Ciudad del Saber — Converting a US Military Base into an Innovation District

Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge) was created under Panama's Decree Law No. 6 of February 10, 1998, which transferred 120 hectares of the former US Fort Clayton military base to the newly formed Fundación Ciudad del Saber following the formal handover on November 30, 1999. The private non-profit foundation operates under a renewable government contract carrying a special tax regime (exemptions from import duties, sales tax and property tax), most recently extended through December 31, 2027.

A 2024 Ipsos economic-impact study, reported by La Prensa, found the district hosting 260+ resident organisations — including UN agencies, NGOs, universities and private companies — generating 11,378 direct jobs and roughly B/.314 million (~US$314M) in annual value-added to Panama's economy. Its incubation and acceleration programmes produced 300+ startups over the preceding five years, generating more than B/.21 million in combined revenue (24 of them going on to raise seed capital), while training 13,000+ entrepreneurs and 8,000+ women.

Other sources give lower snapshot counts (e.g. 248 organisations and roughly 8,000 employees per a 2025 investment-platform summary), likely reflecting different measurement dates or methodologies — the figures above are the most recent and best-corroborated. The foundation's special fiscal-exemption regime has also drawn periodic domestic debate over its alignment with international tax-transparency standards, even as its operating contract keeps being renewed.

Read the full analysis: https://www.prensa.com/notas-de-prensa/ciudad-del-saber-25-anos-impulsando-innovacion-prosperidad-y-competitividad-para-panama/