Internacionalización de las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas en Ecuador: retos y oportunidades
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v1i64.3592Palabras clave:
Ecuador, estrategias, internacionalización, Mipymes, oportunidades, retosResumen
En un entorno global cada vez más competitivo, la internacionalización se ha consolidado como una estrategia vital para las micro, pequeñas y medianas empresas (Mipymes) que buscan acceder a nuevos mercados y mejorar su sostenibilidad. En Ecuador, a pesar de que las Mipymes representan la mayoría del tejido empresarial, su participación en el comercio internacional sigue siendo limitada. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar, mediante una revisión sistemática de la literatura científica publicada entre 2010 y 2024, los principales retos y oportunidades que enfrentan estas empresas en sus procesos de internacionalización. Se consultaron bases de datos como Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO y Google Scholar, aplicando criterios rigurosos de inclusión y utilizando el protocolo PRISMA para garantizar transparencia metodológica. Los resultados evidencian barreras internas como el limitado acceso a financiamiento, la escasa capacitación gerencial y el bajo uso de tecnologías digitales, así como obstáculos externos como los altos costos logísticos, la complejidad normativa y la débil articulación institucional. No obstante, también se identificaron oportunidades relevantes como los acuerdos comerciales, la demanda creciente de productos sostenibles con identidad cultural y el uso del comercio electrónico. Se concluye que el fortalecimiento de capacidades empresariales, el acceso a financiamiento especializado, el diseño de políticas públicas diferenciadas por sector y la mejora en la coordinación institucional son elementos clave para lograr una internacionalización más efectiva e inclusiva de las Mipymes ecuatorianas.
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Derechos de autor 2025 Mario Tejeda-Aguilera, Lucía D. Loor-Bravo

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