Multilatinas, as can be guessed from their etymology, are companies of Latin American origin.
Although its definition covers a wide heterogeneity, however, its own evolution, as its regional and international expansion intensifies, the definition could change.
In general, multilatinas have a common characteristic: they were founded as family businesses.
Currently, the majority are controlled by families or family groups.
And many have a long history of leadership that has led them, first to exercise it in their respective countries and later throughout the region.
The closest example of multilatinas is found in the expansion of Spanish multinationals (which I have been analyzing and monitoring since they began their internationalization process), which took advantage of the good economic moment with the incorporation of Spain into the European Union to internationalize first. in Latin America, to later become global multinationals.
Since then, its transformation was intense, in terms of its size, organization, strategy and international projection, which is why Spain's weight increased significantly and acquired relevance in the global context.
ECLAC identifies multilatinas
with the internationalization of Latin American capital and the prosperity experienced by many of these companies during the last decades, being the result of factors related to the reforms carried out by some countries in the region after the lost decade of the 1980s, so called for its meager growth of 1.1%, defined as the worst result of the entire postwar period.
It was from the 1990s, known in contrast to the lost decade of the 80s, as the decade of hope, when multilatinas
expanded
in the region and began to openly compete with multinational companies in the most diverse sectors. , which has allowed them to test their management skills, their organizational and productive capabilities and their economic strengths, which gives them added value in the regional panorama, with a novelty component: they are great drivers of investment, wealth and prosperity.
Consequently, they are constantly evolving and expanding their borders and extending their horizons.
To successfully and reliably face hypercompetitive markets, multilatinas promote and accelerate regional and international expansion, for which they will have to dominate the digital ecosystem, which extends from nanotechnology, biotechnology, new materials, data analysis. , robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain systems, agile methodology or advanced manufacturing 3D printing.
In this dynamic, it becomes evident that multilatinas represent the business vanguard
,
which means having the knowledge, technology and innovation, which substantially improve competitiveness, essentially a consequence of productivity, which allows increasing per capita income. capital of the countries.
Here the debate opens on whether the State should support companies like multilatinas with public policies, as an instrument to support international expansion as widely as possible
.
From a broad perspective, multilatinas must position themselves successfully in the global economy, because if they do not achieve this, they will most likely not have the place that truly corresponds to them on the international scene and, furthermore, they will not be protagonists of the new era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Therefore, multilatinas have to continue their international expansion, and to do so, there is nothing better and more favorable than taking advantage of all the advantages that Spain offers them as a “natural market”, given the historical, linguistic and cultural links, plus a very important network. of economic, commercial and financial relations, largely woven by the Spanish companies themselves present in Latin American markets.
This bidirectional “round trip” path, that is, traveling in both directions, makes a lot of sense.
It is evident that Spanish companies have already done so towards Latin America, and continue to do so.
Now it is up to Latin American companies to undertake a vigorous expansion towards Spain, which is already widely perceived with the arrival of multilatinas
.
An increasingly intense arrival led first by the Mexican multilatinas, followed by the Brazilian and Colombian ones.
Regarding the presence in Spain, Latin America is already the fourth largest investor with a stock of 48,631 million euros (2021), being the purpose of the Government of Spain, as well as the Regional Governments, that through the measures , support and frameworks for action, investors and companies such as multilatinas continue to increase their presence.
Investors and companies such as multilatinas will feel very comfortable in Spain, since it has the headquarters of relevant Ibero-American associations, institutions and organizations, which make up Spain's commitment to becoming an operations center with positive and competitive differentiating positions, facilitating access. to the markets of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Spain must assume its role as an “articulating” country, to develop trade networks that increase exports, promote investments and scientific and technological capabilities within an agenda of important global issues such as migrations, value chains, the technological gap and climate change.
To conclude, it is necessary to highlight that
the
multilatinas
,
the new Ibero-American multinationals, constitute a truly novel and successful business phenomenon in Latin America, and as has been indicated with an important and growing presence in the Spanish economy.
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