Panama National AI Strategy Approved (Resolution 89-26)

Panama National AI Strategy: Resolution 89-26 and What It Signals for Certification

Panama has formally adopted a national roadmap for artificial intelligence. On August 12, 2026, the Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT) announced that the Cabinet Council (Consejo de Gabinete) had approved Resolución No. 89-26, which adopts the Estrategia Nacional de Inteligencia Artificial de la República de Panamá (National AI Strategy of the Republic of Panama).

The resolution was sustained by the Ministry of the Presidency and SENACYT. It sets out the objectives, programs, actions, and priorities intended to drive the ethical, responsible, inclusive, and secure development and use of AI in the country. The strategy's stated vision is to make Panama the "Trusted Hub of AI Innovation in Latin America," leveraging the country's strengths in connectivity, global services, and institutional stability. Its priorities include local capability development, technological sovereignty, economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, international cooperation, and the attraction of strategic investment.

The strategy was presented to the Cabinet by the National Commission for Critical and Emerging Technologies, through its AI Subcommission, which brings together academia and the productive sector under SENACYT's technical coordination. Together with the National Microelectronics and Semiconductors Strategy, it forms part of Panama's broader Agenda Nacional de Tecnologías Avanzadas (National Advanced Technologies Agenda).

What the Panama National AI Strategy Does and Does Not Change

This is the central point for any compliance or certification reader: the Panama National AI Strategy is a policy and governance instrument, not a type approval instrument. It defines objectives, programs, and priorities for how the country intends to develop and govern AI. It does not, by itself, create device authorization requirements, testing obligations, or product certification rules.

Telecommunications and radio equipment placed on the Panamanian market continue to be homologated through the existing national regime administered by ASEP (Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Públicos). Nothing in Resolution 89-26 amends that regime or introduces a new conformity assessment pathway for hardware. The strategy signals direction a national intent to eventually build AI governance, ethics frameworks, and capability rather than imposing any new obligation that a manufacturer, importer, or test lab must act on today.

Readers should therefore treat this development as strategic intelligence, not a compliance trigger.

What This Means for Manufacturers

For manufacturers, importers, and test labs, the practical near term impact is minimal, but the medium term signal is worth tracking:

• No new certification or homologation obligation exists today. Product authorization for wireless and ICT equipment in Panama is unchanged. Continue to follow the current ASEP homologation process.

• This is a governance roadmap, not device regulation. The strategy concerns AI development, ethics, and national capability not the electrical, RF, or safety conformity of specific products.

• Watch for downstream instruments. National AI strategies are frequently the precursor to later, binding measures data governance rules, algorithmic transparency requirements, procurement conditions, or sector specific AI obligations. Any of these could eventually touch products that embed AI features, but only if and when a subsequent legal instrument is issued.

• Market access relevance is indirect. If your product lines include AI enabled devices or software, Panama's stated ambition to become a regional AI hub may, over time, shape investment incentives, standards adoption, and future compliance expectations. None of this is actionable yet.

  
  

In short: no action is required to keep products compliant, but the strategy is a useful early indicator for companies planning multi year market access strategies in Central America and Latin America.

Certification Impact Summary

Dimension	Impact of Resolution 89-26
Instrument type	National strategy / policy roadmap (not a technical regulation)
New device-authorization obligation	None
Effect on ASEP telecom/RF homologation	No change
New testing or conformity-assessment requirement	None
Binding on manufacturers/importers today	No
Products in scope	None directly; AI development and governance are the subject
Forward-looking signal	Possible future AI governance rules; monitor for downstream instruments
Recommended posture	Awareness and monitoring; no compliance change

Timeline and Required Actions

Date	Event	Required action for manufacturers
June 2026	National Advanced Technologies Agenda introduced (AI, microelectronics, semiconductors as pillars)	Awareness only
July 30, 2026	Advanced Technologies Agenda formally launched	Awareness only
August 11, 2026	Cabinet Council approves Resolution No. 89-26 (National AI Strategy)	None no device obligations created
August 12, 2026	SENACYT publicly announces the approval	Monitor for full-text publication in the Gaceta Oficial Digital
Pending	Publication of the full resolution text and implementation programs	Watch for any subsequent, binding AI governance measures that could affect AI-enabled products