The City of Knowledge Foundation has admission criteria applicable in general to all institutions, projects or programs applying for participation in the City of Knowledge project. Additionally, there are specific criteria for International Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations.
The City of Knowledge mission reads: "To be an International Center of Excellence for the generation, dissemination and application of knowledge, at the service of human development, leveraging Panama's competitive advantages."
All companies, academic programs or international organizations applying for affiliation to City of Knowledge must have activities that are in line with these goals, and in no case can they be contrary to them.
Companies, academic programs or international organisms applying for affiliation must express their agreement to perform activities related to the City of Knowledge priority work areas, and indicate which they would like to participate in:
Programs or activities outside these areas may be considered if they respond to regional or global priorities and are appropriately backed up.
To be considered innovating by the City of Knowledge, a program or activity must meet at least two of three essential requirements:
In addition, the proposition must be flexible enough to allow both relevant adjustments in time and the formation of links between disciplines and institutions, so as to effectively contribute to building a dynamic knowledge industry.
Affiliation proposals should indicate the international outlook of the programs and activities they wish to set up at City of Knowledge, as well as their ability to attract foreign students, academics, researchers and business people.
Companies, academic programs or international organizations applying for affiliation should express their willingness to establish collaboration activities or links with other academic, research and technological development programs related to the local and external networks that are interrelated by City of Knowledge.
Companies, academic programs or international organisms applying for affiliation should prove the administrative and financial viability of the project they wish to set up at City of Knowledge, by declaring that they have the necessary financial resources to do it or, failing that, describing how they expect to obtain them.