Work stories become truly compelling when technology meets culture and diversity. In Quito, the Connect Ecuador team has been collaborating for years with our research and development colleagues in Italy, alongside teams in Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom, on development, testing and IT support. This partnership was born out of engineering, strengthened through releases, automated testing platforms, and visual interfaces designed for mobility on tablets. Today, that relationship takes a further step: from technology to market.
In mid-August, Connect Groups’ President Giancarlo Stoppani travelled to Ecuador to meet the teams in Quito and Santa Cruz (Bolivia). These days included several sessions of strategic commercial training, providing clear guidance on positioning, priorities and first market contacts. From here, the new operating structure takes shape: Quito as the “control hub” for the LATAM market, Santa Cruz as the centre for Bolivia, Italy as the engine of R&D that continues to refine the platform, and Spain as the lead for communications.
The Connect Ecuador team is small and highly reliable: ten professionals (five in development, four in QA, one in IT). They have established robust quality routines, automated testing, coordinated deployments with the European teams, and a design philosophy close to the reality of those working in hospital wards or in home care. This foundation now becomes the concrete base with which to deliver added value to hospitals and clinics, rehabilitation centres, long-term care, home care services and digital solutions for citizens.
At the heart of it all lies Artificial Intelligence, as a travelling companion. Digital agents that support nurses and doctors in their daily tasks; tools that automatically structure clinical documents from free text; decision-support systems for risk management and sequential diagnostic pathways; voice-enabled clinical records powered by AI agents to streamline workloads. These components, currently in testing across Europe, are already “ready to speak Spanish” — both for existing European clients and for new customers in the Latin American market.
Why now, and why here?
Because the environment is favourable. Digital transformation in healthcare across LATAM is accelerating: independent estimates place digital health in Latin America on a double-digit growth trajectory this decade, with the market expected to exceed USD 60 billion by 2033. This is not only about software: it is about the ability to deliver workflows, interoperability and clinical usability — areas where the Connect Group has been excelling for years in Italy. > Market Data Forecast
The AI component in healthcare in the LATAM market is already worth hundreds of millions of dollars and, according to market analyses, could grow rapidly in the coming years (over 25% annually in the next decade). For companies like Connect, who integrate AI directly into clinical work using market standards (HL7, FHIR, Web Services, etc.), this means faster adoption cycles and measurable value in terms of time savings and data quality. > IMARC Group
Another structural factor of the Latin American market must be taken strongly into account: the region is mobile-first, and Connect has made mobility one of the keys to its success. 4G is already the standard across the region, and 5G is expanding with coverage comparable to European markets. The contribution of the mobile ecosystem to the regional economy is expected to reach around USD 680 billion (about 8.6% of GDP) over the next decade. For clinical apps on tablets, tele-services and community-based care, this means smoother experiences for healthcare professionals and use cases that naturally leverage mobility, enabling a scale-up to more complex systems — directly matching the Connect Group’s skillset. > GSMA
Demographics push in the same direction: Latin America is ageing rapidly; the proportion of people aged 65+ is projected to grow from around 9% in 2022 to ~19% by 2050. More chronic conditions mean greater need for well-designed digital pathways, structured data, and reliable decision-support.
The regulatory framework and levels of digital maturity remain uneven — and for an agile company, this is an opportunity. While the regional roadmap for digital transformation in healthcare is advancing, full integration of information systems is still rare. For the Latin American market, our consolidated experience in European systems can therefore be a significant competitive advantage. Recent analyses show that only a small number of countries have reached the highest levels of maturity, leaving space for interoperable solutions that are quick to adopt and easy to use — drawing on the experience already gained in Italy and across Europe.
In this context, Connect chooses a path that is already well established and therefore ambitious: building on what already works in Italy and the other European countries where we operate. Bringing to the Latin American market that European mix of clinical usability on tablets, data quality and useful AI (agents, structuring, decision-support), while keeping R&D in Italy as the beating heart of the platform, and expanding commercial activities in Ecuador and Bolivia as the starting point of commercialisation in the Latin American continent.
We do not promise revolutions, but concrete improvements visible every day. Faster, better-structured documentation; lighter clinical workflows; decisions supported by data; integrations that do not block departments; shorter implementation times, because we start from what doctors and nurses already use daily. This is how a “small” company, in the best sense of the word, can move quickly in a large market — avoiding standard formulas (especially the vague ones around artificial intelligence) and going straight to the point: accelerating clinical processes, improving data quality, and supporting decision-making systems, all strengthened by the ethical and responsible use of AI in healthcare.
For the Connect Group, Quito represents the bridge between Europe and Latin America — born from years of shared technical work and now extended to commercial endeavours. Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in Connect! The journey continues here, with the curiosity to listen to needs, the discipline to build well, and the determination to bring to healthcare an ethical and responsible Artificial Intelligence capable of truly improving clinical processes and people’s health.
Where can you find us in Quito?
Edificio Euro*
Oficina 3A
Av. Republica del Salvador y Av. Suiza
*…and what better headquarters for our Quito offices than the ‘Palacio Europa’! For the Connect Group this location certainly represents the bridge between Europe and Latin America.