La innovación como competencia central en la internacionalización de las firmas latinoamericanas: el proceso de Bico Internacional, empresa del Grupo Carvajal S.A.

Bico International is a Colombian company that has set new trends in the internalization of its operations. This article presents a case study concerning Bico’s experience in Colombia and abroad. It is complemented by the application of theoretical models such as the theories by Prahalad and Hamel, Uppsala, and Johanson and Vahlne, and the model proposed by Stephen H. Rhinesmith, in order to explain the company’s market expansion process. It is concluded that Bico is a company that has not only a wide capacity to respond to the challenges of the local and international environments, but also a great ability to innovate with its products, the design of its organizational structure, and its marketing strategies.