Professional services make up 64% of Argentina’s knowledge exports
- Professional services make up 64% of Argentina’s knowledge-economy exports.
- That share equals $6.7 billion in annual sales abroad.
- Knowledge-economy exports total about $10.5 billion a year.
- The U.S. accounts for 60% of the sector’s international expansion plans.
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Argentina’s knowledge economy is moving beyond software and back-office support, with professional services such as accounting, legal work and engineering now generating most of the sector’s exports. The shift comes as the country loses some of its cost edge to rivals in Colombia, Mexico and Eastern Europe.
Professional services take the lead
Professional services account for $6.7 billion, or 64%, of the sector’s exports, according to El Cronista, citing a report from EY Global Delivery Services (GDS). Together with IT services, they explain about $9.5 billion of the knowledge economy’s $10.49 billion in annual exports, which rank among Argentina’s three largest export complexes.
The sector employs almost half a million people, more than 7% of private employment, according to EY GDS.
The services range from accounting and legal work to engineering, design, marketing and technology development, delivered from Argentina to companies around the world. The United States accounts for most of that demand, while Latin America is gaining weight as a destination.
From cost to capability
For years, multinationals set up operations in Argentina mainly for administrative, financial and support tasks, drawn by skilled professionals and competitive costs. AI, automation and data analytics have since changed the services companies want and raised the level of specialization required.
“The differentiator is no longer just having trained professionals, but developing capabilities that generate greater value and take part in increasingly sophisticated processes,” said Verónica Asla, EY GDS Latam leader.
She said local teams are moving from executing processes to designing solutions and working on projects that shape business decisions.
Innovation has become part of everyday operations, she added, combining emerging technologies with intelligent automation to simplify processes.
With Argentina’s cost advantage narrowing, companies now compete on specialized services, regional projects and higher-value work. The U.S. accounts for 60% of Argentine knowledge-economy firms’ international expansion plans, followed by Latin America at 31%, led by Colombia, Mexico and Brazil.
For U.S. buyers, Argentina is positioning itself as a nearshore outsourcing base for specialized knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) rather than low-cost back-office tasks.
Companies weighing partners there can ask which design and advisory work local teams already lead, and compare providers among the top BPO companies in Argentina.
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