The city seeks to strengthen the relationship with the Asian country through potential areas for the articulation of important projects that favor both territories

The Colombian ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Luis Diego Monsalve Hoyos, visited the city during the first week of January, where he attended a meeting with representatives of the ACI Medellín, with the aim of identifying areas and opportunities for cooperation and investment projects; these representatives of the ACI Medellin also accompanied him to present a joint work plan to the mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero.

Said plan focuses on the development of initiatives from the city’s the Bank of Projects, for which international investment and new technology projects applied to public and private transport, the efficient use of natural resources and the use of alternative energies are sought, as well as civil protection, socio-economic affairs, public space and commerce. The capital of Antioquia is focused on becoming the Software Valley, making the city an attractive region for digital innovation businesses that keep us on the radar of the so-called Smart Cities. For its part, China has cities that are highly developed in these practices such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Yinchuan, Hangzhou and Chongqing.

Another axis of bilateral cooperation work will be academic exchanges of teachers and students between China and Medellín, focused on teaching Mandarin and Spanish. Likewise, to raise the performance of local talent, scholarships will be managed to study higher education in China for teachers and students. And in terms of good practices, it is expected that the high experience in higher education centers and parks in the Asian country can be applied to the city’s North and West University Citadels.

Eleonora Betancur, director of the ACI Medellín, mentioned that the entity, in its internationalization task for the city, made agreements with the Embassy of Colombia in China to program a Virtual Coffee Meeting with the Ambassador and the ProColombia Office in China to disseminate and socialize investment opportunities among entrepreneurs in that country, a strategy that will serve to socialize city projects in the mature stage and projects that are prior to starting tenders such as the 80th Avenue Metro. Other activities are also planned to favor the opening of new businesses and opportunities for investment for the renewable energy sector through EPM, as well as the relationship with Paisas in China to strengthen Cerebros Fugado’s attraction strategy, which is being worked on through the Sos Paisa program, and also seeks to promote the exchange of knowledge with Paisas in China that contribute to city programs and projects.

In terms of investment, Colombia ranks ninth among developing countries that receive FDI, and is also ranked 23rd in receiving FDI worldwide. Medellín represents 7.4% of the National GDP and is one of the cities with the greatest national and international projection, which, with the support of ProColombia and the National Government, continues to focus on the potential it has to attract foreign direct investment.

In the last 10 years, Chinese investments in the city have reached a total amount of USD 182 million and estimated the generation of 465 jobs from 8 investment projects. They represent USD 26 million annually, with the infrastructure and logistics sector standing out with 99.7% of investments, specifically in infrastructure and air connectivity, followed by the commerce sector with 0.3% with the opening of commercial showcases for electric and conventional vehicles.

In addition to the potential in infrastructure, which for now is focused on the 80th Avenue Metro project, there is also a high interest in seeking investment in technology, which thanks to the Software Valley strategy that is implemented in partnership with Ruta N, the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, ProColombia and ACI Medellín,  it is expected to attract Chinese companies so that Medellín is the center of operations for Latin America and North America.

160 representatives of multinational companies, with expertise in subway and light rail construction, rolling stock manufacturers and investment funds, connected to two webinars.

Our city undertakes the most important public works project in the last 25 years: el Metro de la 80 (The 80th Avenue Light Rail). This is an urban development commitment that will have a 13.25 kilometer route and 17 stations, it will mobilize 52 million users annually and will reduce the emission of 94,173 tons of CO2 every year to the planet.

For this reason, the city held two webinars with more than 160 entrepreneurs from countries such as China, Japan, India, the United States, Turkey, and Spain. Brazil, France, Chile, Peru and Colombia, among others, in order to explain the technical, legal and financial details of this mega-project.

At the events, the financial, technical, urban and architectural details of this great project were made known to multinational companies that are experts in the construction of subways, light rail, rolling stock manufacturers and investment funds.

Towards the end of November, Mayor Daniel Quintero Calle signed the co-financing agreement to carry out the construction of the light rail for the 80th Avenue alongside the National Government and the Government of Antioquia.

For Eleonora Betancur, executive director of the ACI Medellín “This project will be much more than just infrastructural, it will be a fundamental artery for the life of the entire city and region, allowing development and connectivity between different areas of the city, while generating sustainable urban, environmental and social conditions.”

3.5 billion pesos in total will be invested in this project, of which 2.4 billion will be financed by the National Government. The payment distribution will be 70% from the Nation and 30% from the municipality.

The two webinars had the participation of Mayor Daniel Quintero, Angela María Orozco, Vice Minister of Transportation Carmen Ligia Valderrama; Paola García, Vice President of Investment of ProColombia; Tomás Elejalde Escobar, Manager of the Medellín Metro; and Sergio López, Manager of the Metro de la 80 Project.

Webinar Metro de la 80

With the delivery of 3,300 urban gardens in Medellín and its Metropolitan Area, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Government of Antioquia, proposes the country to adopt this supply model that seeks to balance the imbalance between the food production capacity in the rural areas and the need for healthy food consumption in urban areas.

The Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Government of Antioquia delivered 3,300 urban gardens in Medellín and its Metropolitan Area, as a solution to fight malnutrition in the Antioquia population.

With the delivery of these orchards, the Government of Antioquia takes a step forward in the generation of food solutions and aims at the sustainable production of food in the Metropolitan Area. Many cities in the world have adopted this successful model that allows combating food insecurity, enabling access to nutrition since each family can choose what they want to plant and is involved with the protection of the planet.

The panorama of poor nutrition in Colombia is highlighted in the latest National Nutritional Situation Survey (ENSIN), according to which 7 out of every 100 school-age minors and 1 in 10 teenagers suffer from chronic malnutrition. 17.9% of the population between 13 and 17 years of age is overweight and 1 in 5 young people and adults is obese. In this sense, more than 28 million people in the country are overweight.

This initiative aims to transform the relationship between the countryside and the city through self-consumption gardens in homes. According to the FAO, about 700 million inhabitants in the world eat from their home grown crops.

“Guaranteeing food security for newborns, children, teenagers and adults, is a priority task for the Ministry of Agriculture, and for that we understand that access to food becomes essential and even more so in Antioquia where 78% of the population is urban and 22% is rural. For this reason, we finished the process of delivering 3,300 urban gardens in the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley, to generate conditions that allow the families of these main populated centers of the department to have access to a healthy and balanced diet in their own homes, with all nutritional guarantee”, said Rodolfo Correa Vargas, Secretary of Agriculture.

Edible gardens are an important way to solve the food problems of the future, since by 2050 it is estimated that it will be necessary to produce 70% more food to meet the needs of an additional 3 billion people. “With measures like the ones we are developing, we attend to the most critical needs of the present, given that today, 1 in 5 children in the urban areas of Antioquia suffers from malnutrition. This initiative, which emerged more than 100 years ago to combat a food crisis caused by war, is being applied today as a mechanism to address the great challenges posed by the right to food security in a post-pandemic world”, concluded Rodolfo Correa.

Rodolfo Correa, Secretary of Agriculture of the Government of Antioquia delivering the first urban crops to Antioquia families.

Due to its privileged geographic location, tax incentives, competitive infrastructure and high economic performance, among other virtues, the so-called “Corner of the Americas”, Antioquia, is positioned as one of the most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment to settle .

Antioquia has about 13% of the total Colombian population (around 6.5 million inhabitants) and a contribution of 14.5% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (153,518 billion pesos).

According to the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, 265 investment projects have been executed since 2008, mainly from Chile, China, Spain, the United States, France and Mexico, among others, reporting 3,041 million Dollars.

It is a region with great investment possibilities for agribusiness, extractive industries, life sciences, manufacturing and services

Foreign companies such as Globant (Argentina), Farmacielo (Canada), MRO Avianca (Brazil), Grupo Sodimac (Chile), Valver (Spain), Avenger Fligth Group (United States), HWI – Haceb joint venture – Whirlpool (United States – Colombia ), Mane (France), One Link (Guatemala), Mitsubishi Electric (Japan), Incolmotos Yamaha (Japan), Airplan (Mexico), Mera Corporation (Mexico), Sana Commerce (Netherlands) and Westfalia (South Africa), have believed in the potential of the territory.

Antioquia offers for investment its high economic performance, access to competitive infrastructure, tax incentives for investment, abundant human talent with relevant training, and its quality of life, which makes it an excellent place to work and live.

In this regard, the governor of Antioquia, Aníbal Gaviria Correa, emphasized that: “as well as their business class and leader, all Antioqueños are people with capacity, talent, creativity and passion; without a doubt, human resources are the most important competitive factor in our department and the invitation to invest in the territory”.

Antioquia differs from other regions of Colombia for being the country’s most exporting department (close to 20% in 2019) and having a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

The government’s commitment to attracting foreign direct investment in the territory is mainly concentrated in sectors and economic activities in which Antioquia today has the skills to compete in the international markets, these sectors are:

• Agricultural in the cultivation of hass avocado, cocoa, citrus, among others.
• Livestock in the production of beef.
• Life sciences with the production of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
• Miner – energetic with gold mining.
• Services in the development of software and applications, and the outsourcing of services: PBO, KPO, ITO.
• Specialized manufacturing such as motion and associated industries.
• Infrastructure and logistics.

“For ACI Medellín, expanding the vision of the Antioquia territory has been one of the key factors in the exercise of identifying the reasons that make us attractive for foreign direct investment. We are proud to see that we have so much to offer and that our biodiversity, geographic position, climatic situation, and population and cultural wealth make us a privileged environment for investors to prosper, “said Eleonora Betancur González, executive director of the Cooperation Agency and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín.

The commitment of the Government of Antioquia and the ACI Medellín is clear: to make investors fall in love with a fertile territory with great investment opportunities for agribusiness, extractive industries, life sciences, manufacturing and services; but, above all, that with the arrival of these companies, development is generated for the territory and its inhabitants.

What does Antioquia offer in terms of investment?

1. High economic performance

The Departmental Competitiveness Index has classified Antioquia for 7 consecutive years as the second most competitive department in the country, due to diversification in the labor market and the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies – ICT in the business and industrial ecosystem . It stands out for presenting growth rates higher than the global average of the Colombian economy. Its business structure is diverse and at the same time specialized in the niches in which it operates. 

2. Access to competitive infrastructure

The Antioquia territory has an ideal geographic location for import and export operations. Antioquia is considered “the corner of the Americas” because it connects the central and northern areas of the continent with South America. Thanks to the network of free trade agreements, Colombia provides access to about 60 countries with more than 1.5 billion consumers.

The construction of Puerto Antioquia and the Fourth Generation (4G) highways are planned, which will allow better land and port connectivity, and will offer competitive advantages by facilitating import and export, making the value chains of the installed investments more efficient .

3. Tax incentives for investment

To promote economic development and job creation through the installation of new companies in the territory, different Antioquia municipalities contemplate tax incentives related to property, industry and trade taxes, as well as the complementary of notices and boards. The subregions of Oriente and Urabá stand out, as they have tax incentives that offer the possibility of having a 100% exemption on property and industry and commerce taxes during the first years of operation and a subsequent progressive discount. In addition, 55 municipalities in the department have a benefit in the special progressive rate of income tax until the year 2027.

It is important to note that Antioquia has 3 Permanent Free Zones, territories where important tax benefits are obtained for the companies established there.

4. Well-trained and qualified human talent

Human talent is one of the most sought after resources in the department. 61% of the Antioquia population is of economically active age and 33% of the population is young, between 20 and 39 years old. Antioquia is the department with the second highest number of higher education graduates in Colombia, between 2001 and 2018 the total number of undergraduate and postgraduate graduates in Antioquia totaled 552 thousand people, which represents 13% of the total graduates in the country.

5. Quality of life

Indicators such as the decrease in extreme monetary poverty, which in the last 15 years went from 17.8% to 5.6%, coverage of 98% of the inhabitants in the general social security system in health, access to 98.8% to the electric power service and 90.6% to the aqueduct service, are some of the advances of the social policies of the country and the department to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants.

Businessmen from Israel met with representatives of the Antioquia Government to learn about the strategies of the agricultural sector in the department. This approach becomes a fundamental step to further strengthen the competitiveness of the region in the agro-industrial sector in the lines of precision agriculture, irrigation systems and greenhouses.

The meeting is part of the “Why Antioquia?” strategy, managed between the Government of Antioquia and the ACI Medellín to boost the economy by attracting investors to the territory. In addition, the proximity to the Israeli Embassy and the FTA signed with this country this year were key to identifying the companies that would have a real interest in settling in the department.

The Governor of Antioquia, Aníbal Gaviria Correa, emphasized that the department is a leader in productivity in Colombia thanks to the presence of the most thriving business community in the country. Likewise, he stressed that “in these coming years, major transformations of the department’s competitive platform will be consolidated thanks to the construction of fourth-generation or 4G roads, the completion of Hidrohituango and the ports of Urabá, among others. These works added to the security and institutional stability are key elements that allow to invite investment from Israel and the world to our department and the country ”.

For Rodolfo Correa, Secretary of Agriculture of the Antioquia Government, “it is inspiring what Israel does in the modernization of the agricultural sector in matters of organizational models, technology transfer to increase the efficiency of the sector, among other advances and developments. Currently, in Antioquia we are intervening the territories to give true importance to the agricultural sector in the department, for this reason, having a strategic partner such as Israel is presented as an opportunity for investment, technology transfer, and access to different world markets , allowing the social, industrial and technological development of the department and the country ”.

For his part, the Israeli ambassador to Colombia Cristian Cantor, through a videotaped greeting, stated that: “agriculture is and will continue to be a main axis of relations between the government of Israel and Colombia. The companies that are presented at this event are among the best companies that Israel has to offer to Antioquia”.

Eleonora Betancur, executive director of ACI Medellín, emphasized that: “the commitment we have as a public entity is to facilitate the reactivation not only of Medellín but of the entire territory through investment that can generate wealth and jobs to improve the quality of life of the citizen”.

This meeting is strategic for Antioquia since a Free Trade Agreement with Israel was recently signed allowing preferential access to this market and a consequent increase in trade as a result of the reduction in transaction costs and the improvement in customs procedures. Antioquia has key products of the agro-industry to favor exports and investment such as Hass avocado, cocoa, citrus fruits and beef, among other products. In the case of Hass avocado, exports have grown by 40% in the last 4 years, to mention just one of the products with the most potential in the region.

The meeting was attended by entrepreneurs from TapKit companies, specialized in large-scale hydroponic systems for fresh culinary herbs, micro-vegetables and vegetables based on their own advanced growing methods; Agritask, which offers a platform designed to unite precision agronomy and business intelligence; ClariFruit, provider of optimization software solutions for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry; LR Group, which operates in the initiation, development, financing, construction and management of medium and large-scale projects in high-growth economies; and finally, Bean & Co, a global cocoa company that grows large-scale, sustainable cocoa plantations around the world.

To stop and mitigate the adverse effects derived from livestock activity, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development of Antioquia, Colombia’s second most important department, implemented silvopastoral systems and the precision livestock model as the main projects in the protection of the environment.

With 4.0 technology, the Agriculture Secretariat of Antioquia works with cattlemen and dairy farmers to reduce the ecological footprint and increase economic profitability.

The implementation of silvopastoral systems favors in a planned way the interaction between trees, crops and livestock, facilitating biological interactions between them, which optimizes land use, conserves plant cover to reduce the climatic effects of economic activity and, in addition, increases productivity and animal welfare, generating more profitability and better meat quality.

For its part, precision livestock farming, as a production system, incorporates technology to collect and analyze information for the optimization of the production animal origin food. According to a recent study by Cornell University (United States), implementing technology in livestock processes allows 90% less soil to be used, 14.5% less water and a 63% reduction in the carbon footprint of this activity productive.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – FAO, livestock farming is considered one of the largest sources of environmental pollution on the planet by generating 18% of the gases that increase the greenhouse effect, producing 27% of carbon dioxide, 44% methane and nitrous oxide at a level of 29%. According to specialists, putting a kilo of meat on our table requires the use of 15,000 liters of water and producing 1 liter of milk requires 1,000 liters of water

Reducing the environmental impact of agriculture as a way to address the climate emergency is a priority objective for the Antioquian department.

Towards this, Rodolfo Correa, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of Antioquia, points out that: “The purpose of the departmental government is to take Antioquia’s agriculture one step forward into the future and put it at the national forefront in protecting the environment, improving the quality of life of the animals and showing the world that it is possible to produce oxygen with this new livestock farming ”.

This strategy is part of the plan “100 actions of the Government of Antioquia to face the climate emergency” with which, the departmental government seeks to mitigate the climate emergency and contribute regionally to the improvement of global environmental quality.

At hand, in the patios of their own houses, kitchens or living rooms, Antioqueños who live in the Metropolitan Area of Medellín will be able to access vegetables, aromatic plants and other crops, in a totally organic way to supply the nutritional basics in less than 40 days.

Huertas Urbanas por la Vida, an initiative of the Antioquia Government in alliance with the municipalities of the Aburrá Valley that aims to transform the relationship of the city with the countryside and give the opportunity for citizens to have a garden in their own home and harvest your food.

The Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development delivered 3,093 orchards in the Aburrá Valley so that people near the urban territory can supply themselves with organic products in their homes.

“Urban orchards are a revolution in the way we see our relationship with the countryside and food production. Cities cannot continue to be absent and indifferent to the problem of finding ways to supply the basic food needs of families, ”said Rodolfo Correa, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of Antioquia.

The secretariat chaired by Correa delivered 3,093 self-contained home gardens, which include everything necessary to produce small crops in the homes of Antioquia families. The kits are accompanied by educational and audiovisual material for sowing, cultivating and properly harvesting food.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), it is expected that by 2030 the world population will exceed 8,300 million inhabitants, which will imply a 50% increase in food consumption.

Rapid population growth worldwide places great demands on food supply systems, which is why urban gardens are taking center stage as a mechanism to provide fresh food and strengthen the resilience of cities in the face of climate change, among other multiple benefits.

“From the Government of Antioquia, the SomosCampo.tv platform has been deployed where you can learn from scratch the entire process to have and cultivate an urban garden, as well as receive information from experts on everything related to home gardens,” concluded Rodolfo Correa.

The Government of Antioquia, through the  Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, and the Colombian Agricultural Research Corporation – Agrosavia, signed an agreement to initiate the Technological Transformation Plan of Agro in Antioquia. This will aim to provide farms in different subregions of the department with real-time monitoring tools, drones and chips for decision-making based on precision agriculture and data analysis.

With 4.0 technology the Government of Antioquia and Agrosavia will promote the economic reactivation of agriculture. Agrosavia is a nonprofit, decentralized public entity that works in the generation of scientific knowledge and agricultural technological development.

The Secretary of Agriculture of Antioquia, Rodolfo Correa, pointed out that “Technology is in everything and could not stay out of this field. Today with 4.0 Agriculture, Antioquia’s agricultural producers will have real-time information, without having to travel to each lot to know how every tree or crop is and to determine exactly which supplies to buy and in what amounts without having uncertainty or high costs”.

The project contemplates a set of certifications for agro-producers to start the export route, bringing to the table the need for Antioquia to be a leader in several agricultural areas.

“This time the support of the departmental government is given so that the opening of markets is the path to economic reactivation and our producers have two tools that until now had been elusive: markets and certifications,” said Rodolfo Correa.

In this way, the Government and the institutions of the agricultural sector in Antioquia bet on research results, compliance with regulations and the use of new technologies as an engine for the reactivation of agriculture in Antioquia.

Farmers who benefit from the project will be selected through an open call.

The appearance of the Coronavirus brought along a large challenge regarding the food sourcing of the department of Antioquia, showing the importance of the agricultural sector and the pride of a territory with agro-producers who are harvesting the best quality produce of the country.

Antioquia is the second most important region in Colombia, with great potential derived from its biodiversity, geographical position, climate, cultural wealth and productive apparatus. It has a population of 6,550,206 inhabitants and is composed of 9 subregions and 125 municipalities, including its capital, Medellín.

The Secretary of Departmental Agriculture Rodolfo Correa announced the initiation of the East Technological Development Poles works, which will bring with them state-of-the-art greenhouses for this subregion and will contribute recovery and expected economic growth of the department. The head of the agriculture portfolio welcomed this new infrastructure: “With the construction of the agro-technological citadels, Antioquia will have for the first time, state-of-the-art technology in indoor harvests. This will increase the productivity of sectors such as tomato harvesting by more than 700%, from collecting 6 kilos per square meter to 45; this is a milestone in Colombian agriculture and a substantial improvement in the productivity of associations in the region”.

The agro-technological citadels, in addition to having greenhouses, will have everything necessary for the people of the East subregion to start all transformation processes and added value in agriculture. “The agro-technological citadels will bring progress to the department. In addition to greenhouses, the infrastructure has everything necessary for products from Antioquia to arrive to international markets with the highest quality levels,” said Rodolfo Correa Vargas.

“Food does not grow in the supermarket shelves; we need to strengthen the agricultural sector and bring technology to our farmers,” said the department’s agriculture secretary, Rodolfo Correa Vargas.

With this bet, the Government of Antioquia headed by Governor (E) Luis Fernando Suárez begins to fulfill one of the pillars of the Development Plan “Unidos por la Vida”, and the Secretariat of Agriculture led by Rodolfo Correa, brings progress to the territory so that Antioquia starts to become Colombia’s agricultural reference for the world.

This investment summit opened with the participation of president Iván Duque, the former president of the United States Bill Clinton and a forum of mayors with the presence of Daniel Quintero, and will take place between October 7th and 9th in a virtual and face-to-face format with more than 2,000 attendees, including 1,085 investors from 50 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America.

In his speech, Mayor Quintero mentioned the investment that Medellín will have with the Development Plan “Medellín Futuro” where there are projects to improve the environment, mobility, education, to provide new public spaces for the citizens’ enjoyment and to improve quality of life.

“In Medellín there is a bet of more than 1 billion pesos to become a Software Valley by building centers in each of the  city’s communes associated with Ruta N, creating micro ecosystems of innovation in the city’s neighborhoods, bringing out their people’s full potential. We do not want to go back to the past, we see everything as an opportunity to look towards the future, to become a knowledge economy, an Ecocity, a Software Valley for the world, “the mayor concluded.

“Metro de la 80” will be one of the protagonists in the Round of Investment with international entrepreneurs who have shown great interest in this project.

ACI Medellín along with the APP Agency and Ruta N, scheduled about 81 meetings with international investors to present projects such as Metro de la 80, Ciudadela Universitaria del Norte, Parques del Río del Norte, among others, facilitating the attraction of resources for the construction of these works that will facilitate  economic revival, employment creation and the city’s development.

For Eleonora Betancur, Executive Director of ACI Medellín “Colombia Investment Summit, is the best showcase that the country and the city has before large investors of the world that look at this territory as a strategic option to settle their companies, promoting social and economic development. As a city we have unique attractions such as a strong business fabric, a vibrant innovative ecosystem and an enviable quality of life in Latin America, which makes people around the world have their eyes on this region”.

The construction of overhead cables and bicycle trails, promotion of solar parks, planting 25 million trees throughout the department and even the structuring of the high-speed train project between Medellín and Bogotá, are some of the mechanisms proposed by the Government of Antioquia to reverse the 23 million tons of greenhouse gases produced in the territory each year.

Antioquia, the second most important region in Colombia with great potential derived from its environmental wealth, focuses its efforts on saving the environment.

In February of this year, Antioquia declared a State of Climate Emergency, this being the first clear and concrete action to propose basic changes in the people and companies that are part of this vast territory that comprises 125 municipalities distributed in 9 subregions.

With the implementation of this new plan of “100 actions of the Government of Antioquia to face the climate emergency”, the departmental government will implement measures of agriculture; energy and sustainable transport; biodiversity and ecosystems; competitiveness and new economies; resilient urban development; risk management; and education, culture and communication; so that CO2 removals can be increased by neutralizing CO2 emissions.

A first-level scientific committee will help implement this ambitious program, which includes 100 concrete actions to reduce polluting gases.

To fulfill these actions and looking for a holistic view from science and experience, the governor (E) of Antioquia, Luis Fernando Suárez Vélez, called a group of 14 experts among engineers, architects, administrators, biologists, among others, whose great coincidence is their preparation and knowledge to advise the implementation of these actions.

The Department ranks third in net emissions of greenhouse gases in Colombia, and the government’s action to respond to the challenges of vulnerability to climate change is strategic.

A large part of the department’s greenhouse gas emissions are related to the agricultural, forestry, manufacturing and transportation sectors; these activities are the ones that deserve a greater number of actions within the plan. In this way it is intended to install 10 thousand orchards that promote sustainable agriculture, structure a program of operation of overhead cables promoting sustainable mobility, declare 15,000 hectares of forest as protected areas and give greater impetus to green businesses and businesses, among other actions.

“We will make our contribution with this package of 100 actions that we present to all of Antioquia. But the most important actions have to come from each of the citizens in the 125 municipalities of Antioquia. We have that responsibility. It is time for action and decisions designed for current and future generations,” said Luis Fernando Suárez Vélez, governor (E) of Antioquia.

The plan is divided as follows:

1. Sustainable agriculture. 12 actions framed in: orchards, food security, agricultural production units with agro-ecological approach, soil conservation, land adjustment districts, productivity with technology transfer, sustainable livestock.
2. Sustainable transportation and energy. 23 actions between public bicycle systems, bicycle infrastructures and bicycle parking, rural overhead cables, promotion and implementation of electric and hybridized mobility, urban area LED lighting, solar farm promotion, eco-housing, clean energy promotion through small hydroelectric plants, mass transport system structuring, solar panels in administrative buildings and public schools, flexible hours and telecommuting.
3. Biodiversity, ecosystems and their services. 16 actions highlighting forest restoration, deforestation control, protected areas and the protection of wildlife, environmental services payment and the promoting the efficient use and saving of water.
4. Competitiveness and new economies. 15 actions among which we find: eco-mining, promotion and support for green businesses and entrepreneurships, sustainable tourism, restoration and conservation of productive soils plan, climate finance, green credit line, circular economy public policy, local production and purchase.
5. Resilient and urban development. 16 actions for: the elimination of plastics, the use of waste by 20%, the creation of low-carbon landfills, sustainable construction, Municipal “Parques del Río”, conscious family planning, climate change adaptation plan, access to drinking water supply for rural housing and schools.
6. Risk Management. 4 actions in plant cover protection and early warning and monitoring systems.
7. Education, culture and communication for sustainability. 14 actions based on the promotion of physical activity and healthy habits, communication campaigns for public mobilization, promotion of ancestral and indigenous knowledge for the conservation of biodiversity.

Download the compendium of actions [ here ]

Forte Group, a leading global provider of custom software services, has announced its expansion into Latin America with a new delivery center in Medellin, Colombia. Forte Group will establish its sixth global base of operations in the Medellin innovation complex, Ruta N. 

From Medellin, Colombia, Forte Group will bolster the local market and strengthen customer support to clients in the U.S. and Latin America. 

Forte Group is a full-spectrum custom software delivery company that works with software engineering departments, business leaders, and technology companies to consistently achieve valuable business outcomes. Its new location in Medellin is its sixth global location, adding to offices in the U.S., Belarus, and Ukraine. 

The initial operation will combine remote and local work in 2020, creating 30-50 jobs in Colombia’s second-largest city within the next six months. 

“The decision to expand our presence into Colombia represents an exciting phase in our company’s growth,” Steve Kreynin, CEO and founder at Forte Group, said. “While we were evaluating where to expand, we found Medellin to be a growing technology city with some of the best software development talent in the Western Hemisphere. This new location helps us better serve our clients with world-class custom software services.”  

Three Medellin-based promotional agencies — ProColombia, ACI Medellin, and Ruta N. — supported the company’s exploration of a new office and investment location.  

“Forte Group’s investment in Colombia confirms the country’s attractiveness in the software services and IT sector because of its strategic location, protection to the investor, and sustained growth of its indicators — among other factors,” Flavia Santoro, President at ProColombia, said. “This is the kind of investment that contributes to our talent development and the economic reactivation of our country.” 

The arrival of these types of companies “shows that Medellín’s science, technology, and innovation ecosystem is competitive and up for the expectations of global industries,” Paulina Villa, Portfolio Manager of Ruta N., said. “So it is great news for the city and a call for its labor force that now needs to show what it is made of. This is what it is ultimately about improving the quality of life by creating good jobs through important allies that make our economy stronger.” 

For Eleonora Betancur, executive director at ACI Medellin, “Working with companies like Forte Group in our city strengthens the Software Valley strategy, traced in the Development Plan Medellin Futuro, in which we seek to become an attractive destination so that foreign investors can find trained talent at competitive costs for operation and compromise from public entities, private as well as public.” 

Forte Group is actively hiring in Medellin. The organization is looking for people interested in software engineering, quality assurance and testing development, product design, and operations support careers. Those interested in working with Forte Group are encouraged to apply at: www.fortegrp.com/careers.. 

The social, cultural, economic and environmental transformation of Medellín in recent years has once again received the recognition of the world by obtaining the award given by Netexplo, an international digital area trend observatory, sponsored by UNESCO, that highlights how the city has focused on the most vulnerable populations, while attracting entrepreneurs, tourists and encouraging innovation.

Netexplo, an international observatory in the digital world, sponsored by UNESCO, awarded the prize.

The award explicitly points out how, only three decades ago, the city was named “the most dangerous in the world” by Time magazine, and now in a short period of time, it has become a role model for cities with troubled pasts that seek to reinvent themselves.

This recognition is added to the recognition of the Artistic and Cultural Practices Network delivered by the international network United Cities and Local Governments.

This recognition emphasizes on Medellín becoming a part of “second level cities”, offering a niche value proposal, different from the one provided by the large international intelligent “mega cities”.

This positioning resonates with the aspirations of younger generations to have a more inclusive, diverse and authentic living environment.

Likewise, the communicative and marketing component of the city stands out by offering an attractive combination of a privileged location, climate, transport and technological infrastructures, affordability and a favorable business environment.

The executive director of the ACI Medellín Eleonora Betancur, said that these types of awards are: “a strategic instrument that greatly contributes to the city’s positioning in an international scenario, promoting and disseminating the lessons the city has learned regarding different topics. In this case, specifically, we see the importance of strengthening socio-economic development by improving the quality of life in the different social and human spheres”.

Other cities that received this recognition in different categories are: Austin, United States, for mobility; Espoo, Finland, data management; Santiago, Chile for financing; Shenzhen, China, transportation networks; Singapore for Zero Carbon Footprint; Surat, India, resilience; Tallinn, Estonia by digital transformation and Vienna, Austria for habitat.

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization whose goal is to establish peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture. Its programs contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in the 2030 Agenda, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.

Netexplo is the international observatory of trends in the digital world, based in Paris, under the patronage of the Senate and the French Ministry of Economy, as well as UNESCO, which, since 2007, tracks and identifies the main innovations and trends to make them available to cities and businesses in order to help them in their digital transformation.

Despite the economic effects in the world as a result of the pandemic, Medellín is consolidated as an attractive destination for companies that seek to expand their operations and that find in the city the conditions to grow. So far in 2020, and as a result of the management of Ruta N, ACI Medellín and Procolombia, 20 companies from different 9 countries, whose projects have the potential to create 1,012 jobs between the years 2020 and 2021.

90% of the companies that have arrived are from technology, 5% from energy and another 5% from the financial sector.

In addition, for the development of the Software Valley strategy, Ruta N is in a process of strategic alignment that articulates the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, EPM, decentralized entities and universities, in addition to Innpulsa and MinCiencias.

“These are very powerful results that show that the world believes our city, that here we have the talent and conditions for global business to advance its growth plans. Companies from the United States, Spain, Germany, Argentina, China, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Singapore settled in Medellín because they saw a strong ecosystem capable of achieving important bets, such as becoming a Software Valley”, said the executive director of Ruta N, Javier Fernández.

Since last year, and in a joint effort between the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Procolombia and Ruta N, the anchor companies that the city needs to strengthen its ecosystem of science, technology and innovation were selected. Today, the first results of this strategy are seen. Evidence of this is the fact that 2 of the 20 have projects to generate more than 200 jobs each. These are characterized by being relevant in the global market and have the ability to make other companies decide.

One of the most important companies is Rockwell Automation, an anchor company from the United States that is among the ten most important in the world in topics related to the Internet of Things.

Rockwell is in Medellín to set up an engineering campus, which will not only generate nearly 300 jobs by 2021 but will also serve to attract others and insert local companies into global value chains. Endrock Growth & Analytics, Somo, TiendAPP S.A.S, PS Colombia, Owens Illinois (IT), Luckydot, Making Sense, Zemsania, Robotics Systems, Intertec, DIDI, IFinca, Ladorian, SIVAR SAS, Latin Leap, Creamos Lab – Suscribeme.com, DEVANT and E-Ray, have also arrived, among others.

The sixth version of the Colombia Investment Summit this year will be virtual and expects to gather between 1,200 and 1,500 attendees.

More than 550 investors come from markets in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America, with which it is estimated to generate more than 1,000 business appointments.

In the virtual meeting, which will take place between October 7th and 9th, more than 75 projects will be presented in sectors such as infrastructure, technology, agro-industry, energy and tourism, among others.

The sixth version of the Colombia Investment Summit this year will be virtual and expects to gather between 1,200 and 1,500 attendees.

More than 550 investors come from markets in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America, with which it is estimated to generate more than 1,000 business appointments.

The meeting, led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, and by ProColombia, has become the most important in the country to generate sustainable and responsible investment opportunities, and promote the arrival of projects in sectors such as infrastructure, tourism, energy, agro-industry, technology, among others.

“Foreign efficiency investment is one of the essential instruments of the present juncture because it creates job opportunities and helps to boost the economy. Today, we are working with commitment for Colombia to promote the arrival of more investors, to also facilitate new tools to increase these flows and improve the business climate. In addition, we facilitate the scenario for the relocation of companies looking for a new organization of their supply chains and efficiencies when leaving other latitudes. In addition to this are the sectoral and regional incentives we provide”, said José Manuel Restrepo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism.

“The Colombia Investment Summit is a meeting in favor of the country’s economic reactivation, an opportunity to achieve the arrival of greater efficiency investment in the regions, generating quality jobs and technology transfer, development and greater competitiveness. With this event we will present a portfolio of more than 75 projects to investors around the world, in sectors such as infrastructure, technology, agro-industry, energy and tourism, as well as the potential of our territory as a business destination and export platform,” said, Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

On its first day, October 7th, the academic agenda will begin, on October 8th and 9th seven sectoral panels will be held, in segments such as chemicals and life sciences, infrastructure, tourism, metalworking, agro-industry, energy and 4.0 industries.

The event will feature the participation of the Republic’s President, Ivan Duque, ministers and executives of governmental entities, as well as senior executives of national and foreign companies, special guests, and international investors interested in establishing businesses in Colombia or taking advantage of the country as an export platform.

In the 2019 version, the Colombia Investment Summit generated 10 investment announcements worth more than US$1 billion in agro-business, infrastructure, chemicals and life sciences, energy and investment funds.

Entrepreneurs interested in taking part in this event can register and get more information at: [ here ]

This software company from the United States and based in Medellín is carrying out an impact project among university students in recent semesters. The Top Gun Lab is a training laboratory whose main objective is to serve the community through educational programs in the IT sector, seeking to meet the high demand for trained personnel and generating decent employment opportunities, challenging and well-paid.

The program is based on training students in the last semesters of Systems Engineering and other related careers, with the aim of selecting the best students to do their internship in the company and start creating their career. Last year, about 9 students entered the labor market, and in addition the learning curve was reduced to two months, increasing productivity in people with a junior profile in just 3 months.

Other similar initiatives are:

Top Gun Route

A program created with the goal of raising children’s awareness of the importance of technology in their professional future. At first, the children meet with the developers of the company who tell them about their life and careers; and then they have a moment  of playful learning through a platform called Scratch where they are taught the basic principles of logic and programming.

Top Gun Path

This initiative seeks to support and empower students in the early stages of their career free of charge, through financial sponsorship, teaching the English language and accompaniment by mentors of the company, depending on the stage they are at.

At the teaching stage they are given an economic support of 50% of the Minimum Wage, two free hours of English classes per week, access to the training program according to the line of specialization chosen by the student and monthly mentoring by one of the professionals of the company.

In the productive stage they are given an economic support of 100% of the Minimum Wage, unlimited English classes, access to different programs and training books from the company, jobs in challenging projects, exposure to the final customer, and continuous guidance from their assigned mentor.

Currently, TEAM International has three SENA students active in this program: two boys from Abejorral and a girl from Medellín, who are in the teaching stage in SENA technology programs.

In this way, the international companies installed in Medellín become fundamental actors to carry out the strategy of becoming a Software Valley through impact projects that improve the quality of life of the city’s people.

With the aim of contributing to the progress of the city’s future professionals, ACI Medellín developed the webinar: “Digital Talent Training for the Software Valley”, a space in which they met with local partners in order to project the training of citizens to strengthen this line of economic development.

For years ACI Medellín has worked to establish strategic relationships that allow the city to consolidate alliances that contribute to the improvement of the community’s quality of life. Since 1995, Medellín has worked to grow in the technology industry, and thanks to its partnerships and organizations dedicated to strengthening the capacities of human talent, it slowly gained greater capacity to meet the challenges of a world that is constantly evolving.

During the webinar, ideas were shared about the digital talent that exists in the city and how it can contribute to the future of the Software Valley, an economic development strategy that must face the great challenges that arise in the present digital era. This is where organizations such as the Agency for Higher Education of Medellin- Sapiencia, Acámica, Ruta N, the University of Antioquia, Holberton School Colombia and Pioneras Dev,  play an important role in the training of human talent, because they are part of a team of institutions that work together to bring more people closer to the world of technology and programming, two industies that are exponencially growing and that also allow expanding opportunities for young people in an increasingly competitive global market.

“Skills must be developed for a world that is constantly changing, a change that is increasingly accelerating,” said Pedro Mejía, country manager at Acámica.

The joint work of these organizations in partnership with ACI Medellín multiplies individual efforts to achieve increased productivity of human talent and strengthens learning processes on cutting-edge topics. The transformation of Medellín is a reality, so it’s necessary that both citizens and companies are trained to meet all the needs required by the 4.0 Industry.

For the benefit of the city, these organizations are already on the margins of new trends in the training of digital talent, so they include more agile and personalized models in their training processes, they are also working to reduce the barriers that exist around this digital culture.

“In years it is projected that more than 200,000 IT professionals will be needed in the country,” said Diego Botia, a professor at the University of Antioquia. Facing the challenges of talent in the modern world is a challenge that belongs to the whole city and as a society it is necessary to solve effectively to enhance the capacities of new professionals in a comprehensive way.

ACI Medellín and its partners continue to work on building a knowledge, technology and innovation society, this is why more and more affordable training opportunities are being offered today to make human talent the key to building the Software Valley.  Today all we need is for citizens and organizations to understand the importance of working for the same purpose: mobilizing as a city for this ambitious strategy.

With the arrival of Rockwell Automation, world leader in industrial automation solutions, the city continues to position itself as Colombia and Latin America’s Software Valley, integrating national and international actors that allow not only economic growth but also improvement to the citizens quality of life.

With headquarters in Wisconsin, United States, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23.000 people dedicated to tending to clients in over 100 countries.  

The company will focus its strategies towards software development to support key programs within their business line in Control and Visualization, employing people to occupy roles as software engineers, automation tests, scrum master, responsible for product management, technical leaders and engineer manager, among others. 

With the operations launch in June, remotely for the time being, they hope to create 50 jobs by the end of the year and 100 jobs in 2021.  

“Our campus strategy helps us set the work in places where we can better reach the milestones of our programs, escalate when necessary and maintain high productivity”, claimed Juan David Carrasquilla, Campus Manager for the company in Colombia.  

Referring to the key factors for choosing Medellin, Carrasquilla ensured that “the city is one of the fastest growing technological centers in Latin America, the local government offers policies and attractive incentives also there’s considerable technological software talent available; we have seen, as well, the transformation in infrastructure, education and quality of life in the last years”.

The settlement of this foreign investment in Colombia and Medellin has been achieved thanks to the articulated work between ProColombia, Ruta N and ACI Medellin, entities in charge of promoting the country and city as an investment destination, and establishing a clear and concrete route so that enterprises can finally make the decision of installing themselves in the territory.

“The crisis moment that humanity faces is not at all easy, nevertheless, with the arrival of companies such as Rockwell Automation, we are demonstrating that all public and private entities are compromised in materializing the dream of becoming a Software Valley to improve the citizens quality of life”, claims Eleonora Betancur, executive director of ACI Medellin. 

For Paulina Villa, Business Portfolio Manager of Ruta N, “the arrival of Rockwell to the city proves that we are consolidating as a place where things happen. Where science, technology and innovation are a reality that allows to create development. It is not for anything that in the midst of such a complex global situation we are still being selected by these organizations with a technological ground. It means that we are really moving towards an economy based in knowledge, towards Medellin Software Valley”.

“The arrival of Rockwell to Medellin is a vote of confidence in Colombia that contributes so that our country moves forward in consolidating itself as a technological development hub, with higher competitiveness, promoting the attraction of greater investment, as well as the creation of quality jobs in science, technology and innovation areas, and contributes to the country’s economic reactivation”, claims Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

Context of the news 

Between 2008 and 2019 the ACI Medellin reported a foreign investment amount of USD$224,4 millions and almost 100 investment and reinvestment projects in the city. Along with Ruta N and its allies, 360 organizations have settled in Medellin’s Innovation District, which have created 10.287 quality jobs since 2011. So far in 2020, there are already 21 companies that have landed in the city and have allowed to generate 969 employment opportunities in the Software Valley field.