Turnover in the information technology (IT) sector in Uruguay grew by 6% last year compared to 2017. This implied a record for the sector, as 2018 became the year with the highest turnover since records have been kept.
This is according to data from the annual survey conducted by the Uruguayan Chamber of Information Technology (Cuti) to which El País had access.
The increase in the sector's turnover is mainly explained by an increase in exports, which grew by 13% in 2018. As explained to El País the president of the Cuti, Leonardo Loureiro, this is "a very relevant fact and is a figure that represents much more than what we have been selling".
Turnover in 2018 reached US$ 1,687 million, which implied a 6% growth compared to the previous year when that figure had been US$ 1,589 million.
According to Loureiro, the technology sector has "much more potential" to grow. He said that from Cuti has been raised to the presidential candidates the possibility that IT has to go from representing today 2.7% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to represent 5% five years ahead.
Of the US$ 1,687 million invoiced by the sector in 2018, US$ 771 million corresponds to exports plus sales by subsidiaries, while US$ 917 million is for sales in the domestic market. These figures in 2017 had been US$ 684 million and US$ 905 million, respectively.
When analyzed by business segment, the data showed that "IT infrastructure" continued to be the sector with the highest turnover.
However, Loureiro explained that this phenomenon has to do with Antel's participation in the sector. If the data from this company is removed from the analysis, the sector with the highest turnover and the largest size is the services sector, which recorded sales of US$ 401 million, 2.2% more than in 2017.
On the weight of the services segment, the president of CUTI said that from the guild seek to change the trend. "We want to transform the leadership of the service sector because it is important in the case of exports for example, since there are two thirds of services and one third of products. We want to change that so that there is greater growth (in the commercialization of products) and there is economy of scale," Loureiro explained.
Source: El País
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