Inteligencia artificial

Artificial Intelligence, the Wave that Expands in Medellín

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Medellín’s competitiveness is linked to innovation and technology. It is a commitment for quality work, opening to new markets and the generation of development.

When Alejandro Gómez saw the humanoid, Sophia, who interacts and holds conversations with people, in Medellín, he felt a wave in his head, a hunch that told him that in this city he had the ability to make an equally good robot, or an even better one.

The Sophia of his dreams could be at the reception of Ruta N, guide and register visitors, or better yet, at the José María Córdova International Airport to receive tourists. The robot would be able to carry out talks, ask travellers how their trips had been, explain to them where to take the transport, tell them the news of the day or what tourist sites they should visit.

A similar wave spread in Alejandro’s heart as a child and he met Savia Mente, the robot that taught about public utilities in the Interactive Museum of EPM. At that time, his dream of making robots was born, a dream that was made a reality in the Digital Americas Pipeline Initiative, DAPI, the first Artificial Intelligence Center of Colombia, created in Medellín by Ruta N and IRPA & AI, Institute for Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence of the United States.

Medellín Innovation District Ruta N

2016 - 2018

5.906

jobs generated, 1,264 in 2018.

234

companies attracted from 31 countries, 26 in 2018.
La robot Sophia en Medellín
The robot, Sophia, in its first visit to South America, in the Summer School of the Pontificia Bolivariana University (UPB) of Medellín.

When Alejandro says “we have the capacity,” he means an ecosystem that is gestating in Medellín with DAPI as an articulator, and of which some 6,000 members are part, among whom there are world experts in robotic automation of processes, cognitive computing and artificial intelligence..

DAPI, which operates as an independent company, has almost assured the world market demand for the commercial connections of the IRPA & AI Institute, the first and largest global ecosystem of this type of specialties, known for its vision, experience, leadership and access to decision-makers in major companies throughout the world.

“The investment in technology and innovation breaks inequality, connects citizens and allows for the confluence
of wills and dreams of the city.”

Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director
of ACI Medellín

This agency traditionally hires developments in India and Mexico but after evaluating several markets, such as Costa Rica, it chose Medellín as its headquarters and Ruta N as its commercial partner. The company has the business units: creating talent, selling services, forming a community of developers and startups and, at a later time, advisement of companies in specialties related to automation, machine learning, robotic processes and AI.

Thanks to the support of Procolombia and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, IRPA chose the city for conditions such as the time zone, which facilitates processes on a day-to-day basis with the United States, the cost of labor and the strengths of Ruta N, in order to develop local capacities.

“he initial doubts that the Institute had about settling in Medellín are great advantages of DAPI today: human talent, a strong partner to develop Medellín as an AI hub, guarantee long-term sustainability and promote a local ecosystem with international vision,” highlights Maria Isabel Palomino, DAPI CEO.

“El analfabetismo del futuro será la tecnología y nos preparamos para enfrentarlo. En poco tiempo Medellín será epicentro de inteligencia artificial”

María Isabel Palomino, gerente de Digital Americas Pipeline Initiative, DAPI.

Exceeding Expectations

ACI Medellín provided the legal and operational support, and facilitated the relationship with IRPA. In just three months of operations, DAPI has four experts in mathematics, systems engineering, electronics, physics and Artificial Intelligence. By December, there will be 24 employees and 60 in a year’s time, all enjoying benefits of quality employment: good salaries, sustainability over time and opportunities for professional growth.

“These types of initiatives, focused on training, are an opportunity to diversify the business platform in a high potential industry, such as innovation and technological infrastructure. Reducing the digital divide will allow us to reduce inequality and facilitate the creation of companies and jobs,” said Alejandro Franco Restrepo, Executive Director of Ruta N.

By 2020, Artificial Intelligence will generate 2.3 million jobs in the world. By 2021, it will contribute USD16 Trillion  to the world economy

Source: PwC

When Frank Casale, founder of IRPA & AI, arrived in Medellín, he thought about finding a less developed city. But he said he felt he was in Silicon Valley, after visiting the infrastructure of Ruta N, finding talent in profitable technology and the support of government, business and academic research communities.

For the launch of DAPI, a chatbot made the registration of the attendees, took a picture and uploaded it to the system so that later, at their entrance, a robot made in Medellín, identified those attendees through a face recognition screen and welcomed them by name.

They were dazzled, “not even at our events in the United States have we had these innovations,” said members of IRPA & AI.

That day, a wave began to expand in the minds of everyone. Many dreams were created. Knowledge of Ruta N, IRPA & AI and DAPI started to be spread to the local ecosystem. This wave also includes aligning a strategy to produce the talent that the world needs in Artificial Intelligence, exporting services from the capital of Antioquia to the world, generating business and local employment, and bringing pure mathematics and technological knowledge to life and the needs of people.

The marriage between IRPA & AI and Ruta N

  • IRPA & AI is in charge of the training and commercial aspects, assembling the training modules, and connecting DAPI to the international market access network.
  • Ruta N put up the startup capital to hire the staff and manages DAPI.
  • The business model: to hire and train people with a minimum profile in Pytion and Javas Script programming languages to sell services
  • The investment: USD250k by Ruta N, close to 750 million pesos for the first year of operations; and one million dollars of IRPA & AI, in kind, for the training of the team and development of the offer and service platform
  • The services: problem solving and process optimization through artificial intelligence, bots development, robots or autonomous computer programs capable of performing human tasks, programming in RPA and specialized software
  • The process: the employees have 30 to 60-day training in RPA and AI and carry out their own project as a practice
  • Employment: 680 people in four years
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Medellín, epicentro de la educación en Colombia

Medellín is an Epicenter for Education in Colombia

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On February 20, the meeting of Learning Cities: Challenges and Opportunities for Colombia was held at 8:00 a.m. in the Teacher’s Innovation Center, MOVA.

The event was led by the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga and Raúl Valdés Cotera, program manager of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning and coordinator of the Network of Learning Cities.

During the event, José Octavio Cardona, mayor of Manizales; Constance Alarcón, vice minister of Preschool, Primary and High School Education; and Rodrigo Pardo, editorial director of Semana magazine, held a dialogue on the country’s regional educational policies and its contribution to strengthening Learning Cities. 

The event is part of the activities prior to the meeting of UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities which will take place in Medellín from October 1 to 3.

The Medellín Mayor’s Office leads programs such as Buen Comienzo [Good Start], La inclusión es con vos [Inclusion is with you], Formando Talentos [Training Talents], Escuela Entorno Protector [Schools as Protective Environments], En el Colegio Contamos con vos [We Count on you at School], Teacher’s Innovation Center – MOVA – and Scholarships for access to higher education. They are at the service of citizens and ratify the administration’s commitment to providing enough tools for the formation of citizens throughout their lives.

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Países nórdicos y Medellín le apuestan a ciudades inteligentes

Nordic Countries and Medellín bet on Smart Cities

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The embassies of Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway held the Smart Cities #ThinkNordic event in Medellín to share best practices with the public and private sector of the city.

The director of ACI Medellín, Catalina Restrepo, lead the opening act in the Smart Cities #ThinkNordic. This event sought to generate spaces for exchange Nordic knowledge and experiences from different approaches: sustainability, environment, mobility, energy, innovation, and technology. The best practices exposed by this board, respond to what diplomats and experts call Nordic thinking, a cultural model they have developed to analyze reality from cooperation and the creation of solutions for the challenges of life in the city.

The panelists aimed their presentations to culture and stressed that the Nordic way obeys to factors such as flexibility, prioritization, generation of incentives, equity, inclusion, and cooperation between the academia and the public and private sectors. These factors, rooted in the four countries, have made it possible to make progress which are global referents for smart cities.

Why did Nordic Smart Cities chose Medellín?

The ambassadors agree that Medellín has made great progress as a smart city and has taken significant steps towards improving the quality of life of citizens, which is why it fits in with the Nordic governments’ knowledge sharing objective.

In the words of the Finnish ambassador, Jarmo Kuuttila “by holding this meeting, we hope to promote a collaboration work between Medellín and our Nordic companies, public and private administration.” In addition, from a more human perspective, their purpose is to make people’s dreams come true and contribute to the creation of cities designed for the realization of their life projects.

ACI Medellín celebrates these spaces of knowledge with Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway, and reaffirms its commitment to take actions that lead to opportunities for the city and improve the quality of life of its inhabitants.

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crecimiento económico y empleo en Medellín

Economy and Employment: Need to Walk at the Same Pace in Medellín

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Medellín seeks to unify the pace between economic growth and quality employment through foreign investment, innovation, commitment to strategic sectors and the knowledge economy.

The US multinational, Stanley Black & Decker has 175 years of operations and 93 years of experience in international expansion, which validates that its business relationships are successful and that its investments in Europe, America, Africa and the Far East are done by a specialist.

This premise gives double merit to Medellín, a city that was selected by that company to create a subsidiary of financial and commercial services for its other companies in America and create 200 direct jobs.

The company highlights that the capital of Antioquia has the capacity to provide high-quality commercial services. “It’s a growing city focused on innovation, with lots of talent and an attractive location to develop our world-class center and strategic initiatives,” says Jamie Ritter, Executive Director.

For its part, Genius Sport, the fastest growing technology, distribution and marketing company of sports data in the world, official ally of FIBA, the Premier League of England and of the NBA, expanded its global presence with new offices in Vilnius in Lithuania, California in the United States and in the capital of Antioquia.

“We opened offices in key cities such as Medellín to strengthen our reputation, resources and services, and respond to the growing demand in all regions around the world,” said Mark Locke, CEO.

But what has Medellín done to earn these merits? The primary action is to include the generation of quality employment in its public policy. Beyond lowering unemployment figures, this challenged the city to ensure decent work and motivate foreign investment and economic growth.

It has been gradually migrating to a knowledge economy, to better wages, a higher quality of life and to a higher average per capita income, even though it has great challenges around inequality.

Something very similar happens in the world. The growth of economies and breaking the unemployment numbers in red were the goals of many governments for years and meant positive results to overcome extreme poverty.

However, economic development and employment almost never progressed at the same pace and informality, forced labor, labor exclusion and inequality grew, which motivated the inclusion of decent work in one of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Generating employment through foreign investment has been a strategy to comply with this SDGs in Medellín. Investment in the city grew 75% between 2016 and 2017, and to September 2018, it has exceeded 253.3 million dollars.

Medellín has qualified human talent and a wide academic offer.

In the last three years, 61 business projects have been installed in the city, 38 of which are new investments and 23 are for reinvestment. Together, they have created more than 7,200 jobs.

A City that Creates Trust

Although the previous figures are conclusive, it is much more remarkable that 31% of the projects are from the software and information and communications technology services, which demanded less investment (11% of the total capital). In addition, they are more impressive in quality employment, due to easy work schedules, conditions and professional promotion of those hired.

Among other companies that have settled in the city are Growth Acceleration Partners, Onelink and Unido, of the EE.UU.; Sana Commerce, from the Netherlands and Accenture, from Ireland. Additionally, investments have increased in: Hotels and lodging Real Estate, Wework, Selina, Marriott Hotel, Grupo Éxito, Renault, Schindler, POMA and Grupo Cala.

“In Medellín, we know how to solve problems due to our social history. The business leaders, the government and the academy meet constantly. They think as a team and make projects together to take the city forward,” highlights Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

The institutionality is strong, regardless of leaders or whomever is in office, projects of previous administrations are not suspended. An example is the public transport model with tram (streetcar), metro, metrocable, metroplus (BRT) and integrated buses, as well as urban renewal with scenarios that foster new lifestyles for the community.

Jobs generated by business initiatives in Medellín

 

2016

3,039 jobs

2017

2,692 jobs

2018

3,180 jobs

María Fernanda Galeano Rojo
Secretary of Economic Development of Medellín, María Fernanda Galeano Rojo.

“Our public policy fosters the transformation of the business base, from industry to the economy of science, innovation, strengthening and formalization of strategic activities such as tourism, agro-industry and competitiveness with environmental conditions such as road infrastructure and air connectivity,” said María Fernanda Galeano Rojo, Secretary of Economic Development of Medellín.

When you arrive in Medellín, you find that the paisas are business leaders and entrepreneurs. They carry this in their DNA. The city is home to ten of the companies with the highest stock market value of the Colombian Stock Exchange, many of them Multi-Latin-American companies. We govern directly and with equity. Public-owned companies, such as EPM and Ruta N, are independent, profitable and with important social projects; and inhabitants want to tell their stories and receive the foreigner with kindness and diligence.

This is the beginning of master moves for Medellín as a resilient expert who wants to innovate, who knows how to reinvent itself and who has the experience to create and execute projects that make a difference.

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Igualdad de género y diversidad

Medellín, a territory for everyone, inclusive and friendly territory for the LGBTI population

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Being part of the Rainbow Cities Latin American Network is a sign of the Antioquian capital’s interest and commitment to the elimination of discrimination and to achieving an inclusive and friendly territory for the LGBTI population, and safety for women and girls.

If there is something that Jhon Jairo Gómez feels for the Medellín Mayor’s office, it is gratitude. He, who his friends know as Jota, has been a beneficiary, for more than five years, of different programs that gave him psychological support and attention. This support has helped him to accept himself as he is and to rebuild his life, as he was the victim of intra-urban displacement and other scourges, such as abuse and sexual violence.

The Centro para la Diversidad Sexual e Identidades de Género – Center for Sexual Diversity and Gender Identities is like home for him, where he feels happy, welcomed and respected. “Here, they helped me find meaning in my life. I began to paint. I exhibited my works and I have grown a lot as a human being,” he says.

Medellín is the 22nd city in the world to enter the UN Women “Safe Cities” program. It is the third in Latin America and the first in Colombia..

Like him, other gay men, lesbians and transsexuals have received differential and integral attention in the Center. This space, open to all types of public, was created based on the LGBTI public policy that protects their rights and demonstrates Medellín’s commitment to combat discrimination, homophobia and psychological and physical violence.

To move forward in that sense, through the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, the opportunity to build strategies with other cities around sexual diversity and gender identity was identified. It was then when, in 2016, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rosario, Montevideo, São Paulo, Bogotá and Medellín created the Rainbow Cities Latin American Network.

“Being in the Network means being a city that is friendly with diversity and exchanging knowledge and experiences to enrich the programs and actions we have for this population,” explains Paulina Suárez, Secretary for Social Inclusion.

ACI Medellín has accompanied and managed the visits of UN Women to learn how the city advances in providing security for women and girls.

Achievements of an Inclusive Territory

Today, Medellín has a strategic plan for its LGTBI public policy, with a 10-year projection, which seeks to improve the living conditions of these populations with services such as psychosocial support, legal advice and labor intermediation, as well as promoting actions that transform the social imaginaries about them:

  • The city works with an intersectional approach, that is, recognizing differences to provide each person attention that fits their situation.
  • Sensitization actions in private companies to put aside prejudices and provide job opportunities to these people; health days, and academic and cultural agendas on topics of interest, both for them and for the rest of the population.
  • Coordinated initiatives with the Secretariats of Health, Culture, Women, Private Sector, Economic Development, Communications and other institutions such as Fauds (Family and Friends United for Sexual and Gender Diversity) and Egocity to achieve actions that guarantee inclusion and protection of rights for LGBTI people.

 

Since 2012, more than 500 people have received psychosocial and LGBTI legal advice at the Center for Sexual and Gender Identity Diversity.

51 processes for ID registry and change of name for the transsexual population and more than 60 training workshops.

More than 50,000 people of all genders and identities participated in the Marcha
del Amor -March of Love, held on July 1, 2018.

Safe Spaces for Women and Girls

The compliments, lascivious glances, whistles and other sounds that women often receive in public spaces in Medellín generate  feelings in them, such as insecurity, fear, anger or displeasure, which makes them become more prepared and distrustful when they go on public transport, they walk down the street or when they visit spaces such as parks or outdoor gyms.

Aware of this situation, the Women’s Secretariat, with the accompaniment and management of ACI Medellín, managed to get the city into the Global Program of Safe Cities for Women and Girls of UN Women in 2015, an initiative to make visible and act in the face of harassment and sexual and gender violence in public spaces.

“Everything we did in Manrique was with the participation of women and girls. It was they who built the messages,” says Valeria Molina, Secretary for Women, who explains that they chose this Comuna to begin the program with, because it is the second with the largest number of men compared to the rest of the city. Also, of the 15 neighborhoods that make it up, 58% are considered vulnerables.

The implementation of the project has had these stages

2015

Exploratory study on security and gender violence in Comuna 3, Manrique.

2016

Construction of the logical framework on the perception of sexual harassment and violence against women and girls in public spaces.

2017 - 2018

Pilot test roll out with four components:

See: visualization of information through messages expressed in murals, bus stickers and educational material.

Understand: work with prioritized public members, women and girls, police, teachers, merchants and transporters.

Transform: field trips and conversations with citizens to generate awareness and changes facing this problem.

Manage: institutional articulation with other actors such as the secretariats of Security, Education
and Culture, Inder Medellín (Sports and Recreation),
the Metro and Corporación Con-Vivamos.

Secretaria de las Mujeres, Valeria Molina Gómez
Secretariat for Women, Valeria Molina Gómez.

“Everything we did in Manrique was with the participation of women and girls. It was they who built the messages,” says Valeria Molina, Secretary for Women, who explains that they chose this Comuna to begin the program with, because it is the second with the largest number of men compared to the rest of the city. Also, of the 15 neighborhoods that make it up, 58% are considered vulnerables.

After this experience, the Secretariat is working on the construction of a second baseline for three other comunas in the city, where it will identify aspects such as forms of sexual harassment, generated feelings and effects, frequency with which women suffer some form of harassment, places where there is more incidents and the general perception regarding violence and sexual harassment.

Medellín has been part of the UN’s Global Program of Safe Cities and Safe Public Spaces for Women and Girls since 2015.

Medellín, with the guidelines of UN Women, has gone further. It has innovated and has become a benchmark in other parts of the world for its commitment and for being able to reach places such as public transport to build a safe territory for women and girls.

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Distrito Térmico de EPM Medellín

Thermal District: Green Infrastructure that Cares for the Air We Breathe in Medellín

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EPM makes affordable and non-polluting energy available to the community through the La Alpujarra Thermal District, a pioneering project in Latin America to take care of the planet.

“The first thermal district of Latin America is in Medellín,” “Medellín enters the wave of green facades” and “Pilot projects that fight global warming.” This is how the national media informed the world of the start-up of the first thermal district that was built in Medellín, a project providing, since 2016, air conditioning on demand to the buildings of the Medellín Mayor’s Office, the City Council, the Departmental Assembly, the Metropolitan Area and the Colombian Tax and Customs Authority.

“The district was designed to meet two objectives: to efficiently use air conditioning service and to eliminate polluting elements,” says Carlos Arturo Díaz Romero, Natural Gas Vice President of EPM.

The process produces cold water. It is transported to buildings and finally distributes air conditioning for the offices, with an efficient water circulation, without waste, from natural gas and electricity, as primary sources to produce thermal energy.

This achievement was made possible thanks to the EPM Group, with the support of the Economic Affairs Secretariat of Switzerland -Seco-, the Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Presidential Cooperation Agency of Colombia -ACP- and under the coordination of ACI Medellín.

The La Alpujarra Thermal District has a capacity of 3,600 tons of refrigeration. Today, with customers who use air conditioning on demand, it is using 80% of its capacity.

A Success with a Local Seal

The use of thermal districts in the world is quite common, especially for the generation of heat during cold seasons. Switzerland, the United States, China, Denmark and many other nations have adopted this energy efficiency technology to slow down the growth of the carbon footprint.

In Medellín, a meeting of wills made it possible for this thermal district to become reality, with a particular fact: while these districts are commonly used for hotels, hospitals and private buildings in the rest of the world, here, the government sector was the first encouraged to implement this solution. “The customers believed, they bet on it, wanted to do things, waited patiently and now enjoy the results,” says Carlos Arturo Díaz.

From the beginning, there has been interest in replicating the system in other cities of the country, such as Bogotá, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena and Bucaramanga. If we consider that 75% of the population in Colombia lives in cities and that almost 70% of these are located below 1,500 meters above sea level, there is much potential for the use of cold, says the EPM vice president of Gas.

In addition to the service, this infrastructure has been designed for the purpose of fulfilling educational and didactic functions so that, in the future, other companies will implement it so that their projects do not start from scratch, but with the knowledge acquired from this first experience.

USD 6 millones en aportes de la Secretaría de Asuntos Económicos de Suiza.

An Environmental Oasis

A differentiating element in this successful case is the urban intervention. Located in a complex area of the city, with high traffic, surrounded by mechanics’ workshops and other businesses, it was a challenge to build an environmentally friendly construction, sustainable and connected to the integral renovation plan of the city center.

Thus, the work was not only of a technological nature, but also on the landscape. This is one of the aspects that amazes foreign visitors, since thermal districts are usually armored or hidden constructions. However, this one in Medellín is visible and stands out like a breath of oxygen in the middle of a highly mobile area.

Its construction is anti-noise, does not require any maintenance by customers and increases the usable space of the building, because it eliminates the need for installation of a chiller or water cooler.

The search to multiply this class of projects, even with other applications, continues. An example of this is under study in Urabá in order to take advantage of residual elements and organic waste to generate energy, in this case cold, for food preservation.

By implementing the district, the project contributes to the commitments of Colombia as part of the Montreal Protocol, to the goals of the Colombian Low Carbon Development Strategy and the Program for the Rational and Efficient Use of Energy. In addition, a seed is sown from a regional scope for the Earth’s preservation.

100% ozone depleting substances eliminated. Between 25% and 30% savings in energy consumption.

2004

Evaluation of technological developments to solve energy distribution of air conditioning. The distribution of frozen water from EPM to Plaza Mayor was implemented.

2012

EPM and the Ozone Technical Unit – UTO, in Spanish – of the Ministry for the Environment joined forces to replace equipment that works with ozone-depleting refrigerant substances, greenhouse gases and inefficient energy use, in buildings in the La Alpujarra sector.

2013

Alliance to develop the La Alpujarra Thermal District and promote policies and actions
in the country that allow replicating this type of projects.

2016

La Alpujarra Thermal District.
starts operations.

“An innovative experience” Jorge Londoño De La Cuesta

Jorge Londoño De la Cuesta
Jorge Londoño De la Cuesta, EPM General Manager.

 

Why is the EPM Thermal District a strategic project for the city and for the company? This initiative is part of the growth and search for new products and services portfolio of EPM, which leverages the strategy to favor competitive and sustainable territories based on energy efficiency processes, reduction of operating costs, customer loyalty and reduction of emissions that pollute the environment. This type of initiative drives the development of projects aimed at positioning Medellín as an innovative city.

How do you contribute toward the compliance of the SDGs? The Thermal District of EPM, when generating thermal energy using natural gas as fuel in a high efficiency afterburner system, is friendly to the environment. In addition, it is important to note that, with the implementation of the District in the La Alpujarra sector, 30% of greenhouse gases and 100% of emissions of substances that exhaust the ozone layer are reduced.

What has been the influence of the ACI Medellín in this type of initiatives, as a link between companies and local government institutions and foreign investors? These types of links are important and necessary because they provide security to investors when they see that, through these agencies, resources are directed for the execution of strategic projects for the community that reflect governability in the regions. Through institutions such as the ACI Medellín, it is possible to generate pedagogical scenarios to promote that external agents evidence environmental culture and innovation.

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Medellín, ciudad del aprendizaje

Medellín, A City for Learning

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Visiting the Fiesta del Libro – Book Festival – and attending a talk by authors; enrolling a child in the program of comprehensive childhood care Buen Comienzo; taking advantage of the benefits of information and communications technologies in a public library; or attending concerts or film shows in the Unidades de Vida Articulada UVA – Articulated Life Units – are some of the advantages of Learning Cities, a distinction that UNESCO awarded to Medellín on 2017 for promoting and ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education, promoting long life learning opportunities.

Having the opportunity to learn in parks, educational centers, libraries, museums, government programs and cultural events is a benefit of living in a territory that vibrates with knowledge.

By fulfilling the commitment to provide equity in education, the city is implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 11, making it a great achievement to integrate a vision that transcends schools and includes other public spaces of the city, available for people to enjoy and take advantage of.

“What UNESCO does is to recognize these good practices,” says the Secretary of Education, Luis Guillermo Patiño, who testifies to the benefits of being a participant in this achievement. He says this while walking through yet another of the spaces generated for the enjoyment of city residents: The Feria del Libro y la Cultura (The Book and Culture Festival), an annual event that takes place in the Botanical Gardens and that gathers a wide cultural program in the northern area of the city.

“ACI Medellín has been very important for the city, because it has acted as an articulating ally between Medellín, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Presidency of Colombia and UNESCO. It has helped us to weave these relationships, to show these networks abroad and to showcase the city to the world as one having quality education.” Luis Guillermo Patiño, Secretary of Education of Medellín.

Beyond Classrooms

Education in Medellín includes more than 400,000 students from public and private institutions and connects inhabitants of all ages through programs created to provide coverage to the population of all conditions and possibilities.

Buen Comienzo, En el Colegio Contamos con Vos, Escuela Entorno Protector and Alianzas con Vos are a few of the most outstanding programs, in addition to other alternatives such as schools for inclusion, youth clubs and higher education scholarships, Sapiensa, which are articulated with other secretariats and public and private institutions in order to generate significant environments.

Being a member of the Global Network of Learning Cities of UNESCO-GNLC-, to which only 14 Latin American countries belong, assures Medellín has access to benefits such as the transfer of knowledge with other cities in the world, the promotion of public education policies and provision skills and instruments for the stimulation of education.

The commitment of the community to maintain its participation in this select group is also fundamental. Its purpose is to achieve the dream of improving the quality of life of the inhabitants through the enjoyment of learning.

An educational possibility for every moment of life

Good Start

Children from gestation to 5 years

Serves children from gestation to five years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers in vulnerable conditions, in the 16 communes and 5 townships of Medellín. It benefited more than 89,000 people in 2017.

Inclusion is with you

Children with learning difficulties

Guarantees the right to education, which goes beyond the allocation of the school quota, to access to education, enrollment and adaptation to the educational institution.

Forming Talents

Youth population

Prepares young people to develop their talents through activities that allow them to deepen their passions. The Medellín Mayor’s Office, in conjunction with Comfama, are the leading entities. In 2018, more than 1,754 places have been opened for job training courses.

Alliances with You, School Protective, Complementary Education and At School we Count on You

Children and young people

Alliances with You: strategic alliances involving universities, businesses and private schools that are committed to improving the quality of education in Medellín.

School Protective: supports educational institutions in the prevention of situations, such as school harassment, teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, suicidal behavior, consumption of psychoactive substances and the use of minors by criminal groups. This program benefited 291,444 students from public schools in 2017.

Complementary Education: spaces for students to make creative use of their free time in areas such as science and technology, culture, environment, sports, citizenship training and bilingualism.

At School we Count on You: entails travel through the communes of the city in search of out of school children to introduce families to the school offer in order for their children to study. In 2017, the program identified 1,919 students who had dropped out of school and reintegrated them into the education system.

Teacher Innovation Center -Mova-, Sapiencia

Young people and adults

Mova, Teacher Innovation Center: trains teachers in teaching and learning methodologies in their areas of knowledge.

Sapiencia: manages public resources for the comprehensive education of citizens in higher education. This agency awarded 10,000 scholarships for technological programs related to the cluster sector of the city.

Digital Education Course

Senior adults

Training process in basic skills to develop in the digital world, improve the quality of life and promote access to technology.

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Centro para la Cuarta Revolución Colombia

ACI Medellín was key for the establishment of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Colombia

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The internationalization of Medellin involves the construction of relationships and contacts with various entities around the world to positively activate the progress of the city. It is when ACI Medellín acquires a relevant value as a strategic organization for the attraction and establishment of new international entities, such as the first Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This is the first Center of its kind to be based in a Latin American country. Medellín stands out for investing of 2.14% of its GDP in science, technology and innovation activities.

This process has been a path of dialogue and agreements with the World Economic Forum in which the national and local governments have set goals in the short and medium term to comply with the agreement. The first agreement is related to the efficiency of public entities through the implementation of artificial intelligence applications; the second will promote the appropriation of new technologies to develop the internet of things and thus consolidate smart cities; finally, a final agreement which focuses on prioritizing Blockchain-based solutions: digitization of information that will allow making decisions to streamline procedures in real time.

Together with Colombia, three more Centers for the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be established in Israel, Norway and the Arab Emirates.

All these advances and the commitment to make them a reality, require the support not only from the government but also from the private and academic sectors. Therefore, Medellín’s University-Business Sector-State Committee will be key to increase the competitiveness of the city to promote the development of regulations and policies at the service of all the countries of Latin America through the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Finally, after the announcement has been made official on January 23 at the 2019 World Economic Forum, the activities for the implementation of this Center in the Ruta N facilities will start. A specialized team will oversee the activities required for its establishment under the direction of the WEF together with the other Centers of the same category which already exist in the world: San Francisco (United States), Tokyo (Japan), Beijing (China) and Mumbai (India).

“This is a project of great importance for our country, we have worked constantly to make it a reality so that Medellin is the host city. Today I can say that we take a step forward towards the recognition of a new era that implies great advances but at the same time a great commitment. ACI Medellín will have a key role supporting the articulation with the World Economic Forum and meet the guidelines for its opening in the first semester of 2019,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

Iván Duque, Presidente de Colombia
From Davos, Switzerland, the President of Colombia, Iván Duque, announced the new Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be installed in Medellín.
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Huertas urbanas y rurales

Urban and rural kitchen gardens are an alternative in Medellín to increase food security

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Home grown crop

Every morning, Mr. Mario Pimienta finds motivation to get up early. He takes care of his cilantro, paprika, lettuce, chard and radish plants with the same devotion as he cares for his grandchildren or his family. It is a daily and patient ritual: planting, watering, scattering the soil and checking if his crops are ready to be shared at the table. He has reached sixty years of marriage, raised five children and is now retired from his work life. He makes his urban kitchen garden a reason to learn, eat healthy and enjoy a personal therapy to which he dedicates time and desire.

“It is a very pleasant experience, because I know I eat well, with vegetables without contaminants and with the joy of knowing that they are the result of my own effort,” explains Don Mario. Of all that he has sown in the twelve baskets of his backyard, he affirms, amid smiles, that he does not like radishes and that he would like to plant onions, his favorite.

Huertas con Vos also provides advice and technical support to crops that are the result of a personal or family effort. Thus, the Municipal Administration supplies the experience and the necessary human team to bring knowledge to the territories.

Huertas urbanas y sociales
Mario Pimienta and his urban garden in the Comuna 9
of Medellín, Buenos Aires.

This dream of having a piece of the farm within his house, in the east of Medellín, was born the day he heard from the voice of his neighbors that the Medellín Mayor’s Office had a program to grow vegetables at home for everyday consumption.

He was encouraged, attended the theoretical and practical workshops, and finally received the tool kit consisting of a rake, watering can, plastic bag, fertilizer and seeds.

This is how Huertas con Vos (Urban and Rural Kitchen Gardens with you) operates. It is a program of the Municipal Administration that guarantees the consumption of healthy, varied, sufficient and planned products. For the Secretary of Social Inclusion, Paulina Suárez Roldán, “this initiative improves food security conditions, achieves savings per family and per month close to COP$70,000, strengthens family relationships and builds a social fabric.”

These orchards, rather than generators of sufficient and healthy food, are infrastructure, economic development, agricultural support, education, health, social work and an incentive to explore new and diverse gastronomic preparations.

Sustainable and Productive Indoors

To be part of Huertas con Vos, you need the availability of at least 10 square meters of the terrace, patio or green area in the urban area and 100 square meters in the rural area. You must also fill out a document in current calls, attend workshops where participants learn everything from how to plant to how to enrich meals and accompany the process of growth, as well as, to harvest and care for plants with biocompounds and biopreparations.

Esteban Gallego Restrepo, director of Food Security of the Medellín Mayor’s Office, explains that “this project is sustainable, has indicators and provides people with skills so they can appropriate and continue with their gardens over time.”

When the family harvest is so productive that it exceeds 50 kilograms, generated surpluses can be used for marketing and sale. With this Alianza por el Buen Vivir (Alliance for Good Living), the two most vulnerable links in the production chain are supported: family farmers and the final consumer, by improving sales conditions, for the former, and offering the latter, a quality product at a very good price.

This local experience has been advised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), so hat income is generated with agroproductive models and the results are visible to the world, in order to find the best international partners in its execution.

This is an associative, democratic and solidary model that makes it possible, for example, for family members to sell 14 tons of Creole potatoes every month to school restaurants in the city.

In this fashion, we work from Medellín, in conjunction with other programs, to meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable, eradicate extreme hunger and malnutrition, and facilitate access to nutritious and sufficient food throughout the year.

An urban kitchen garden:

  • Green curly lettuce
  • Purple cabbage
  • Tomato
  • Radish
  • Paprika
  • Chard Beet
  • Carrot

An rural kitchen garden:

  • Green curly lettuce
  • Purple curly lettuce
  • Green cabbage
  • Purple cabbage
  • Tomato
  • Carrot
  • Beet
  • Cucumber
  • Cilantro
  • Chard
  • Zucchini
  • Red onion
  • Radish
  • Red bean
  • Pea
  • Bean
  • Curuba
  • Lulo
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Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga on Citizen Participation: WCS 2018 Interview

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Mayor Federico Gutiérrez shares about the importance of citizen participation, the city’s social transformation and hosting the upcoming WCS Mayors Forum 2019 in Medellin.

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Paseo Bolivar, Medellín

A legal, equitable and inclusive Medellín

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By Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga

Medellín is a fascinating city. Precisely, what makes our present so valuable is our past. After living through terrible episodes of fear and violence in the 80s and 90s, our society learned how to rebuild itself and is a reference of transformation in the world today.

During this path, we have learned the importance of aligning ourselves with the global agenda and of planning our advances in the mid and long terms. This is why we have thought of ourselves in terms of the challenges all the world’s cities face, en route to what 193 world leaders defined in 2015: the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – which aim for the elimination of extreme poverty, of inequality and injustice and answer to a global sustainability agenda.

As part of the strive for a more equitable and inclusive city, in social and territorial terms, from the beginning of our Government, we decided to incorporate 70% of the SDGs to the 2016-2019 Development Plan: Medellín Cuenta con vos. Not all objectives are included, since some are not applicable, as for instance, the protection of oceans.

Medellín met the universal call of the United Nations Program to put an end to poverty, protect the planet and guarantee that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Our Development Plan makes up the city’s route map and contains a work agenda focussed on persons, prosperity, peace, the planet and its partnerships, the five thematic focuses defined by the UN that answer to the three dimensions which make up sustainability: social, economic and environmental.

70% of the Sustainable Development Goal indicators are incorporated to the 2016-2019 Development Plan.

The focus on people covers five of the SDGs: an end to poverty, zero hunger, health and welfare, quality of education and gender equality. We have made significant advances in this sense. For example, Education is the Development Plan line with the highest allotted budget. This is due to our conviction and need that children achieve their dreams within the framework of legality, that children become “experts” but in the realm of medicine, science and art, that they are educated personally and professionally and contribute to the economic and social development of the city.

Among the main advances are the increase in coverage of the Buen Comienzo (Good Start) Program, which went from 69.2% in 2015 to 78.7% in 2017, and the decrease in illiteracy rates and school desertion. In addition, there is an evident improvement in the quality of education in schools, an increase in scholarships for undergraduate education and 300 scholarships for masters programs for our teachers between 2017 and 2019. Moreover, UNESCO recognized Medellín as a Learning City, integrating it to a group of a mere 14 Latin American cities that stand out for their efforts in achieving quality education along the life of their inhabitants.

The goal is for Medellín to reach, in 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals that were globally defined, for which a city agenda has been made hand-in-hand with the private sector and academia.

In this focus of Prosperity, associated to economic development and to which other SDGs are linked: accessible and non-polluting energy, decent employment and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduction of inequality and sustainable cities and communities, the city has a public policy for economic development that is supported by knowledge as a starting point for productivity, generation of employment and improvement in competitiveness. Proof of this is that the city currently invests 2.14% of its Gross Domestic Product in activities of science, technology and innovation. Our goal was to reach 3% in 2021 but we will surely meet that goal prior to that.

With regards to the focus of Peace, the world is witness to our efforts to overcome the past to building a just society that is inclusive and violence-free. This is why we have begun an ethical fight against illegality and criminal activities, which has been showing results. Notwithstanding, we are convinced that social investment is key and that transformation is achieved from within people and families, which is why we have been giving, hand-in-hand with my wife, Margarita, workshops in positive discipline and rearing in the most vulnerable zones in the city.

Medellín has a work plan focused on people, prosperity, peace, the planet and alliances. Photo, visitor to the Book Festival at the Joaquín Antonio Uribe Botanical Garden.

This sustainability agenda is an opportunity to articulate efforts among public and private institutions and civil society, thus improving the quality of life of people.

In the Planet thematic focus, sustainable mobility projects are our priority because they will enable us to improve the quality of the air we breath. We have advanced in renovation of vehicles, entry of electric cabs and the first articulated bus working with electric energy. We have increased the number of eco-stations, invested more than COP$76,000 million in the adaptation of bike routes, COP$298,000 million in the Picacho Metrocable and COP$45,000 million in the 30 green corridors in the city.

In the Partnership focus, we are clear in the knowledge that these are key for the development of the city and must be centered on the needs of the most vulnerable population. On 2016 and 2017, Foreign Direct Investment totalled USD 583 million and resources for cooperation amounted to USD 12.8 million. Ten South-South cooperation partnerships have been established and 52 projects have benefitted from the agreements for international cooperation.

We know these achievements are significant but are also aware that this is a long term process which began in previous years and to which we have given continuity. However, there is still much work to do. Notwithstanding, we are satisfied, because each invested resource corresponds to the Development Plan and the route map that was created with responsibility and stemming from the diagnosis of a city which began a transformation process, but that must keep working so that these achievements render the well-being of the population.

Content of the Revista Link 2018

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Aporte de Medellín a la Agenda 2030

Our Contribution to the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda

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Of the 231 indicators within the Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs – and the 200 outcome indicators that are part of the Medellín Cuenta con vos (Medellín Counts on You) 2016-2019” Development Plan, there are two indicators that are fundamental for the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area. These two are the contribution from our task, two challenges that significantly affect the economic and social development of the city and impact the achievement of results of the 2030 Agenda: “amount of national and foreign investment reported for development and competitiveness” and “amount of national and international technical and financial cooperation received.”

Executive Director, ACI Medellín, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal.

Although these two indicators are directly associated with SDG 17, “Partnerships for the goals,” their impact is also reflected on five more objectives: 4. Quality education; 8. Decent work and economic growth; 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure; 10. Reduction of inequalities, and 11. Sustainable cities and communities.

Our goals in nationally and internationally managed cooperation and in attracting foreign investment, as well as the actions we take going forward in the search for the internationalization of the City-Region, reflect our commitment to the contribution toward the improvement of the quality of life of the community, regarding the economic and social development of Medellin and the region. We are achieving this through the articulation of national and international actors with whom cooperation and investment partnerships are consolidated.

Directly, the actions carried out by the Agency in meeting these challenges seek the social development of the territory with equity, inclusion and sustainability.

Our task is putting Medellín on the global scene in a positive way, highlighting its advantages and competencies, generating trust and working together with international organizations, promoting local and global relationships. The Agency also showcases the city in different scenarios to promote and stimulate investment. This initiative leads to materializing of results such as the exchange of experiences and knowledge, capturing technical and financial support, generation of quality employment, qualification of human talent, development and strengthening of physical and technological infrastructures, economic growth and improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants.

At ACI Medellín, we understand the dimensions of this global commitment and the significant impact we have on achieving this collective goal that erases the borders between countries and shows us how to walk hand in hand. For this reason, we have assumed the challenge with total responsibility, a sense of belonging and, above all, with a deep love and respect for our city, the region and the country.

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RoboRAVE entrega premio internacional en robótica a estudiantes de Medellín

RoboRAVE International awards students from Medellín

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Four students and a teacher from the Santa María Educational Institution were awarded by RoboRAVE in the Line Following category 2018, in Badajoz, Spain 

The winners are part of the Complementary Education program for the educational strengthening of the Medellín Mayor’s Office, which only in 2018 has served 57,787 students in 30 projects

The event was attended by 20,000 visitors from 10 countries around the world and 300 people divided in 75 teams. The Colombian delegation participated and won with a robot built by the students. It identifies and follows lines and avoids any kind of obstacle on the ground.

RoboRAVE

It is an international educational program in robotics which seeks the know-how exchange for the creation of knowledge and competitiveness in which children, young people, and adults participate in areas such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.

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Medellín tiene condiciones favorables para lograr emprendimientos

Medellín has favorable conditions to achieve high-impact ventures in Latin America

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In line with Medellín’s goal of joining the top-three most entrepreneurial cities and becoming the capital of innovation in Latin America by 2023, a study about the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the city was carried out by the Medellín Mayor’s Office, the Créame Business Incubator, and the Entrepreneurial Development Program of Argentina – PRODEM.

High impact ventures grow quickly, sustainably, profitably, and can achieve a significant level of sales in a short time. In the last three years, the Medellín Mayor’s Office has accompanied about 119,000 people in their entrepreneurship ideas.

This research analyzed variables such as human capital, entrepreneurial education, culture, business structure, science, technology and information platform; also, the local demand, social capital, funding, local institutional support, local policies, and regulations, among other aspects.

“Medellín has a young entrepreneurship ecosystem which keeps moving on and has opportunities for improvement to take the leap towards a new and more dynamic stage,” said Hugo Kantis, Entrepreneurial Development Program of Argentina.

At the same time, opportunities for improvement arose from this research, such as the strengthening of education for entrepreneurship as a tool for the development of business ideas.

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Distrito Creativo de Medellín Perpetuo Socorro

Medellín Works to Boost Orange Economy

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Medellín trabaja para dinamizar la Economía Naranja

Orange Economy refers to all those economic activities related to the cultural industry, art, and creativity. In a stricter definition: “It is the set of activities that, linked, allow ideas to be transformed into cultural goods and services, whose value is determined by their content of intellectual property.”

(“The orange economy. An infinite opportunity,” Felipe Buitrago Restrepo).

Activities that make up the sector:

Music, television, cinema, design, photography, jewelry, theater, radio, plastic arts, content generation, and cultural tourism.

Actividades que componen la Economía Naranja

Cultural and Creative Ecosystem in Medellín

Medellín has more than 1,690 companies related to Orange Economy and 99% are micro and small companies.

In 2017, this sector represented 1.5% of Antioquia’s GDP and 3.4% of the Colombian economy. Therefore, it has been prioritized as an area of opportunity by the Public Policy of Economic Development of the city.

Based on this, a great bet has been set in motion in the city to boost the cultural economy, the Perpetuo Socorro Creative District:

A 62 hectares estate located in Medellín’s center which is expected to become a hub for creativity and art and the base of operations of national and foreign companies related to this sector.

Medellín, epicentro de la creatividad y el arte

In accordance with this initiative, Medellín has designed a series of tax incentives and benefits for companies that develop creative activities within this district:

  • Property tax exemption.
  • Special rate in the signs & boards and industry & commerce taxes.

National legal framework

There is a legal framework in Colombia that covers and promotes the growth of the sector:

  • Law of Cinema (Law 814).
  • Law of Public Spectacles (Law 1493).
  • Orange Law (Law 1834).

ACI Medellín’s Proactive work

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, joined the initiative to promote and boost Orange Economy in the city and the region. Therefore, it works on two fronts:

  1. The attraction of anchor companies for the development of a creative ecosystem in Medellín.
  2. Active search for investors that work in real estate development in 31.92 hectares of the Creative District.
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La Red C40 prestará apoyo técnico al Plan de Acción Climático de Medellín

The C40 Network will Provide Technical Support to Medellín’s Climate Action Plan

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Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, Mayor of Medellín, accompanied by Manuel Olivera, regional director for Latin America of C40 presented the planning framework to develop the Climate Action Plan of Medellín to the members of the Metropolitan Environmental Council – CAM. This plan will guide the adaptation and mitigation actions against climate change in the city – region until 2020.

C40 Cities is an international network which connects 100 cities around the world. They combine efforts to take actions for climate and lead the way for a healthier and more sustainable future.

Medellín was included in a prioritized list of cities to receive technical assistance by C40 for its progress in initiatives related to the protection of the environment such as electric mobility, the air quality pact and green corridors. A Climate Action Plan compatible with the Paris Agreement is expected by the middle of the second semester of 2019.

The capital of Antioquia joined the C40 in 2016. Since then, the Environment Secretariat of the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area coordinate the city’s participation in the Network.

“I am convinced that taking action against climate change is no longer an option, it is imperative. Therefore, Medellín has made great progress in this purpose. The Pact for Air Quality, our electric mobility strategy, the creation of green spaces, among others, are some of the projects that demonstrate our commitment and that of our citizens to the city’s environment. Let’s continue working together for our cities, proposing great actions aiming to meet the Paris Agreement,” said the Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.

Since May this year, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez represents Medellín and is vice president of this international network. Also, together with the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile, the city represents the Latin America chapter.

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Gestión de Cooperación Internacional

ACI Medellín Works in Six Lines of International Cooperation

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The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín- manages and oversees international cooperation opportunities for public initiatives and programs of social impact.

According to the origin of the resources for international cooperation, there are six cooperation modes:

Decentralized cooperation: refers to the set of actions promoted by local and regional governments for the dynamization of cooperation. Usually, these are medium and long-term actions aimed at enhancing the development of the territory and, sometimes, with the direct participation of interested population groups.  

Horizontal cooperation (South-South): promotes the generation of positive agendas and exchange of knowledge and experiences among developing countries. This type of cooperation is horizontal and solidary, focused on supporting the priorities of the countries involved.

Vertical cooperation (North-South): it involves a developed country and another one developing or with a lower level. In this mode, technical or financial cooperation provided by official bodies (State, local governments, executing agencies) or private entities that promote economic and social development come into play. These on-reimbursable resources are destined for developing countries and multilateral institutions.

Triangular cooperation: a mixed modality of international cooperation. It combines traditional or vertical cooperation with horizontal cooperation to provide cooperation to a third developing country.

Private cooperation: it refers to the provision of technical or financial resources by the private sector to promote innovation, development, generation of employment, wealth, and to reduce poverty.

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Cooperación en Medellín

The Public Policy for International Cooperation, a roadmap towards development

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The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín carried out the lectures: “Let’s talk about the public policy of international cooperation in Medellín.”

More than 14 civil society organizations attended the conference on “Public Policy for International Cooperation of Medellín” which took place from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in the Software Incubator.

The meeting addressed issues such as International cooperation, the National Development Plan, the main issues for managing cooperation, recommendations for the mobilization of resources in social organizations, and access and use of the ACI Cooperation Platform.

The organizations had a space to share their needs and experiences in international cooperation to establish alliances and achieve networking among the attendees.

“Beyond the public policy we are talking about how to access international cooperation and some tips for organizations to learn how to approach it. Breaking paradigms is very important because cooperation is not only financial but also technical. Also, it is important to articulate actors so that the organizations understand there is a public policy they can rely on to have an effective and efficient cooperation not only in Medellín but throughout the region,” said Catalina Escobar, co-founder of Makaia and supporter of the event.

Also, there was an opportunity to socialize the International Cooperation Platform operated by ACI Medellín, a useful tool for civil society organizations.

“ACI Medellín carries out strategic activities to develop international cooperation and effectively impact the programs and projects of the Municipal Administration, a very important task to improve the quality of life of citizens. In this sense, our work is complementary to the management carried out by many organizations in the city, and that is why ACI Medellín seeks to strengthen them and guide them towards a good performance,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

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Rutas aéreas internacionales de Medellín

Two new direct Air Routes connect Medellín and North America

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Starting in November, Orlando (United States) and Cancun (Mexico) join the international air routes that bring Medellín closer to the world and strengthen bilateral tourism.

The city already has 22 national and 12 international air routes.

“Greater air connectivity increases competitiveness, generates trade and tourism, which translates into economic development. Strengthen our air connectivity and making the city increasingly attractive, should be a constant work of both the public and private sectors,” said Maria Fernanda Galeano Rojo, Secretary of Economic Development of Medellín

Spirit and Aero Mexico are the two airlines that rely on Medellín as an attractive destination for travelers.

“Facilitating the operational conditions for the connection between countries is a very important issue reflected in the arrival of new air routes. This has been achieved thanks to the investments of the national government amounting to 425 billion pesos in the transformation, expansion, and modernization of the airport. Thus, generating more spaces for customers and passengers,” highlights Sara Ramírez Restrepo, General Manager of Airplan.

According to the Civil Aeronautics, in the last ten years, the number of international routes has doubled in Colombia with an increase of 168.4% in the number of passengers. The latest report of Sectoral Studies of the entity indicates that between January and September of 2018, air transport mobilized 27 million 600 thousand passengers, 2.7% more compared to the 26 million 915 thousand users transported in 2017.

According to figures from SITUR, between January and September of 2018 compared to 2016, the growth of travelers has been:

Medellín to Mexico: 31.49%
Mexico to Medellín: 20.44%
The United States to Medellín: 20.52%

Thanks to this commitment of the two airlines, the Mexican Caribbean, the center of Florida, and Medellín, will be just a flight away. This translates in decreasing both time and costs in travel and favors people, cultures, and trade.

Information about the new air routes:

Orlando:
Since November 9, Spirit began operations to/from Orlando, Florida to José María Córdova Airport, operated by Airplan SAS. Airbus A-319 aircraft with capacity for 145 passengers, will travel in two weekly frequencies on Mondays and Fridays.

Cancun:
As of November 17 and on board of Aero Mexico’s Embraer 190, with a capacity for 99 passengers, people can travel between Cancun and Medellín with two weekly trips, on Saturdays and Sundays.

José María Córdova Airport, operated by Airplan SAS:
In 2017, 7,450,000 national and international passengers were mobilized at José María Córdova Airport, is the second airport in passenger mobilization after El Dorado Airport.

The international passenger terminal was expanded by 3,900 m2 and has three new positions for aircraft parking in this area. The capacity of the Airport has increased to 17 platform positions, new commercial and handling facilities were enabled for the service of the airlines.

 

Written by: Medellín Mayor’s Office

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Medellín será la sede de la 49 Asamblea General de la OEA

Medellín will host the 49th OAS General Assembly

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For the second time, Medellín is chosen to host the General Assembly of the Organization of American States – OAS. The decision was made by Resolution of that same entity, after Colombia stated its intention to host the meeting between June 26 and 28, 2019.

The General Assembly is the ultimate meeting of the Organization of American States. It is composed by the delegations of the member states and is held annually in a venue chosen under the principle of rotation.

“It will be a great honor to receive the 35 delegations of the member countries and other special guests in this summit on June of next year. With the warmth of our people, our city infrastructure and the support of the institutions, we will carry out one of the best meetings in the history of the Organization of American States,” said the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.

OAS is the oldest regional entity in the world and one of the most extensive. Today, it constitutes the main political, legal and social governmental forum of the hemisphere.

The celebration of the 49th edition of the OAS Assembly joins other events of great international relevance that will be held in Medellín next year, such as: the World Cities Summit , the Meeting of UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities , the World Avocado Congress , the Concordia Summit , among others that will make: “Medellín the epicenter of major meetings in Latin America and the world in 2019” added the local leader.

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Memoria y reflexión en Medellín

Medellín Builds a new Future

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Although Medellín has opened other public calls which have earned it worldwide recognition for its social and urban progress, this architectural design contest symbolizes not only transformation but the beginning of a space for memory, reflection, and reconciliation.

On October 23, 2018, the Medellín Mayor’s Office and its Urban Development Company – EDU advised by the Colombian Society of Architects, started the first stage of the architecture competition for the design of the new public space for memory and reflection. It will replace one of the icons associated with drug trafficking and the violence suffered by Medellín in the 80s and 90s: the Monaco building, which will be demolished at the beginning of 2019.

As part of the award, a consultancy contract, and three prizes will be paid for a total of COP $351,480,000. The participation guidelines can be consulted online on  SECOP I.

The private secretary of the Mayor of Medellín, Manuel Villa said: “What we want is to overthrow, demolish or dismantle it to build a new symbol which honor the victims. We do not mean to erase the scars. On the contrary, we intend to heal and create other referents of legality and ethics to effectively fight for that transformation of society.”

Among the selection criteria, the participants must consider four components: urban, architectural, environmental and social. In addition, the compilation of 25 categories in which citizens of Medellín expressed their will and wishes -922 proposals in total- about this new scenario of resilience and resignification.

Through this contest, the municipal administration seeks to ensure transparency, a broad participation of architects, and to encourage the contribution of young talents, quality design, and citizen intervention around issues of memory as promoted by the initiative of “Culture of legality.”

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Mercados campesinos una estrategia que vincula el desarrollo económico y la seguridad alimentaria

Mercados Campesinos, a Strategy to link Economic Development and Food Security

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With 30 years of operation, Mercados Campesinos is a government strategy which has managed to benefit more than 500 peasant families in the capital of Antioquia, through 21 selling points around the city.

Mercados Campesinos [Peasant Markets] is a strategy of the Medellín Mayor’s Office which provides a space for small and medium producers from the rural area of ​​the city to sale their products directly to the consumer, thus eliminating the intermediation chains and improving the income of producers and their families.

This strategy, which seeks to promote the entrepreneurship of the rural population of Medellín, not only impacts the rural economy but also provides citizens with access to fresh and organic food with the best quality at a lower cost.

Thus, Mercados Campesinos, together with other programs of the Municipal Administration and the private sector, work together to facilitate access to nutritious food and support the task of Medellín in meeting the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals SDG1 No poverty, SDG2 Zero hunger, and SDG12 Responsible production and consumption. 

In line with this task, Medellín has made alliances with renowned international actors, which have allowed it not only to strengthen these programs but also their international positioning, such as:

  • The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, Medellín joined in 2014 to generate a tool that harmonizes all the rules and best practices connected with food production, distribution, and consumption at the urban level. To define new objectives and monitor indicators, provide constant support to all mayors in their daily work and to make cities more resilient to both the famine and Co2 emissions.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization – FAO carried out the Food for Cities initiative between 2015 and 2017   to guarantee the food security of the urban sectors.
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Medellín, Ciudad del aprendizaje

Medellín Reaffirms its Position as a Learning City

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Medellín becomes a worldwide example of best practices on education issues with the lowest dropout rate in its history reaching 2.9%. This is a result of policies and programs which seek to train citizens throughout their life cycle.

This is the lowest dropout rate in Medellín’s history. Medellín, the first Colombian city to join the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, will host the Network’s world meeting in 2019.

14 years ago, the capital of Antioquia started a transformation process in which education has been fundamental to achieve social changes. The work and the combination of efforts have reduced the school desertion, one of the biggest problems of the educative system, in 29% during this period. The greatest results were reached during the last two years through programs like: En el colegio contamos con vos, ¡y con tu voz! [We count on you and your voice at school!] which has brought back 5,165 children and young people to the classrooms.

These programs join other best practices such as Buen Comienzo, Sapiencia, the Software Nursery, and the recently inaugurated Teacher Innovation Center – MOVA -, among others. All of them have made Medellín a world leader in educational issues, thus guaranteeing its entry to the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities, and to be chosen to host the Network’s global meeting for the first time in South America in 2019.

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Medellín promueve oportunidades de inversión y cooperación en Londres

Medellín Explores Investment and Cooperation Opportunities in London

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ACI Medellín carried out a work agenda in the capital of the United Kingdom after the announcement of their interest in investing in Colombia. The United States and Spain have also demonstrated their interest in this issue. The agenda included visits to the Peckham Levels creative district, one-on-one meetings with investment funds and companies interested in venturing into Medellín.

The Colombian Embassy to the United Kingdom, Procolombia, and the Consulate of Colombia in London supported the agenda providing relationship, arranging appointments and opening calls to the public of interest.

In line with the international cooperation work line of ACI Medellín, a meeting was also held with the British Council to discuss issues of cooperation in terms of security, peace and coexistence, and bilingualism. In addition, this trip to London was the perfect opportunity to have a meeting with the Paisas living in this city.

“London has always been present on our radar in terms of investment. We believe that we can have good alliances to strengthen Medellín in terms of economic development and creativity. Colombia is an important market for the United Kingdom, and Medellín has competitive advantages that make it very attractive for investors and supporting agencies in terms of cooperation. Colombia is a country of regions, and each one has its benefits. Medellín stands out for its ability to make things happen, its people, its continuity, among others,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

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Summit Trampoline Park Medellín

Summit Opens its Second Indoor Trampoline Park in Colombia

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In November, Medellín will have a new space for healthy indoor entertainment with 100 trampolines and a wide range of activities for children, young people, and adults. In a 2,900 mt2 area, the park has a capacity for more than 400 people per hour and will generate 35 direct jobs.

Under the concept of healthy entertainment for all ages, the first indoor trampoline park arrives in Medellín with an innovative and fun model seeking to differentiate itself from the available offer in the city.

This is the second opening in Colombia within the framework of a Regional expansion plan of the U.S. based company which includes cities such as Panama, Dominican Republic, Chile, and Uruguay. Their investment totaled 2 million dollars and will generate 35 direct jobs.

Summit Trampoline Park Medellín

“This park fits the strategic proposal of INDER which aims at promoting sports, recreation, and physical activities in different spaces. The Olympic trampolines will help future young promises of the Team Medellín to practice gymnastics” affirmed Andrés Felipe López Vergara, INDER’s chief city-events officer.

Thus far, the city has received a total amount of USD 249.9 million between new investments and reinvestments. 22 new companies have settled in Medellín and eight more have reinvested. Therefore, 2,945 jobs in the infrastructure, real estate, food and industry 4.0 sectors are estimated. ACI Medellín supported the opening and settling process of the Summit Trampoline Park in the city.

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Semilleros Infantiles de Participación Ciudadana reciben premio en Portugal

The Child Workshops for Citizen Participation Program was Awarded in Portugal

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The XV Congress of Educating Cities: “The city belongs to the people,” was held in Portugal, from November 13 to 16. Medellín participated with the project Child Workshops for Citizen Participation of the Medellín Mayor’s Office and managed by the Secretariat of Citizen Participation.

It is the Educating Cities Award of the International Association of Educating Cities (IAEC).

  • The project Child Workshops for Citizen Participation is executed by the Secretariat of Citizen Participation of the Medellín Mayor’s Office.
  • The project received the award in the XV Congress of Educating Cities, Cascais 2018.
  • ACI Medellín managed and supported the application of this initiative.

Child Workshops for Citizen Participation is a proposal born in 2013. It aims to increase the participation levels among children and young people of Medellín through a training process in citizen and democratic capacities.

The Secretariats of Citizen Participation, Education, Youth, Inclusion and Environment and the Inclusion Unit of the LGBTI Population work together in this project.

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín – led and supported the award application process in which 49 cities from 12 countries nominated.

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Learnings from the Medellín Lab 2018

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There is no doubt that the reflections, analyses and learnings left by the Medellín Lab 2018 will be of great use for the growth of the participating cities in this second edition of the laboratory of living experiences of Medellín. This second edition of the Medellín Lab included tours around the city projects, joint creation workshops and presentations of positive city proposals.

29 participants from Chongqing (China), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Dakar (Senegal), Ho Chi Min (Vietnam), Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), Cape Town (South Africa) and Jakarta (Indonesia) visited important urban interventions in the social and cultural transformation of Medellín. 

The attendees from the government sector of Asia and Africa, accompanied by ACI Medellín and the World Bank, had the opportunity to visit projects and programs such as: the green corridors of El Poblado Avenue and the Oriental avenue, the EnCicla project, the Ciudad del Río sector, the Metro, the tram, the Metrocable (cable cars), the renovation proposal of the Medellín Center, the Comprehensive Urban Projects (PUI), the Commune 13, among others.

They also learned about Medellín’s mobility, transport, infrastructure, urban planning and risk management models.

During the Medellín Lab 2018, Mayor Federico Gutiérrez talked to the visitors and highlighted the achievements of the transformation of the city as a scenario for the exchange of knowledge.

Medellín Lab | MDELAB2018

“When people talk about Medellín today, the present acquires value due to the difficulties we had experienced in the past. That is one of the greatest characteristics of Medellín: How did one of the most violent cities in the world, which in 1991 had a homicide rate of 381 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, to get be considered one of the most innovative cities in the world in just 27 years?” said the mayor.

According to the participants of the event, some of the most valuable learning is related to the sense of the articulated work between the business sector, the universities, the community and State for the construction of long-term public policies. Also, the evident work in social inclusion with one integrated ticket for transport and mobility systems and the accountability and efficiency of resources to increase the citizen trust.

The Metro Culture, the Public-Private Articulation, the sense of belonging and the continuity among policies were the learnings highlighted by the attendees of the Medellín Lab 2018.

The attendees were surprised with the importance of promoting a sense of belonging for the care of the public infrastructure like the Metro Culture does. At the same time, they highlighted the continuity in the public agenda, despite the changes of government, for the development of the territory.

Medellín LAB, laboratorio de experiencias vivas de ciudad

The participating cities are expected to replicate some initiatives and best practices of Medellín in the short, medium and long term. Besides, the organization of the event will apply the recommendations offered by the attendees to improve future versions.

“The Medellín Lab was a very enriching experience with other cities of the world on learning and exploring what can be done in our territories to achieve progress. It is not just what the city shows, but also what it can learn and exchange in that process of achieving better living conditions for the citizens of the world. That is the purpose of this City Laboratory” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director ACI Medellín

With this second edition, the Medellín Lab becomes one of the most important laboratories of living experiences in the country and ratifies its valuable contribution to the construction of the territory based on an innovative dynamic through the knowledge and experiences of all cities of the world.

Laboratorio de experiencias vivas de ciudad en Medellín

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InicioEl Gobierno Nacional, Medellín y el Foro Económico Mundial trabajan para la creación de un centro regional para la Cuarta Revolución Industrial. El Gobierno Nacional, Medellín y el Foro Económico Mundial trabajan para la creación de un centro regional para la Cuarta Revolución Industrial

The National Government, Medellín and the World Economic Forum work in the creation of a Regional Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

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Medellín continues to demonstrate its progress in terms of innovation and leadership in new technologies for Colombia and the region. A priority also being driven by the National Government.

The Center will support the development of policy frameworks for the technological transformation of the country and Latin America under broad schemes of collaboration between the public, private, social and academic sectors. The vision of the Center and its articulation with the global networks of the World Economic Forum will aim towards the maximization of the social and economic benefits of the new technologies.

In technical meetings with José Manuel Restrepo, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism of Colombia; Federico Gutierrez Zuluaga, Mayor of Medellín; Flavia Santoro, President of Procolombia; Marisol Argueta, Head of Latin America and Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum; Diego Bustamante and Nima Elmi, from the same organization, the capital of Antioquia was chosen as the headquarters for this important initiative.

A joint work plan has been established and it is expected that President Iván Duque and Mayor Federico Gutiérrez formalize it in the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to be held in January of next year. This is one of the meetings most important of the global agenda.

Working groups were defined to structure official agreements and get them ready to be signed in Davos, Switzerland, in January next year during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. The office will be located in Ruta N and will provide service for Colombia and Latin America.

Context:

The concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is one of the topics widely developed by the World Economic Forum, its founder Klaus Schwab and other recognized academics, global leaders and organizations. It states that if the third industrial revolution is the digital revolution which has been in force since the mid-twentieth century, this new stage is characterized by a fusion of technologies blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres, and is marked by technological advances emerging in fields which include robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, the internet of things, 3D printing, among others. This new revolution is irreversibly impacting society, the economy, the government and individuals.

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Red de Escuelas de Música de Medellín

The Music Schools Network of Medellín will tour in the United States

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A delegation of 80 students from Medellín will travel to the United States on the tour called Medellín Canción Viva to interpret the repertoire with the same name. They will visit Boston, Baltimore, New York and Washington and, in the latter, they will be part of the commemoration of the Veterans Day at the Crossing Historic Park.

Between November 6 to 16, the Music Schools Network of Medellín will visit several cities in the United States playing its repertoire: Medellín Canción Viva.”

These young people who make up the orchestra, belong to the Medellín Music Schools Network. They went through several auditions organized by public call, so they could join the select group. They will perform compositions wrote by them and their teachers in the Laboratory of Musical Creation with cross-cultural aim and in the Laboratory of Musical Creation with Alternative Media for Sound Production.

The musical repertoire is the city itself, told through the sensitivity, talent and creativity of children and young people inspired by tango, salsa, rock, Colombian music and symphonic music with some touches of urban and modern rhythms.

They will also have an exchange with Berklee College of Music, considered one of the best and most important schools in the world.

For Lina Botero Secretary of Citizen Culture, the tour means “to transcend the concerts and generate scenarios for knowledge exchange, strengthening the experience of the Network so that students become multipliers within the program and in their family and community environments.”

For most of the young people of the Music School, it is the first time they will perform outside the country. It will be an encounter with another culture and sounds, an opportunity to explore, fulfill dreams and strengthen their careers.

The Music Schools Network of Medellín,

The Network was created in 1996, with the aim of reaching vulnerable children and young people in the city and offer them a life project which help them to get away from violence. Nowadays, the network has 27 schools located in 14 Communes and 3 Townships of Medellín; 11 Integrated Groups, with a coverage of 4,600 students aged between 7 and 24 years. The Program has been strengthened by developing skills around musical performance, generating pedagogical strategies to complement the interpretative exercise with reflection and creation.

 

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Medellín se prepara para la segunda edición del MedellínLab

Medellín Prepares for the Second Edition of the Medellín Lab

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Between October 28 and November 2, Medellín will be the stage for the largest city laboratory of living experiences, Medellín Lab 2018. It seeks to generate a dynamic exchange of experiences and learnings on successful solutions to problems shared among cities around the world through an innovative and participative methodology based on academic sessions, workshops, and field visits.

Medellín Lab 2018: a great laboratory of living city experiences

What is the Medellín Lab?

It is an event organized by ACI Medellín and supported by the World Bank which brings together representatives of the government sector from various cities of the world (Asia, Africa, and Latin America) to exchange knowledge and learning initiatives and successful solutions to city problems.

The meeting is based on an innovative methodology which displays the city as a “living laboratory of experiences” that make up an innovative model of public management and governance. The methodology includes academic sessions, co-creation exercises and visits to city spaces that provide it with value and learnings.

The Medellín Lab will facilitate other cities to meet and understand the solutions that Medellín has found to its problems; identify meeting points for their replicability, and transfer experiences to find common answers to the challenges they face as cities through multi-actor and multi-level cooperation actions.

This Year’s Main Subject

Its main objective will be to help the participating cities to develop or adapt the following to their development plans:

  • Integrated planning measures for the re-development of neighborhoods at risk.
  • Transportation systems to support socio-economic inclusion and the prevention of violence.
  • Business models and associated institutional structures that allow sustainable funding of the urban infrastructure improvement.

 

Participating Cities

The second edition of the Medellín Lab will be attended by representatives of the government sector of cities which are undergoing an accelerated urban and demographic explosion. This makes them face challenges like those experienced by Medellín in relation to urban, economic, social and economic development. of coexistence.

  • Chongqing, China
  • Kigali, Rwanda
  • Kinshasa, Congo
  • Dakar, Senegal
  • Nairobi, Kenya
  • Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Ho Chi Minh – Vietnam
  • Jakarta – Indonesia

 

 

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