City of Knowledge and Tecno-Park

The City of Knowledge (Ciudad del Saber) is made up an international consortium of academic institutions and of scientific research, a technological park and cultural organisms, dedicated to programs of formation of human resources, investigation, production of innovating technology, and cultural interchange.

In the City of  Knowledge we can find services like:

• Convention center
• Center of Formation and Businesses
• Center of Executive Offices
• Village Lodge
• General services
• Recreation
• Residences

Incentives

These are some of the direct benefits for the affiliates and users recognized by the City of Knowledge: Source: http://www.ciudaddelknowledge.org/beneficios/ciudad-del-knowledge.    

1. Fiscal and migratory incentives through the affiliation to the project of City Knowledge Foundation, as the following:  
   1. Exoneration of all tax, contribution, rate, duty  or import tax on the machines, equipment, furniture, vehicles, devices and consumptions for the development of the project.
   2. Exoneration of the Tax of Transference of Movable Corporal goods and Services (ITBMS) on machineries, equipment, vehicles, devices and consumptions that it acquires and that are necessary for the development of the project.
   3. Exoneration of any tax, contribution, rate, duty  that levies the money transfer abroad,  when such transference of funds  is carried out for the purpose of the project. 
2. Telecommunications services, computer and educational technology, including a high-tech center with intelligent capacity for teleconferencing, distance learning, fast Internet connections and other services.
3. A Point Of Presence - POP - with direct access to the   land  portion of 5 Optical International  fiber cables  that go through Panama (the CAP, SAC, ARCS, Pan-American and MAYA).
4. Infrastructures and  buildings in  good  maintenance, easily adaptable to  any uses.
5. Technical, administrative services and advisory services. Constant flow of electricity (99.9) with redundant power from the thermal plant of the Panama Canal located  300 meters of distance in Miraflores Locks.
6. Complementary services of lodging with feeding.
7. Sport and recreational facilities.
8. Access to the main centers of higher education  and scientific research  in the country.
9. Access to Panama Canal Watershed, a living  laboratory for scientific research and  technological innovation in the management of highly complex tropical ecosystems. 
10. Central location:  near  the Panama Canal,  15 minutes from downtown,  5 minutes  the tourist area of Amador and  45 minutes  from ColonCity , located in the Atlantic entrance of the Panama Canal.

The main offices of 120 hectares  at Fort  Clayton Military Base,  near the Panama Canal, has been arranged  to shelter students, professors, intellectuals, scientists and industrial scientist, innovators and entrepreneurs to change ideas and knowledge in subjects like philosophy, tropical medicine and telecommunications.

Under the direction of “City of Knowledge Foundation” , private organization for charity, incorporated  in 1995 and directed by a  Board of Trustee formed by representatives of academic, enterprise, labor, legislative and governmental sectors, the City of Knowledge works in accordance with own regulations and according to the Decree Law No.6  of 1998 published in the Official  Gazette Nº.23, 480 of the February 12, 1998.

According to the feasibility study made  by the Academy for Educational  Development (AED), with  headquarters in Washington, D.C and the strategic plan prepared by UNESCO, the mission of the City of Knowledge is developed through four components:    training programs for human resources research programs, innovative technology park, and a forumCity of Knowledge.

The characteristics of the City of Knowledge promote the coordination of the activities of the different components. This allows to see the deep relation between the training  programs in the academic component with those of investigation and production, just like the forum activities.

First of the components, “ Formation” ; it will offer programs of academic formation of level superior; with emphasis in specializations, masters, doctorates, post doctorates of continuous formation.

The second component, "Research", seeks to link the factor "training" with the investigation . It aims to create an effective research and development activity that produces solid training and is applicable to the industry and the production of goods and services.  The development of the investigation will support,  both the formation of human resources and  the investigation applied to the production.

The third component, “City of the Knowledge Forum”  aims to provide a forum for exchange  of ideas, values and issues for discussion in the light of the challenges facing society in the next millennium such as chair, national and international conferences, seminars workshops and others.

The  international Technopark of Panama.

Through the International Technopark of Panama intended to provide a link between research and technological development (I&D) and the world of production and business, with the support of the authorities to increase the competitiveness of the programs  and companies involved.  

The main niches of market that have received special attention in the TIP include activities related to biodiversity, aquiculture, marine resources, the tropical medicine, remote sensing, the data processing, multimedia, the restoration of the historical patrimony, banking software and activities related to marine services.

Proposals for participation in the TIP will be evaluated according a criteria to develop activities that are innovative, technological and non-polluting, in the industrial and services sectors. The TIP does not specialize in a specific  technological or industrial sector.  It  shall welcome the companies that fulfill the both the activities of production and service. 

Additional incentives of the International Techno-park of Panama.

Innovative companies in the International  Techno-park of Panama (TIP) which produce, assemble, process high tech goods or provide services  of same characteristic  which may be intended for sale in local or international market,  shall have the following benefits.   

• Its activities, operations, transactions, proceedings, and transference of movable and immovable properties,  purchase and import of equipment  building materials,  raw materials, machinery, tools, accessories and supplies  will be exempt of direct taxes, contributions, duties and national taxes.
• These same incentives also apply to any goods or services required for its operations, carried out within areas of the TIP or with seal (TIP)  and its capital  shall be free  of any  national direct  tax, including taxes on patent or license. 

Finally, it is necessary to indicate that the companies interested in settling in the TIP must have some level of technological application, and therefore to fulfill the following criteria:

• Not to carry out polluting activities.  There is  a  domestic law that regulates the  rates  permitted in noise,   emanation, etc. regarding their activities.
• Allocate at least the 5% of their annual gross sales in I+D+I; may be research or development,  in the product or process, and can be performed within the company, or it can be subcontracted.
• The 5% of its staff  is technically qualified.
• To have regional coverage. 

For certain sectors especially agriculture, there are funds  within the country  which it can be applied  both in IDIAP as FONTAGRO and some other resources  from the BID that handles the Ministry of  Agricultural Development. The management and proceeding  of these facilities  shall be supported by TIP, as services to companies  installed in the Park.