Closing of awareness-raising workshops on Metaverse technologies and economic opportunities for MSMEs

The Regional Center for the Promotion of MSMEs (Cenpromype) coordinated the implementation of the awareness workshops on Metaverse technologies and economic opportunities for MSMEs, which were carried out within the framework of the “Women’s Economic Empowerment Program in the Northern Triangle”, an initiative of the Organization of American States (OAS), with funding from the U.S. Department of State and META.

This initiative focused on the identification and exploration of tools related to the metaverse for capacity building in MSMEs led by women in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, in order to promote their growth and competitiveness in a constantly evolving digital environment.

Convinced that MSMEs are the engine of development of the countries of the SICA region and committed to join efforts to enhance their growth, Cenpromype carried out this awareness process, in collaboration with Pearl Consulting, with the main objective of providing entrepreneurs and young women the real opportunity to reach their full potential, empowering them individually, and at the same time, strengthening the development of the region.

The training process was divided into two parts: a workshop on metaverse technologies and five additional sessions to deepen the topics covered. Thus, over the course of four months, from October 2023 to January 2024, 247 entrepreneurs and officials from the MSME ecosystem attended the metaverse workshop, and 135 participated in the five online question-and-answer sessions.

During the virtual sessions, the fundamental aspects of the Metaverse and its technological relevance were explored, highlighting its role as the next stage in the evolution of social interaction, succeeding the mobile Internet.

Practical tools and essential resources were provided for participants to begin or deepen their use of these technologies, including detailed instruction on how to use meta spark, a free and easy-to-access platform for creating augmented reality effects and filters.

In addition, participants were introduced to the Youth Academy on Transformative Technologies for the Americas, an OAS platform in collaboration with Meta, offering courses in Spanish on meta spark to prepare the region for future opportunities in the field of augmented reality and the metaverse.

The ultimate goal was to broaden the understanding of the metaverse and augmented reality, providing tools to boost business and strengthen the empowerment of MSMEs led by women and young women. This not only promotes their participation in the digital economy, but also contributes to the development of their communities and generates financial opportunities for the region.

Dennis Corrales, Executive Director of Services for Entrepreneurs in Honduras (SENPRENDE) and President Pro Tempore of Cenpromype’s Board of Directors noted that “with the emergence of the metaverse and augmented reality, our companies can expand their horizons and reach new markets in a way never seen before. Without a doubt, the metaverse and augmented reality offers an exciting scenario full of possibilities for MSMEs to thrive, develop new experiences for their customers and create meaningful connections in a digitally interconnected world.

Cenpromype’s Executive Director, David Cabrera, said that “our region is in an initial phase of exploration of the tools and possibilities offered by the metaverse. Although we are still in the initial stages, recognizing the transformative potential that these technologies can have in various sectors, from entertainment to education and commerce, is an important step in laying the groundwork for the future”.