Home Institution
Columbia University
Publication Date
Spring 2017
Abstract
In today’s world, changes are happening at an ever-increasing pace. Technology is one of the driving forces behind the changes occurring in cities across the world and is affecting everything from the labor market to the way we buy and sell things. While some of this technological innovation is produced by large firms, around the world entrepreneurs are harnessing technology in order to address inefficiencies in today's world and to disrupt industries that have existed for decades, if not centuries. As the capital of Argentina and one of the metropolitan hubs of South America, Buenos Aires is a fascinating city within which to consider the subject of technological entrepreneurs and innovation. As such, the question guiding this work is: what is the current environment for tech entrepreneurs in Buenos Aires and what do these conditions mean for the future of the city and of the country?
Through a combination of literature review, observational fieldwork and interviews, this work aims to come to a better understanding of the question and the possibilities for the future. This essay first examines the existing literature and statistics regarding entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship and then analyses the topic focusing on three main concepts: community, market readiness and the legal framework as they pertain to technology and entrepreneurs in Buenos Aires. The main conclusions are that while there is a strong entrepreneurial spirit and community of entrepreneurs in the city and the current government has positioned itself within a discourse of developing technology and innovation in the city, there are significant roadblocks to the city being a technological hub including: the education system, polarized political ideologies and a general indifference toward technological change by segments of the population. So while there are some Argentine entrepreneurs have had immense success leveraging technology and others who are following in their footsteps, it seems that there is still a ways to go until there is the same startup culture that exists in other cities around the world.
Disciplines
Business | International and Area Studies | Latin American Studies | Technology and Innovation
Recommended Citation
Price, Amanda, "Los emprendedores tecnológicos en Buenos Aires: Un análisis de la coyuntura actual y oportunidades para el futuro / Technological Entrepreneurs in Buenos Aires: An Analysis of the Present Situation and Opportunities for the Future" (2017). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 2535.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2535