investment in digital infrastructure can unlock inclusive growth.