ForrestFinance‘s forest engineer Sebastian Gräfe presented a special innovation during a ForestFinance workshop in February. Especially for handheld computers Gräfe developed a monitoring system. Already during the inventory taking in the forest, this system allows a direct reading of important data concerning the harvest and the planning of the thinning. During the data input the system already starts to evaluate and simulates different scenarios of the thinning.

Ricardo Lujan, recognized expert of forest growth research in Central America, challenged and tested critically the new software for professional and scientific reliability. Compared with usual monitoring systems for Central America, the three most important advantages stuck out very fast: speed, representativeness and flexibility. Due to the direct input via a field­proofed computer, the subsequent and time­consuming digitalization of the collected data is not necessary anymore. As the evaluation is carried out directly, the forester can start planning the thinning – respectively the inventory – at the same time and hence saves the second time­consuming forest inspection. Because of the standardised input mask careless mistakes are excluded from the first. Due to a large­area spreading with a comparative high amount of reference points, but a more low number of single trees within the reference point, the results show a high representativeness. Heterogeneous stands and small­area sites are collected in its entirety. On the strength of the intelligent evaluation tool the system is optimally suitable for mixed plantation. The system is able to execute the evaluation separately according to the tree species.

For demonstration purpose of the system the participants went to the finca "Madera Fina". The forest assistants of the ForestFinance office in Las Lajas, Andy Castillo, Moises Carrera and Felipe Loo presented the program’s applications via different examples. Ricardo Lujan and Clementino Herrera critically examined every single step and carried out own measuring to check up on flaws of the system. The program as well passed this test free from defects and the forest professionals showed enthusiasm. "With this tool the work is more effective and it saves a lot of time for us. Before, it took us two weeks to collect and digitalise all data. But thanks to the new tool it only took us three days this time and everything is already digitalised" says ForestFinance employee Gräfe. Nevertheless old established techniques will not be abandoned right away, assures Gräfe: "During transition period we will stick to our traditional methods to gain reference results."

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During the diploma course close to 20 projects were developed for latinamerican movies and documentaries, to ensure they are filmed in the different countries enriching the audiovisual culture of our continent.

The course is an international initiative of the Cinematografic Association of Panama. In its 3rd consecutive year, it has included the participation of film producers from 16 different countries. It has had ample international recognition as a result of its two previous versions, including movies by the participants already in the pre­production and filming stages.

From its beginning , the course has had the support of the Menéndez Pelayo University‘s Foundation for Audiovisual Investigation, which certifies the diploma in Spain, The University of Panama‘s School for Social Communications, the IBERMEDIA program and recently, playing an integral part in the international success of the project, The City of Knowledge Foundation.

During the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the City of Knowledge Foundation, architect Ariel Espino, director of Grupo Suma S.A, company in charge of designing the LAND PLAN – Master Plan of the CITY OF KNOWLEDGE presented to the trustees resolution 36­2009 of January 21, 2009 which provides for the approval of said plan.

The Master Plan, covers the urban development for the next 15 years, in addition to the restructuring of the existing buildings, new constructions and road plan through environment friendly means. The national team in charge of developing the Plan was assisted by some European specialists within the context of the European Union’s Program of support to Panama’s International Technopark in the City of Knowledge.

Pie de foto: H.E. Samuel Lewis Navarro, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trustee of the City of Knowledge, Professor Jorge Arosemena, Executive Director, Dr. Juan David Morgan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Eng. Roberto Roy and Monsignor Pablo Varela, members of the Board of Trustees of the City of Knowledge Foundation, Architect Ariel Espino, of the SUMA S.A. group.

The Business Accelerator of the City of Knowledge and the Casco Antiguo Office (OCA), yesterday announced the contest for culturally based businesses at Casco Antiguo, with a view to promoting culturally based ideas with growth capability as well as attributing value to the cultural heritage. The contest is open to already existing cultural businesses wishing to develop themselves further or for new ideas, on the condition that they be developed at Casco Antiguo. Already 15 premises have been obtained and it is expected that within 3 years (when the project is concluded) there may be 50 premises of cultural businesses, as anticipated by Pitu Jaén, assistant to OCA’s directorate. Instead of cash, the awards are workshops for the development of business plans conducted by the network of entrepreneurial solutions, Fundes, according to Manuel Lorenzo, manager of the Business Accelerator. Nevertheless, Banco Delta has committed itself to give loans to some of the businesses, he said. The funds for the entire project, which includes a study on cultural entrepreneurial trends and a work on anchor businesses amount to 1.2 million dollars contributed by the Inter­American Development Bank (IDB) and OCA.

$5 million Budget COK and IDB support businesses The project to support ‘dynamic undertakings’ seeks to incubate innovative ideas in the companies and promote entrepreneurial subjects in universities.

ANA MARÍA GARZÓN

ELKIS MABEL QUINTANA

economia@prensa.com

The signing of the agreement between the City of Knowledge (COK) and the Inter­American Development Bank (IDB), carried out yesterday, marked the beginning of the Project to Support Dynamic Undertakings, which endeavors to create a sustainable plan for entrepreneurial incubation. "The purpose is to create an ecosystem wherein entrepreneurs may develop hastily", Manuel Lorenzo, manager of COK’s business accelerator said.

The project calls for a 5 million dollar investment contributed by IDB and Corporación Andina de Fomento, multilateral organizations, as well as the private banks, BBVA and MMG Bank. Companies having an innovative idea and the potential for accelerated development may apply at www.creapanama.com. Once selected, they will receive a maximum of 300 dollars, plus entrepreneurial counseling, Lorenzo added.

Joining this strategy are Universidad Santa María la Antigua, Universidad Latina and Universidad Tecnológica de Panama, among others. Sixty professionals from these institutions will be trained to teach subjects dealing with "entrepreneurial undertakings ". "We have already been for many years working with accelerators, mainly focused on technology ", said Marcelo Antinori, IDB representative in Panama. The impact of other incubators such as that of the General Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation is being felt, but it is expected that this new effort will make it even greater, he added.

As rightly stated by German sociologist Ulrich Beck (Paidos 2003) we are installed in the society of global risk, where "civil protection against catastrophes (as sole response instrument) has become senseless". The strategies for facing natural disasters or financial crises require global response, shared leadership and practical coordination mechanisms. In this sense, Panama, thanks to its strategic position and the facilities it affords from the logistic viewpoint, favors the consolidation of a new humanitarian model, a new international architecture for humanitarian response to natural disasters in the region. The consolidation of an international humanitarian hub for Latin America and the Caribbean, with headquarters in Panama, allows humanitarian organizations a prompt, coordinated and more efficient response whenever a disaster occurs. We are thus witnessing a humanitarian response decentralization process, unheard of in any other region and which could be taken as a model to be followed.

As a result of the establishment in the country of the United Nations regional offices, the fora for regional humanitarian analysis and discussion have been transferred to Panama. In this way, the international community may better and more closely approach the governments, local authorities and those affected by disasters. The creation in the country of the United Nations Inter­Agency Group for Disasters, Risks and Emergencies (Redlac) is a good example.

The consolidation in Panama of this working Group has been a step forward in interagency coordination, an internal practice that is essential within the United Nations. In addition, it also involves the necessary responsibility of the humanitarian international community, vis­à­vis governments and national authorities that require a coordinated humanitarian community that may facilitate orderly ad practical support and will not generate further chaos to that already existing when a disaster occurs in some area of the region.

This humanitarian working table includes the main United Nations agencies in this sphere, such as the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Unicef, the World Food Program or the Pan­American Health Organization, among others, as well as nongovernmental organizations such as Oxfam or Doctors without Borders and some donors such as the Humanitarian Office of the European Commission or Spanish Cooperation.

Secondly, from a practical standpoint, Panama is becoming the platform for humanitarian response to the region of the Americas, from which organizations and governments offer their technical and material support to the victims of natural disasters. The logistic and supply facilities, together with its geographical position make Panama a suitable place for this initiative. For this reason, for several years the International Red Cross Federation, through its Pan­American Unit of Response to Disasters and recently, the United Nations, through its Humanitarian Response Warehouse or Spanish Cooperation, through its Humanitarian Logistic Center in Latin America, among others, have based their humanitarian response operations in Panama. The devastation caused by hurricanes "Gustav", "Hanna" and "Ike" is a good example thereof. Over eight humanitarian charters from different organizations and some containers with humanitarian aid have been sent from Panama to Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and other places.

The dimension of this platform and its operation as a whole, is still a pending challenge which should be determined in 2009. However, there is already a requirement for all of them; that is, they are obliged to understand each other and work as a responsible, humanitarian community that maximizes its resources and guarantees that their support will cause an impact. It is necessary to ensure tangible results.

Ten years have elapsed since hurricane "Mitch" (see Overview of the trend in disaster risk management in Central America, prepared by Redlac). Its devastating effect shattered the Central American economies and jeopardized the development of these countries for many years. Therefore, we are all obliged to reflect on how to reduce risks, temper the impact of these natural phenomena and provide an adequate response, to soothe the suffering of those affected during the critical moments.