Approaching the resources for innovation of the four countries efficiently makes it possible to take advantage of economies of scale, share skills and knowledge. Achieving the formation of the regional ecosystem had two main challenges; First, the formalization of the political will to implement the ecosystem through the constitution of an ad-hoc technical group,...

Approaching the resources for innovation of the four countries efficiently makes it possible to take advantage of economies of scale, share skills and knowledge. Achieving the formation of the regional ecosystem had two main challenges; First, the formalization of the political will to implement the ecosystem through the constitution of an ad-hoc technical group, which is the official body that the PA has to technically address specific issues of interest to the four countries and that it gives long-term political viability to the initiative, and second; have an independent external agent that provides the technical and coordination capacity, as well as the financial support and the necessary legitimacy. In this way, in 2014, the High Level Group (GAN) of the AP formalized the formation of the Technical Innovation Group (GTI), and in 2015, the IDB's Competitiveness, Technology and Innovation Division (CTI) had the vision and willingness to support the initiative through technical cooperation. During this last year, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been subjected to unimaginable challenges. It has been devastating especially for our countries. However, it has left us some lessons that I would like to highlight. First, it has highlighted the importance of innovation and public-private coordination as a fundamental method to solve humanity's most pressing problems and second, during the pandemic, through digital technologies, distances have been dramatically shortened and we have become accustomed to communicating and interacting digitally at a distance, almost as if we were in the same place.