This week, FCC celebrates 20 years of working in Panama, during which it has contribution to the economic development of this Central American country through a range of projects mainly linked to infrastructure development. The most significant of these projects include Metro Lines 1 and 2, the Luis "Chicho" Fábrega hospital centre and the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Over the 20 years of FCC activity in Panama, the Group has contributed to economic development and to improving the quality of life of its citizens, as seen, for example, in the 20,000 people who have worked for the Citizen Services Group on its many projects.

At the anniversary celebrations, an event organised for everyone linked to the company, the director of FCC Construcción in Central America, Manuel Antonio Olivares, called these 20 years a milestone for the Group that "prove we are a Panamanian as well as a multinational company". Speaking before the organisations and individuals at the event, Olivares stressed that it has been a great "privilege for FCC to be part of the growth and progress of this country", confidently added that it will "continue to do so for many years to come".

Olivares also highlighted the different areas that the Group has worked in over the past two decades, mentioning the building of housings, health care facilities, transport, hydraulic mobility, ports and the restoration and maintenance of various key structures.

Building human relationships

The Minister of Public Works, Ramón Arosemena, who attended in representation of the President of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela, said that FCC is not only a builder of public works but also of human relationships, implementing joint solutions of shared value through its corporate social responsibility policy, supporting local development and contributing to improving the quality of life of the Panamanian people.

The most iconic FCC projects in Panama include Line 1 of the Panama Metro, which was the first suburban metro in Central America. The project arose in response to the need for a modern mass transport system in the capital city that, when finished, would benefit over one million people. Working as part of a consortium, FCC is currently developing Metro Line 2 through 16 stations and 21 kilometres of tracks that will service half a million citizens.

FCC's portfolio of projects also includes the Vía Brasil corridor, a ringroad that joined the two sides of the capital city and the new headquarters of the Electoral Court. The Ciudad de la Salud, which is currently still live, is another of FCC's flagship projects in Panama and which, with a surface area of 220,000 square metres, 49 operating theatres and over 1,200 beds, is set to become a benchmark health centre in the region.