Panama bets on research and development

In Central America, the Panamanian business sector is the leader, in terms of resources dedicated to research, development, and innovation.

Worldwide, Panama placed 34th in these categories, out of a total of 144 countries, according to the Global Competitiveness Index 2012-2013, published by the World Economic Forum earlier this year.

Costa Rica, second in the region and 41st in the overall ranking, is the country with the highest innovative capacity, according to the study.

El Salvador ranked last in Central America.

Globally, the highest-ranked country is Switzerland, while Yemen is the worst.

The study analyzes factors such as infrastructure, market efficiency, technological outreach, and basic education (numbers reflect the position of the Central American countries globally).

 1. Panama (34)
2. Costa Rica (41)
3. Guatemala (66)
4. Honduras (80)
5. Nicaragua (102)
6. El Salvador (106)