Rosa Nelly Trevinyo: Internationalization is NOT improvised

This year, 2025, we were present, once again, at the XXIII edition of the IMEX-Madrid Fair, the most important international business and investment event in Spain. With representatives from 68 countries from 5 continents, more than 51 round tables and conferences, and a large exhibition area, the fair was a space to (re)connect, develop alliances, visualize geopolitical challenges and explore opportunities in a complex global environment.

The topics that particularly caught my attention were: internationalization as the protagonist of development; the Spain-Panama connection and the focus on new technologies to boost international sales.

In a global economic context marked by uncertainty, a decline in economic activity (fall in domestic consumption) and inflation, internationalization is not a strategy, it is a necessity . In order to survive and become stronger, family businesses are forced to seek new ways to be more competitive — optimizing investments, purchases, sales, talent... and generating profits.

However, in this attempt to make the “pie” (market) bigger, family businesses must be clear that internationalization is not an experiment. The internationalization process must be carefully planned . This is what Ignacio Bartolomé, CEO of How2Go—a foreign trade consulting company, told me. He also pointed out that specialized advice is essential for entrepreneurs to make sound and sustainable decisions in their expansion.

An investment-friendly context is also required to help mitigate geopolitical risks . A scenario such as that proposed by Héctor Infante, Panama's ambassador to Spain, who highlighted that in his country there is legal security, regulatory stability, qualified talent and mechanisms to obtain residency in record time. “Panama is a first-class logistics, financial and commercial hub that presents numerous opportunities and possibilities for collaboration for Spanish companies…, with key sectors such as infrastructure, logistics, digitalization, agriculture and tourism.”

Additionally, and at a time when a new world order is conditioning the international activity of companies, it is advisable to seek a similar sociocultural environment that allows us to reduce the learning curve and do business more quickly - the famous friendshoring or allied-shoring . This is what Ignacio Alfaro, third generation of a business family in the textile sector and president of Madrid Business Forum, commented: “We should never have lost focus on Latin America, it is the natural path for any Spanish company… [We want] to look again and work intensively with Latin America. First of all, because we understand them… and [with that] you already have half the business done.”

Along the same lines, and as part of this business evolution, family businesses will need to adopt affordable technological tools that help them scale operations and become more profitable. Digitalization—from data analysis, automation, to the use of artificial intelligence to manage a growing number of suppliers and customers—can make the difference between achieving international expansion or not.

In short : Internationalisation in complex times is NOT improvised ; it requires careful thought. Get good advice, choose favourable contexts, sociocultural environments that allow you to do business quickly and rely on technology. Is that clearer?

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The author is a Partner at Trevinyo-Rodríguez & Asociados, Founder of the Center for Family Businesses at TEC de Monterrey and Member of the Council of Family Businesses in the Medical, Tourism, Agri-Food and Retail sectors.