The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of associativity on the competitiveness of the commercial fishing industry and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 8; Decent work and economic growth.

The theoretical component is made up of postulates related to competitiveness, associativity, methodologies to characterize economic sectors and theoretical approaches of the relationship between associativity and competitiveness, the main variables of study. The research is correlational with focus mixed, it is developed in 5 phases: 1. Characterization of the commercial fishing sector, 2. First measurement of competitiveness, 3. Identification of willingness to associate, 4. Intervention for promote associativity and 5. Second measurement the competitiveness;  The project is led by the Planaudi group of the Cooperative University of Colombia with the participation of Tolima, Catholic University of Cuenca (Ecuador), Cesar University

Vallejo (Peru) and Universidad Veracruzana (Mexico), also entities such as Acopi, chambers of commerce, unions and entities that agglomerate the study sectors in the different countries and regions The research will take place in 14 cities simultaneously applying the same instruments of collection of information that allow analysis Comparisons of the results.