In recent months, major companies in the retail, fashion, beauty, and mass consumption sector arrived in Medellín and the Metropolitan Area for the first time. Others expanded their network of stores and shops in the city, as part of their growth plan in Colombia and Latin America.

Medellín and the Metropolitan Area become stronger as attractive destinations for the installation of major international retail, fashion, and beauty brands.

European, Asian, and Latin American companies bet on the local market and the region’s capabilities, such as the stability of its economy and the elimination of entry barriers. International brands such as Miniso, OBoticario, H&M, Tumi, and Falabella arrived in the city, generating jobs and connecting the customers with the rest of the world.

The potential of the local market, its economic stability, and its incentives to promote investment are the main reasons for these companies to keep arriving in the city.

For instance, Falabella is one of the companies that decided to expand its network of stores in the city, after its first opening in 2007. The Chilean retail company opened its third store in Medellín in the Arkadia shopping center. With this store, Falabella responds to sustainability standards in buildings and also develops a social responsibility program called “Making School,” in which they sponsor an educational institution located in its area of influence. With this school, there are already three educational institutions supported by the company in the city and 28 in the country. The program consists of the adaptation of facilities, volunteering of its employees, and welfare activities for the community.

Falabella has 26 stores in Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Pereira, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Villavicencio, Ibagué, Bucaramanga, and Manizales. It generates more than 4,600 direct jobs and impacts more than 29,000 children. and young people in their educational environment.

The impact of international brands boosts local employment and develops social responsibility actions with communities.

The Bilingual Job Fair 2019 will be on November 13 from noon until 8:00 pm at Plaza Mayor in Conference room A + B. Medellín will have its first free and qualified bilingual job fair with vacancy offers to fill jobs related to international audiences.

Currently, 84.6% of Medellín’s population is in working age (DANE). Therefore, the city must grant connection spaces between demand and vacancies to boost the economy and facilitate the generation of specialized employment.

This initiative led by joint work between the Colombo Americano institution and the Colombian-American Chamber of Commerce – AmCham, supported by ACI Medellín and the Secretariat of Economic Development will connect national and foreign companies with trained local talent.

The fair seeks to give people with English as a second language with access to current employment opportunities in Medellin and the Metropolitan Area for assistance, operational, and managerial positions in important local and multinational companies in different sectors.

The event has spaces for short interviews with potential candidates, to carry out sufficient interviews to fill the vacancies proposed. Also, the program will include some talks on basic topics such as making an effective resume in English and recommendations for a job interview.

People and companies interested in participating must fill out the registration form[ here ]

Medellín (Colombia), Sep 9 (EFE) .- Colombia was recognized as a world leader in the orange economy during a summit of creative industries held on Monday in Medellin (northwest) and in which experts addressed issues such as the intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and new media.

The first Orange Economy Summit, organized by the Advanced Leadership Foundation (ALF) together with the Presidency and the Medellín Mayor’s Office, opened its discussions with the conviction that this sector “is not something of the future, it is a reality.”

“There is no doubt, we are facing a historic moment in this country. It’s the time of the creativity-based economy,” said the president of ALF, Juan Verde, during his speech.

He says Colombia is the only country in the world that, besides designing a policy to foster the creative economy, set it as a national strategy and priority.

“It is becoming a benchmark for the world in orange economy, a role model because it makes sense to bet on dynamic and competitive sectors of the future,” said the executive.

In that sense, he highlighted the Commune 13 of Medellín with practices such as the Graffitour, a tour which tells the transformation story of a vulnerable area through painting and music.

“It is an example of how the orange economy makes sense. Sending tourists to the favelas, to the communes, to poorer neighborhoods of the city with a cultural offer,” said Verde.

On the impact of the summit, which began with 1,200 attendees and 300 Colombian leaders to be trained, he said that his model is “unique in the world” because it will train experts “capable of changing the future of Colombia and the world.”

The director of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín (ACI), Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, said that the sector is an opportunity for the development of the city, so the entity worked for it to be carried out in the capital of Antioquia.

“The orange economy is a gateway to the economic development of Medellin, an opportunity to create new international connections that will boost employment generation and quality of life from other perspectives of creative knowledge,” he added.

In turn, the Colombian Foreign Minister, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, said that the “economies of the future” will be based on knowledge, so research and innovation should be understood as “development instruments that contribute substantially to accelerate economic growth and decrease inequity. ”

He pointed out that in Colombia the activities related to the orange economy are equivalent to 3.4% of the GDP and said that the courage of these industries has allowed an economic recovery in the challenge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Finally, and with the objective that the city continues to grow in that industry, the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, presented “Ruta Naranja”, a creative district that will seek to strengthen the ecosystem of art and culture in the city that will join the center of innovation and technology Ruta N. EFE

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area -ACI Medellín- will present in Madrid and Barcelona the advantages that Medellín has for the attraction of foreign companies. In both cities, the Executive Director, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, will be in charge of presenting the offer of the city for new investors and business opportunities in infrastructure, competitiveness, renewable energy, industries 4.0 , creative industries, agribusiness, chemicals, and life sciences.

In September, Madrid and Barcelona will host the next Why Medellín? events. This is an opportunity to publicize the city’s strengths as a business destination.

The first meeting with the entrepreneurs will be in Madrid on Tuesday, September 17 at 9:00 am, in the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations [CEOE in Spanish], Carlos Ferret Salat hall (Diego de León, 50-28006, Madrid). CEOE and Procolombia are key allies for the positioning of Colombia and convening Spanish entrepreneurs.

For its part, the Agency for the competitiveness of the company – ACCIÓ and Foment del Treball will provide support in Barcelona. The meeting will be on Thursday, September 19 at 9:00 am at the Renaissance Barcelona Hotel – Ametista Hall (Pau Claris, 122, 08009, Barcelona).

With this investment attraction strategy, ACI Medellín seeks to strengthen relations with Spanish businessmen and allies.

Spain is a representative country in the dynamics of foreign direct investment in the world. According to trends for this year, it is among the top 10 countries with the most investment projects in the world. Regarding investment in Colombia, Spain was in fourth place in 2018. Specifically, in Medellín, it is among the top 15 with the highest investment participation, which is why ACI Medellín seeks to strengthen relations and continue with a dynamic favorable to business between both countries.

This year, the event was held in the United States in the cities of Miami, Austin and San Francisco, and now continues in Europe.

Those entrepreneurs interested in attending these Why Medellín? in Madrid and Barcelona are welcome, it is a free event for the business public.

Registration Why Medellín in Madrid: click here 

Registration Why Medellín in Barcelona: click here

The multinational Accenture choose Medellín to open its new NanoLabs facilities. It will allow the city to apply technologies such as Blockchain, Internet of things and Data Analytics, which will put it on a competitive spot along with countries like China, Israel, Ireland, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Between October and November, the company will start the operation of the NanoLabs at the Ruta N facilities, a place where they have been operating since April 2018 and from which it plans to collaborate with the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The one in Medellín will be connected to the global network, which will make the city a reference for the region.

“We are sure that as long as our city is connected to the world, works to generate technological advances, seeks to advance in the development of clean energies and increase business competitiveness, we will be able to build a better Medellín,” said mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.

The decision of installing the NanoLabs in the city, responds to the world’s interest in Medellín’s public policies to favor the development of a technology-and-innovation-based industry as well as its support for business growth and human talent.

“Now, with the opening of the Nano Laboratory within the Center of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Medellín, we are sure that we will be able to grow in global competitiveness,” said Accenture President Marco Ribas.

The Nano Lab is a space to inspire and guide with avant-garde innovations through new technologies and other emerging ones, also, developments in artificial intelligence, digital experiences, systems, platforms, cybersecurity, among others, will be enhanced. The laboratory will be connected with iNNpulsa Colombia to strengthen the country’s enterprises in these areas. This joins 25 Nano Labs around the world.

“The objective is to make Medellín a regional engine of innovation as part of a global network promoted by the World Economic Forum, and generate over 2,000 jobs with high added value and level of knowledge in the next five years,” the local leader said.

Foreign companies set their eyes on Medellín.

Thanks to the management of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, the city ranked fourth in attracting foreign investment in fDi Intelligence’s ranking of future American cities in the category Foreign Direct Investment Strategy.

New York, Chicago, and Montreal are the top three on the list. Medellín is the first Latin American city in the ranking. The publication highlights the privileged position for the significant investment in creative industries, infrastructure, construction, tourism, textiles, health services and industries 4.0.

Written by Medellín Mayor’s Office

The ACI Medellín spoke with Matthieu Tenenbaum, president of Renault Sofasa, about the 50 years that have elapsed since July 2nd of 1969, when the French company arrived in Colombia to found it’s assembler, today a pioneer in the region and a leader in the export market in Latin America.

In the corporate world, turning fifty is such a milestone ¿what is the balance of these years?
For Renault Sofasa it’s a great success, we’re very happy to celebrate 50 years here in Colombia. It’s many years, good years leaving a mark in the country with our vehicles, some iconic ones that stand in the heart of Colombians. We’re pleased to be both a French and Colombian company. It has been good years were we shown our capacity to overcome difficulties and go beyond. We are now market leaders also in exportation and production. It’s 50 years celebrated with very good news.

In 2018 Renault had a share of 58.6% on the electric car segment, ¿How is Renault projected on renewable energy?
Renault is a world pioneer of electric mobility since 2011 by launching one of the first vehicles of this type. In Colombia, we were also pioneers in 2014 with Twizy and Kangoo, and since last year, we have placed ZEO as the crown jewel of electric vehicles. Thanks to that we are almost at 60% participation. As we see it, the market is growing, almost doubling every year. We’ll bring more technology and more models. Being pioneers is a duty we have and we will continue to target this technology.

¿How has Renault felt the Colombian market and economy?
The trend of the economy it’s in a rebound stage, we’re better than past years. The markets have dropped since 2014 and last year it had a rise, which was good news. It’s not growing that much yet, it’s below our expectations but the economy it’s looking well, we’re working to develop an industrial strategy in Colombia because the assembly network needs quality providers with new technologies and local and foreign funding to grow all the industrial chains. We’re on a good moment, it’s needed to keep working towards the improvement of the automobile industry.

¿How does Renault Sofasa projects in 10 years?
We want sustainable leadership in the market. Our vision it’s set on the industrial leadership which means investing in the plant to be at the highest technology level and remain competitive. We also transform the country’s industry, so as leaders, it’s decisive to strengthen the industries providers. But the most important of our business is, as I call it, “being leaders of the people”. The culture at Sofasa it’s strong when it comes to taking care of our people, our most vital patrimony. We’ll keep working for their well being, enrichment and to remain market leaders.

The Coffee Cluster of Medellín and Antioquia prepares the third edition of Café Fine Experience, a space for knowledge and relationship of local and international actors in the coffee chain.

More than 300 attendees, participation of producers from the townships of Medellín and Antioquia regions and the intervention of international experts.

The cluster strategy of Medellín and Antioquia prioritizes the most outstanding activities in the region and works to generate economic development strategies in the hands of the public and private sector to promote the opening of markets, the generation of employment and the ability to integrate actors of the productive chains.

The production of this grain is one of the activities with the greatest history in the department which now takes place in Medellín and its townships, becoming the first agricultural product produced in the city. Consequently, 520 coffee growers will participate in this event, out of which, more than 60% are from San Sebastián de Palmitas and others in sectors such as La Sierra, Santo Domingo Savio, San Antonio de Prado, Santa Elena, Belén and the commune 13.

Therefore, to materialize this strategy, the cluster hosts the Coffee Fine Experience. It is a specialized space for the transfer of knowledge and relations for different actors in the coffee chain in which they can identify new foreign and local suppliers, customers, and investments.

International speakers

This year, Cofee Fine Experience will be on August 28 and 29 at the El Poblado Business Center of the Medellin Chamber of Commerce for Antioquia. It will bring experts from renowned international companies in the sector who will provide local entrepreneurs with tools for innovation, sustainability, and positioning of coffee:

• Daniela Nowitzki – expert trainer from Probat (Germany), a company leader in machinery for processing and roasting coffee.
• Carlos Isaza – manager of the program Colombian coffee of the Solidaridad Network, an international non-profit organization with more than 45 years of experience worldwide in the development of sustainable value chains.
• Floy Andrews – co-founder and CEO of Coro Coffee Room (United States). A company specialized in the collaborative roasting of coffee for businessmen and entrepreneurs in the production chain.
• Nicole Pilz – sales manager for Europe of Ally Coffee (Germany). A global company dedicated to creating opportunities around coffee businesses.
• Jack Huang – Taiwan Cupping Champion in 2018 and Commercial Director of Amativo China.

RWS Moravia is a Czech company devote to industries 4.0 which offers translation services adapted to the markets of each country, language localization and multilingual technology for large companies in the world. ACI Medellín received its representatives, who were interested in knowing the city as an investment destination to establish their second corporate facilities in Latin America.

After being a successful business model in Europe, China, and the United States, RWS Moravia opened a market in Latin America by arriving first in Argentina, and now explores its possibilities in Medellín.

Besides its headquarters in the Czech Republic, the company has offices in China, the West Coast of the United States, and Argentina. Also, they decided to widen up their area of influence, which is why they began a search process, looking for a city with economic stability, institutional support, a significant population, and talent in the areas of technology and languages.

“At the end, coming to Medellín was more attractive because it is a very well-connected city, it has the profiles we are looking for with skills in languages and English, but also, the ecosystem around the fourth industrial revolution. As an investor, this was an impressive reason when deciding to come here, it was one of the most important aspects for our decision,” says Katherine Berezowskyj, economic development manager of RWS Moravia.

Created in the 1990s in the Czech Republic, RWS Moravia has grown and expanded globally along with its customers, which are mainly large technology companies.

Currently, RWS Moravia is on a search for local talent of professionals with language skills and vast knowledge on technology and articulation with the actors that would help its installation in the short term. RWS Moravia expects to generate organic growth in Medellín through its performance in the city and by the hand of the supply and demand of its customers.

In 2010, Fahad Siddiqui decided to start a business model based on temporary rentals for foreign students. In a short time, this pilot project changed from leasing and buying properties to develop them.

Co-living is a shared-housing trend similar to co-working in which each tenant rents their apartment but shares common spaces such as dining rooms, gyms, and workrooms, among others.

After his success in the U.K., the CEO of Casa Campus, decided to bet on the Latin American market. So, he arrived in Argentina in 2014 and then in Chile. Nowadays, this business serves not only to foreign students, but local and young professionals who pay for a package which includes utilities (water, electricity, etc.), cable, internet, cleaning, and property management.

Based on an international expansion plan, the partner and also founder of Casa Campus is in Colombia to evaluate our country as a possible investment destination. In Medellín, his work agenda included meetings with entities from the public, private, and academic sectors.

“We are here in Medellín to meet with local partners and carry out co-living projects. The city has very interesting audiences for us: students, businessmen, and tourists. Besides, the city is very beautiful,” Siddiqui said.

Holberton, from Silicon Valley, launches its program on July 10 at 5:30 pm in the auditorium of the Museum of Modern Art.

Medellín, June 8, 2019 – Founded in 2015 by members of companies such as Docker, Apple, and LinkedIn, Holberton uses a project-based methodology and peer-to-peer learning to train people in software development in a two-year intensive program.

“Nowadays, Medellín hosts the center for the fourth industrial revolution and the cluster of digital businesses, so we set ourselves to train professionals capable of competing with any other city in the world referent in terms of technology. We believe in the potential of Colombian talent and the ability of this type of programs to boost the development of the country,” said Hernando Barreto, director of Holberton School in Colombia.

The Lumni Impact Fund, the startup Rappi, and the Torre business group are investors with 690 million pesos to finance the training of students. Also, Comfama, PSL, Socialatom Ventures and Coderise joined forces with this academy in the country.

The academy has open registrations for its term starting on September in all its offices in Colombia.

About Holberton School

With campuses in San Francisco (California), New Haven (Connecticut), Bogota, Medellín (Colombia), and soon Tunisia (Africa), Holberton trains software engineers using a disruptive teaching method based on projects and peer-to-peer learning. This academic alternative is free until the graduates find work.

The Observatory of Public Sector Innovation – OPSI of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – OECD- highlighted MEData and Día Blanco, two best practices of Medellín for their innovation and inspiration in the promotion of research on open government trends.

ACI Medellín, the Administrative Department of Municipal Planning and the Secretariat of Citizen Participation of the Medellín Mayor’s Office, carried out the application of these initiatives to the OPSI platform of the OECD, thus contributing to the international positioning of Medellín and its best practices.

MEData is Medellín’s commitment to an intelligent government, which allows the opening, appropriation, and use of public data for decision-making. It is the only open government data strategy in the country which promotes and encourages the use of data by citizens, with a different approach based on their capacities and needs.

On the other hand, Día Blanco [White Day] promotes the creation of trusting bonds and legitimacy among communities. This innovative experience has mobilized more than 35,000 citizens in the last 3 years through social accountability exercises where local and community organizations inform their communities about their management and impact on local development.

OPSI is a global forum for public sector innovation that works with governments to encourage them to use new approaches and address complex societal problems through tools, connections, and training for public servants.

Colombia joined the OECD in 2018, in other words, the country earned a space to exchange best practices between member countries, among other benefits.

To learn more about these initiatives and visit the Observatory consult the following links: MEData and Día Blanco.

Medellín is fourth in the ranking of American Cities of the Future by fDi Intelligence in the category foreign direct investment strategy. fDi Intelligence is a global market intelligence service specialized in investment, promotion, and economic development, of the British magazine Financial Times.

Download the complete report [here]

The ranking seeks to highlight the most promising cities in terms of foreign investment based on the analysis of global market attraction data from the specialized firm fDi.

New York, Chicago, and Montreal are the top three on the list and Medellín is the first Latin American city in the ranking.

The article highlights Medellín’s privileged position due to its significant investment in creative industries, infrastructure, construction, tourism, textiles, health services and industries 4.0; also for its tax incentives as a stimulus from local government and its commitment to the development of film production, since it is the only city in Colombia with a film commission.

ACI Medellín and the Secretariat of Economic Development have undertaken an articulated work to encourage the attraction of foreign investment, the promotion of Medellín as an investment destination, and the strengthening of the capacities of the different sectors of development.

 “Es un gran orgullo para Medellín. La inversión extranjera directa llega a nuestra ciudad porque hemos logrado construir confianza. Hemos tejido una relación estrecha, basada en los propósitos comunes con el sector empresarial, el académico y la ciudadanía”, destacó el Alcalde, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.

El estudio resalta la labor de la Agencia de Cooperación e Inversión y el Área Metropolitana, ACI Medellín, como entidad promotora y facilitadora de la atracción de inversión extranjera directa en la ciudad, en estrecha colaboración con diferentes cámaras de comercio del país y Procolombia.

“We received this recognition as a commitment which invites us to continue strengthening the city’s articulation strategies and the actions to attract foreign investment into the city. This is reflected in the generation of qualified employment, dynamization of the different economic sectors of the city for the improvement of the economic development and quality of life of our inhabitants” Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, Mayor of Medellín, said.

On Monday, June 3, Ruta N and ACI Medellín will host the event Why Medellín? at WeWork’s facilities in San Francisco, United States. These spaces seek to show the strengths of the city as a destination for the investment of companies devoted to science, technology, and innovation.

It will be a good opportunity to make Medellín known as the ideal city for the installation of foreign companies.

Next Monday, June 3, Medellín will be in the spotlight of investors in the facilities of WeWork San Francisco: 600 California Street, 11th floor. This will be a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in investing in the city to know the advantages Medellín offers for the installation of foreign companies.

Together with Ruta N, ACI Medellín will also carry out a networking workshop aimed to strengthen the bonds of Medellín with important technology and innovation companies.

In addition to the capabilities offered by the city for new investors, the recent opening of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be another topic of interest to raise awareness during the realization of the event.

Entrepreneurs are welcome to attend this Why Medellin? in San Francisco, it is a free event and open to the business public. Registration at the following link: [ click ]

Casa Nua MG, a project operator specialized in the elderly, sets its first assisted living project in Medellín as the beginning of its expansion plan in the country. Casa Nua San Lucas is their first project of this kind in the city. It is located in El Poblado and will start operations in August 2019, advised by Active Living International and CES University

Casa Nua is a platform for residential projects with comprehensive solutions for the elderly, in which they will receive specialized attention and lodging. The residents will have health and recreation programs, physical activities, food, a library, education, culture, among other welfare components.

The project responds to global trends of increasing population age and the demand for solutions for an increasingly active age group with possibilities to explore new options to enjoy their adult years. In Colombia, the percentage of people over 60 years old represents 9.23% of the total population, according to data from the last census of 2018.

Medellin was chosen for its good development conditions: high levels of services for the elderly, specialized human talent, a favorable climate for their well-being and institutional support through the public policy of aging and old age, materialized in the Gerontological Plan 2017-2027 of the Medellín Mayor’s Office.

Bernardo Azuaje, a founding partner of Casa Nua, highlighted Medellín’s investment potential and its good real estate valuation, which favors infrastructure and the acquisition of services.

Acamica consolidates its educational offer in Colombia with an initial investment of more than $ 300,000,000 and agile and highly certified innovative methodologies. The Argentinian technology academy is one of the most important in Latin America and it will offer its online classes since the beginning of 2019 in Medellín.

Their arrival in the city is part of a global expansion plan, which aims to train 10,000 professionals in technology in Latin America by the year 2020. Acamica will open spaces for more than 1,000 students in Medellín between 2019 and 2020.

“We chose Medellín because we consider it a central hub of innovation and technology in Latin America. The industries and talent of the future are being developed here, and that is why it is essential to deepen in the training in software development, artificial intelligence and data science” Tomás Escobar, CEO and co-founder of Acamica said.

Under a collaborative economy model, which at the same time proposes an immersive learning experience in real workspaces, the first in-person courses in Full Stack Web Development, UXU I Design, and Data Science will take place in the facilities of leading IT companies such as Globant.

Acamica

It is a short-careers academy focused on training digital talent with an innovative methodology enhanced with its own tools and a key differentiator: the association with leading companies such as Globant, IBM, Aerolab and Mercado Libre to create and certify the programs.