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GLOBAL AGENDA

Decathlon

Decathlon opens the largest store in the country

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Decathlon, the French chain dedicated to sale and distribute sports accessories and equipment, will provide Medellín and the metropolitan area with the most complete inventory and innovative spaces for testing products also referred to as “testing areas.”

In this store, which generated 65 new jobs, visitors will have access to 4,000 m2 of clothing and items for 70 sports and 100 different sports practices.

The store will have a specialized technology to automatically record every purchase and update inventory in real time. As part of its commitment to the environment, Decathlon will not offer plastic bags to customers.

The company has as the corporate principle of make all its workers know the different positions through job rotation, so there’s no rank distinction in each activity. Therefore, the worker generates a transversal knowledge to understand the business in a comprehensive way.

“To democratize the sport” is one of the main goals of the company.

Decathlon has two stores in Colombia: one in Bogotá and the other in Barranquilla and has plans to open three more stores in the metropolitan area depending on the results in Viva Envigado.

During its installation process, ACI Medellín actively supported Decathlon managers with two city agendas for the recognition of spaces in shopping centers; the relationship with companies in the real estate sector and contacting them with key entities such as INDER, the Secretariat of Economic Development, the Urban Development Company and Inexmoda.

“We have permanently supported the installation of Decathlon. This allowed them to actively explore the local market and access strategic information about the capabilities of the city. We are very happy to achieve the installation of this company which, in addition to generating employment, will promote healthy lifestyles,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of the ACI Medellín.

October 24, 2018 Featured Post

New Zealand’s Economic Capital and Medellín will Exchange Planning Experiences

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Mr. Ludo Campbell-Reid, general manager of the Design Office of Auckland -economic capital of New Zealand- will visit Medellín. In 2016, Auckland, Vienna, Sidney, Medellin and Toronto were the nominees to receive the Lee Kuan Yew Award, which was awarded to the capital of Antioquia.

The Lee Kuan Yew is awarded every two years by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore and it highlights sustainable initiatives associated to urban planning and management with concrete environmental, social or economic results. In 2014, it was Suzhou (China) the awarded city and in March 2018, the winner was Seoul (South Korea) and it will be granted next year in Medellín during the World Cities Summit.

The Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, invited Campbell-Reid to exchange knowledge and recognize the best practices in planning both cities have. He is a specialist in urban design and sustainable mobility; and will expose his concepts on alternative means of transport such as bicycles and electric vehicles.

The delegate from New Zealand is a keynote speaker in WALK21 BOGOTA WALKABLE CITY, which takes place this week in the capital of Colombia and seeks to analyze progress and global alternatives in mobility issues associated with tactical urbanism, accessibility, intermodality and public transport.

In July 2019, Medellín will host the World Cities Summit -the first time it is held in Latin America- as part of the commitments acquired after winning the 2016 Lee Kuan Yew Award.

October 24, 2018 Featured Post

Conferencia Internacional de Ciudades del Aprendizaje de la Unesco

Medellín will host the IV UNESCO International Conference on Learning Cities in 2019

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Medellín was selected by UNESCO to host the International Conference on Learning Cities in 2019. In addition to this recognition, the World Cities Summit 2019 will be held in the city as a result of the Lee Kuan Yew Award received in 2016 for the efforts of Medellín in addressing urban challenges.

The capital of Antioquia was the first city in Colombia to be a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities.

Education has become a milestone of transformation in Medellín. This has led the city to generate a model of social integration through the development of lifelong-learning programs. Articulating them, not only strengthen and create knowledge, but allow to consolidate a global and sustainable community. These programs are: Buen Comienzo, Protective Environment School, Territory STEM + H, Sapiencia, the Center of Innovation for Teachers- MOVA, the Quality Schools and the future construction of the Western University Citadel.A process that the capital of Antioquia continues to build as one of the learning cities in the world.

This International Biennial Conference to be held in 2019 will allow Medellín to meet with government delegates and education experts from all continents and socialize the city’s best educational practices. Those which have allowed it to promote local development to build more inclusive and sustainable societies in the pursuit of compliance of SDG’s objective 4 ” Quality Education”

Thus, Medellín continues to project itself as a laboratory of best practices for the establishment of networks and alliances which generate the development of public policies to strengthen education throughout the life of citizens.

Las anteriores ediciones de la Conferencia Internacional se llevaron a cabo en Beijing, China; Ciudad de México y Cork, Irlanda.

October 23, 2018 Featured Post

Guajira

ACI Medellín is a Model for La Guajira

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A delegation from the department of La Guajira, located in northern Colombia, visited the facilities of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín. Their purpose was to approach ACI Medellín’s work methodology, exchanging knowledge, experiences and best practices, as well as analyzing the possibility of replicating the ACI Medellín’s model in the newly created Agency in La Guajira.

The formulation, design and start-up of this entity were an initiative of the government of La Guajira which started since 2018. It started operating nearly two months ago and will focus on the attraction of cooperation and national and foreign investment.

“We are currently in a training process to learn about what we should and should not do in terms of best practices. La Guajira has several challenges and many objectives to be met. Which is why we want to learn from those who have more experience,” said Iván José Riveira, responsible for the execution of investment proposals in the Cooperation and Investment Agency of La Guajira.

On the other hand, the representative of the Departmental Administration of La Guajira, Eliécer Barros, said that cooperation contributors have been disjointedly working and separated from the Administration. “This is an initiative which seeks to regulate the actions of cooperation contributors to make them much more efficient. The department action is very limited due to its resources, for that reason, the idea is to learn how to do more with less.”

The visit of the delegation to Medellín is part of a round of meetings they will have with other investment promotion agencies around the country to learn the best lessons from each.

“After seeing the actions of ACI Medellín, I began to seize the tasks we have to do. We know it is a long way we are beginning, and we want to start with the best guide. In that sense, you are a national reference; In fact, the change of the image of Medellín has been the model to be followed by the country. Although, as a coastal region we have different dynamics, we want to learn to communicate and change a bit the image of the Colombian Caribbean region,” Barros said.

Funcionarios de la Guajira — Iván José Riveira and Eliécer Barros from the government of La Guajira, Colombia

October 17, 2018 Featured Post

La Embajadora de la Unión Europea estrecha relaciones con Medellín y Antioquia

The Ambassador of the European Union strengthens relations with Medellín and Antioquia

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Between October 4 to 5, the Ambassador of the European Union in Colombia, Patricia Llombart, visits Medellín for the first time to deepening relations with the city and the department of Antioquia. They will focus on analyzing business opportunities and investment in the framework of the EU-Colombia Trade Agreement after five years of implementation.

The mission will also address cooperation issues such as education, tourism, environment and press freedom within the framework of the Gabriel García Márquez Award and Festival of journalism.

ACI Medellín and the Embassy coordinated a work agenda which included meetings with: representatives of the binational chambers of commerce of the European, organizations such as Procolombia, Proantioquia, Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley, Analdex and Agrofuturo, among other. Likewise, the Ambassador had the opportunity to talk with the Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga about the cooperation and investment possibilities in the city.

“We want to promote business contacts and find ways to advance an agenda between the E.U. and Antioquia. These new opportunities are accompanied by a European commitment to sustainable rural development in Colombia; a strong support for the peace process; the generation of employment; the protection of human rights and support for the competitiveness and development of small and medium company,” explained Ambassador Llombart.

About Ambassador Patricia Llombart

“Jurist and Euro-enthusiast by conviction. She was born in Valencia, Spain and did her master’s degrees in international trade and European studies. Llombart has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of international relations and foreign policy in the European Union. She has worked in the directorates for Latin America and the Middle East and oversaw Mercosur countries, Iran and Iraq; Gulf and Yemen Cooperation. The Ambassador was also part of the Cabinet of the Vice-President of the Commission and of the European Commissioner in charge of external relations. In her most recent position, before being appointed Ambassador in Colombia, she was Director of Infrastructure, Budget and Security at the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS). Source: Embassy of the European Union in Colombia.

October 8, 2018 Featured Post

Medellín comparte lecciones aprendidas en urbanismo con ciudades asiáticas y africanas

Medellín shares Lessons Learned in Urban Planning with Asian and African cities

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Medellín – ACI Medellín and the World Bank will develop the second version of the Medellín Lab, a two-way knowledge exchange methodology.

Between October 27 and November 2, 10 cities from Africa and Asia will visit Medellín to participate in the Medellín Lab. They will address issues such as urban regeneration, municipal funding mechanisms and sustainable mobility.

Experiences such as Integrated Urban Projects and Comprehensive Improvement of Neighborhoods, the Metro’s comprehensive actions and the funding mechanisms of the municipality of Medellín will be some of the successful experiences to be presented at the event. These experiences will be addressed from Medellín’s DNA, which was conceived by the base work group as the sum of: resilience, articulation, continuity, sense of belonging, working with the community, tradition of planning, public management, dignity and aesthetics.

By the end of the event, the organization expects Medellín to become a reference for concrete knowledge exchanges between cities and to share experiences that improve their contexts.

The World Bank and ACI Medellín have worked together in the event, guaranteeing a comprehensive vision of the public, private and academic aspects as key elements for the success and materialization of many realities in Medellín.

“There are many cities in the world that would like to learn from Medellín’s experience. This year we are working together with ACI Medellín in the second Medellín Lab. This time, Asian and African cities will participate on the event. It will be an excellent opportunity for the city to present these international delegations with its experiences in urban planning, mobility and funding instruments.” said Philip Karp, Lead Knowledge Management Officer in the World Bank.

“The Medellín Lab is one of the most notable events for ACI Medellín and thus for the city. It is a unique experience in Colombia, in which Medellín becomes a living laboratory for the knowledge and learnings exchange. This time, the presence of representatives from Africa and Asia will greatly enrich this experience. It undoubtedly consolidates the city as a benchmark for urban planning and transformation,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

Context

Medellín Lab is a knowledge and learning exchange methodology aimed to cooperation towards development designed by Medellín through its Agency for Cooperation and Investment – ACI Medellín.

Under this methodology, the city is understood as a “living laboratory of experiences” which make up an innovative model of public management and governance. Also, multi-actor and multi-level cooperation actions are carried out through visits, academic sessions and co-creation exercises, allowing other cities to study the solutions Medellín has found to its problems, identify meeting points for its replicability and find common answers to the challenges we face as cities.

Chongqing (China), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Mumbai (India), Jakarta (Indonesia), Nairobi (Kenya), Kigali (Rwanda), Johannesburg, Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dar es-Salaam, (Tanzania), Dakar (Senegal), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam); will be the cities participating in the second version of the event from October 27 to November 2, 2018.

September 25, 2018 Featured Post

Invertir en Medellín

Medellín succeeded in San Francisco

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After participating in the Global Climate Action Summit – C40 in San Francisco, mayor Federico Gutiérrez spoke in the event Why Medellín? and in a meeting of the Sos Paisa Network to strengthen relations of investment and cooperation.

More than 30 representatives of companies in San Francisco attended the event Why Medellín? last September 12, 2018 held at the Chamber of Commerce of the city and organized in partnership with Latin San Francisco and Procolombia’s office on the West Coast of the United States. Important companies such as Accel-KKR, Admios, Consejo Balero, Dissigno, Electronic Arts, Fist Republic Bank, Maker City Project, Tech Bay Area Advocates, Terra Incognita Capital and TIBCO Loyalty Lab, among others, listened to the reasons why in our city “we make good things happen” in terms of investment.

ACI Medellín organized both meetings with institutions in the territory, achieving a satisfactory participation of potential investors and people from Antioquia living in this city.

Presentation by the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, to representatives of companies interested in knowing the attributes of Medellín in terms of investment.

Likewise, the entrepreneur and founding CEO of Kiwi Campus , Felipe Chávez, exposed his experience settling his company in Ruta N’s innovation district: “Medellín is an incredible city, we are very happy to be in the innovation district and having the human talent suitable for the development of our activities.”

Also, during the Mayor’s stay in San Francisco, a meeting of the Network of Paisas living abroad Sos Paisa was held at the Consulate of Colombia, and about 60 Paisas and Colombians attended the meeting. They learned first-hand about the progress made by Medellín, the work of the Network and how they can participate in the development of the city.

Attendees at the Sos Paisa meeting in San Francisco with Mayor Federico Gutiérrez.

“The Mayor’s Office and ACI Medellín consider these spaces a powerful scenario for the relationship and promotion of the city in terms of cooperation and investment. We look forward to working hard in consolidating development opportunities for Medellín. I am sure our work will bear fruit and will help our city to continue to be an attractive destination for cooperation and foreign investment,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, ACI Medellín Executive Director.

September 19, 2018 Featured Post

avances de la ciudad frente a la acción climática

Mayor of Medellín talked about the progress made by the city towards the Climate Action Goals

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The mayor, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, presented the initiatives of Medellín related to the protection of the environment at the Global Summit on Climate Action (GCAS) and the C40 Steering Committee. Among these initiatives, the Mayor highlighted the Pact for Air Quality, which brings together 83 public and private stakeholders, including the C40 Network, around 446 commitments with goals set to 2030.

The local leader explained that the project is currently working on a pilot with 1,500 electric taxis which, in addition to contributing to improve air quality, are paid through a concerted plan with the taxi drivers, so it is also a social project.

Today Medellin has 20 eco stations and the Metro of Medellín continues its expansion plan with electric mobility projects such as Metrocable Picacho. The actions aim to mitigate and adapt to climate change, in the search to reduce or avoid Greenhouse Gases emissions.

The Pact for Air Quality was signed in Medellín in February this year, which links 83 public and private actors, including the C40 Network. In addition, the Mayor talked about the 20 eco stations located around the city and the expansion plan of the Metro with electric mobility projects such as the Metrocable Picacho.

There is an air decontamination plan for the city and its metropolitan area with goals set by 2030 – PIGECA. It seeks to reduce PM2.5 up to 23 in the year 2030 (it is currently at 33). Medellín went from 8 to 21 air quality monitoring devices in the metropolitan area that correspond to 50% of the stations in the country.

“Taking action against climate change is no longer an option. there might be political and cultural differences – but I know we share the love for our cities and for our people. I also know that we are committed to give our children a friendlier world in every way,” said the Mayor.

Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga thanked the recognition given to Medellín by appointing him as Vice President of the C40 Steering Committee and one of the representatives for Latin America, along with the Mayor of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile, Karla Rubilar. He also thanked Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris and President of the Steering Committee of C40 and Michael Bloomberg, founder of C40, for his determined and constant work for the development of cities facing climate change and the creation of sustainable and innovative spaces.

Medellín also accepted and joined the Letter of Commitment to ‘Deadline 2020,’ in November 2017. This project aims to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. “As a member of this committee, and in the framework of the Paris Agreement, we committed ourselves to become a neutral city in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and resilient to the climate by 2050,” said Gutierrez.

Regarding the adaptation to climate change, the Municipal Administration has projects such as the 30 green corridors, the green walls and the Payment for Environmental Services.

September 18, 2018 Featured Post

Inclusión social

More than 50 mayors from 17 countries met in Medellín to discuss social inclusion

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Medellin, Colombia. More than 50 mayors from 17 different countries from Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain met in Medellin, Colombia to exchange experiences and knowledge around social inclusion. This annual meeting is part of the Network of Cities promoted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to enhance the work of subnational governments in the region.

At the opening event of the Annual Meeting and Seminar “Inclusive Cities: Learning from Medellín” Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the IDB; Federico Gutiérrez, mayor of Medellín and Juan Luis Mejía Arango, president of EAFIT University, had a space to talk about the context and the expected results of the meeting. After the opening, the Mayor of Medellin made his presentation “Transformation of Medellin: progress and challenges of the city towards inclusion”, followed by a conversation with representatives of the University-Private Sector- State Committee (CUEE in Spanish) of Medellín.

“The Mayors’ Forum in Medellín is the ideal scenario to exchange experiences and knowledge among cities and discuss topics which are relevant to all mayors and the IDB. As Mayor of Medellín, I would like to express our interest and enthusiasm in participating in this important decision-making space which allows us to advance towards the objectives we share with other territories. We believe that we are able to connect with cities that face challenges similar to ours, in order to create sustainable changes in local environments,” Gutierrez said.

On the other hand, EAFIT’s President said: “EAFIT University is honored to be the center of such important meeting on inclusive cities as well as IDB’s Annual Meeting of Mayors. We consider it to be an opportunity, not just to offer our customary hospitality, but to show how this city has evolved and how EAFIT has contributed to its transformation and change. The creation of our Center for Urban and Environmental Studies and the generation of studies which positively impact and generate well-being in society confirms this effort. It is a way to highlight how a university can be linked to the transformation of a city. So, we are very happy to host this event. We hope the meeting will be a success and that attendees will keep an indelible memory of Medellín and EAFIT. ”

From September 17 to 19, the event will feature presentations and discussions of mayors, technical officers, experts and directors of the IDB on urban security, social inclusion in neighborhoods, sustainable mobility, and effective and efficient fiscal management. The seminars were organized in collaboration with the Santander City Council, the University of Cantabria and the Menéndez Pelayo International University, both universities are Spanish.

“The Mayors’ meeting is one of IDB’s initiatives which represents our commitment to advancing towards a sustainable development agenda for the region. This is a way to support our countries and their local governments in the efforts to improve the quality of life of its citizens through the acceleration of economic growth and the reduction of poverty and inequality, ” said Juan Pablo Bonilla, Manager of the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector of IDB.

The issues to be addressed in the Meeting were identified in line with the main demands that mayors face in their cities. For instance, from 2005 to 2015, the region doubled its total vehicle fleet, adding 100 million vehicles to its roads, increasing the demand for transportation services and the problems of pollution and traffic congestion.

One out every five people living in urban areas live in informal settlements, without property title and minimal access to basic services, exacerbating inequality. On the other hand, insecurity is one of the main concerns of the citizens of the region and one of the greatest challenges for the competitiveness of companies. According to an IDB study, crime costs 3.5% of the region’s GDP. The levels of violence are higher in poor urban neighborhoods and in peripheral areas of the city.

Despite the above, there are many positive and innovative experiences on how local governments are overcoming these challenges. This is why, IDB promotes the Network of Cities – in which 150 cities participate – as a mean to facilitate exchange spaces between cities and to have a platform to share knowledge and best practices on issues related to improving the quality of life, always focused in achieving sustainable and more inclusive cities.

About IDB

The mission of the Inter-American Development Bank is to improve lives. Founded in 1959, IDB is one of the main sources of long-term financing for economic, social and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. It also conducts cutting-edge research projects and offers policy advice, technical assistance and training to public and private clients throughout the region.

September 17, 2018 Featured Post

Medellín, una ciudad a contraluz

Medellín, a Backlit City

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Medellín and its inhabitants’ resilience is one of the four stories in the documentary Ciudades a Contraluz. It shows the profound essence of Beirut, Sarajevo, Medellín and Kigali, cities affected by violence that have healed their wounds to continue the path of social transformation.

The capital of Antioquia is one of the cities highlighted in the documentary filmed by the Spanish filmmaker Francesc Relea. Ciudades a Contraluz (Backlit Cities) has been awarded around the world, such as, Best Documentary and Best Editor in the last 34th version ^{of the} India Catalina Awards.

According to Francesc Relea, director of the documentary, the four cities have experienced urban and social transformations which show a resilient, conciliatory and optimistic spirit in their inhabitants, which in time, have allowed profound changes that reveal the construction of new imaginaries and realities.

Medellín bets on culture and hip hop to fight violence

In Ciudades a Contraluz, how the commitment to efficient public transport has allowed mobility and citizen development becomes evident. Also, viewers can appreciate how education and culture, through artistic expressions such as hip hop, have reduced violence to create new spaces for meeting and coexistence.

September 14, 2018 Featured Post

Red Sos Paisa en San Francisco

Sos paisa arrives in San Francisco by the hand of the Mayor of Medellín!

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The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, will join the Sos Paisa meeting to share the progress made in all projects of Medellín. It will take place on September 13 at 6:00 pm in the Colombian Consulate in San Francisco at 595 Market St. Suit 1190 San Francisco, California, 94105.

There will be updated information about Medellín and its city projects. Also, it is an opportunity for the Mayor to interact with the Paisas living in San Francisco, to know a little about their life stories and for them to receive souvenirs from their hometown.

This is the seventh time this meeting is held 2018. Sos Paisa has reached more than 100 countries among which Mexico, the United States, Ecuador, Chile, Thailand and Peru stand out.

The Sos Paisa meeting aims to show the Colombian community living abroad the progress made by Medellín, get them close to the city’s development proposals and tell them how they can contribute to the Network, which was created from the 2004 by the Medellín Mayor’s Office and is coordinated by the Agency of Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín.

“This network is lovely. It appeals to the love people have for their hometown and it keeps the Paisa community updated about what is happening in Medellín. It is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to the city and connect with other countries in the world,” explains Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

Click [ here ] to register

September 13, 2018 Featured Post

Medellín plays a strategic role in the Global Climate Action Summit – C40

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The Global Climate Action Summit C40), aims to raise awareness around a reality affecting all countries of the world regarding the emission of polluting gases, the management of waste, the protection of water and the promotion of a life in harmony with the environment.

Cities are key to fight damages caused by climate change. In this sense, C40 is a group made up by 96 cities (12 Latin American) representing 700 million people, working towards the creation of a knowledge and public policies platform which allow the implementation of the historic Paris agreement.

The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga is a member of the C40 Steering Committee and representative of the Latin America chapter together with the Intendant of Santiago de Chile, Karla Rubilar. Medellín stands out as a city determined to fight climate change through strategic actions for sustainable mobility.

Medellín, in addition to actively participate in the general activities of C40, is part of the Deadline 2020 Declaration and the subnets of: 1) mobility, pedestrians and bicycles; 2) territorial planning; 3) air quality; 4) climate change and; 5) solid waste management. Also, in February 2018, the city joined the Declaration of Green and Healthy Streets, free of fossil fuels.

This year, as a member of the C40 Steering Committee, Medellín has three fundamental objectives:

1. To look over the challenges for Latin America.
2. To create an academic space about C40 at the World Cities Summit 2019 to be held in Medellín from July 10 to 12.
3. To commit with two C40 statements:
  - Carbon-free buildings: committing to be a neutral city in the greenhouse gases emission by 2050.
  - Equity commitment: To distribute the environmental, social and economic benefits derived from the C40 plans implemented in Medellin throughout the population.

Which actions has Medellín developed supported by C40?

The following stand out:
1. To make an inventory of the greenhouse gases under the global protocol for community-scale Greenhouse gas emission inventories, fulfilling this commitment for the C40 cities.
2. To support and enrollment of the C40 Network into the “Pact for air quality of Medellín.”
3. To strengthen the electric mobility strategy.

The key role of the Mayor of Medellín in C40

On September 12 at the Steering Committee meeting in the San Francisco City Hall, the Mayor will have the opportunity to show the progress made by Medellín in terms of environmental protection and, also, will support the C40 expansion strategy to reach more cities in the world.

During the press conference on September 13, the Mayor will briefly present the initiatives of Medellin related to the environmental protection. Later, in the same day at 1:30 pm, he will join the presentation Green and Healthy Streets: a transition to zero-emissions transport , there, he will be part of the panel New signatory cities of the Green and Healthy Streets Declaration in which he will speak together with the mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb and the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, about the pollution-free public transport systems and the actions taken by the current administration in sustainable mobility as the integrated transport system, human mobility (bicycles and pedestrians) and green corridors.

The Green Corridors, the construction of new bike paths, the acquisition of electric buses and the comprehensive management of solid waste are some key projects of the local administration.

September 11, 2018 Featured Post

Feria del Libro de Medellín

Mexico is the guest country for the Book and Culture Festival in Medellín

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Medellín is getting ready for the opening of the 12th Book and Culture Festival to be held between September 6 and 17 in Carabobo Norte. It is one of the five most important literary events in Latin America. This year’s guest country will be Mexico, which will cover all the venues of the Festival with its colors and flavors.

More than 50 Mexican guests among writers, artists and chefs, are expected in the twelfth version of the Book Festival. More than 400,000 visitors are expected.

The central theme of the event will be the forms of memory, a reflection on what we remember and forget taking into account the similarities or differences of what we live as a citizen collective in Medellín and Colombia, and how we process it through literary, visual, musical and plastic.

This event brings together prominent writers, photographers, artists and scientists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain, the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. They will exchange knowledge and thoughts about memory, literary creation, reality and fiction in different talks and events.

Juan Villoro, María Baranda and Francisco Hinojosa, Mexican writers with a vast experience, will share with the attendees in different spaces and conversations. We invite you to check the schedule at [ Click here ]

Colombia-Mexico Year

Both countries celebrate 187 years of their diplomatic relations with a series of activities that have been extended throughout 2017 and 2018. Culture, mobility for students, commercial exchange and sports are some of the axis in which both countries have focused on, seeking to strengthen the ties of friendship between them. Mexico, as a special guest at the Book and Culture Festival of Medellín, is an opportunity for knowledge and integration of Mexican and Colombian cultural wealth.

September 10, 2018 Featured Post

Por qué Medellín en San Francisco

Medellín aims to attract investment from San Francisco, United States

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To capture the interest of potential investors operating in San Francisco, the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, supported by ProColombia and Latin San Francisco, will hold a meeting with investors called Why Medellin?. It will take place on September 13, at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Boardroom, located in 235 Montgomery Street, Suite 706, San Francisco, CA 94104.

The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez, will preside over the meeting Why Medellín? In which Medellín is shown as an attractive scenario for the growth of technological and innovative companies.

The Mayor will present the most important advantages of Medellín as a business destination, its investment climate, its innovation ecosystem and its growth as a hub of technological development. Also, mayor Gutierrez will address some success stories of American companies based in Medellin and the competitive advantages of the city: its qualified human talent, quality of life and its entrepreneurial capacity.

After lunch, the attendees will have a space for conversation and making relations to explore the possibilities of working together.

Photography: Telemundo

September 10, 2018 Featured Post

South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference –SAHIC

Medellín will host SAHIC, the most important event of the hotel sector in the continent

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Medellín will host the South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference -SAHIC, the most important investment promotion event for the tourism and hotel industry. As a result of the arrival of new hotel chains in Medellín, investment in hotel infrastructure in the last two years exceeds 100 million dollars.

Juliana Villegas Restrepo, ProColombia’s Vice President of Exports; Alba Cristina Suárez, Director of Tourism of the Government of Antioquia; María Fernanda Galeano, Secretary of Economic Development of the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the President and founder of SAHIC, Arturo García Rosa, officially announced Medellín as the host of the Conference which brings together the most important exponents of the hotel, tourism and real estate industries in the region.

“We are very grateful and satisfied with this edition of SAHIC in Medellín. The effort of all the entities which have actively participated during this process shows us that we made the best decision,” said Arturo García Rosa, president of SAHIC.

More than 400 participants, among investors, funds, financial institutions, hoteliers and public officials are expected to attend this new edition of SAHIC South America. The meeting will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel between September 24 and 25 and will feature more than 60 lecturers, 6 thematic tables, 1 express networking session and 4 main speakers.

This event is expected to generate an economic income of more than US $300,000 for Medellín

“This type of events are strategic in the city. We want you to see a destination full of opportunities, with the capacity to grow and a great potential for business and investments. In the last year, Medellín received more than 100 million dollars in new hotel openings. The Mayor’s Office is committed to investing and developing this sector,” said María Fernanda Galeano Rojo, Secretary of Economic Development.

In the last two years, the investment in the hotel industry in Medellín has shown a significant growth which reflects in the arrival of international companies such as Marriott, City Express, Oxo Hotel, Hilton, Viaggio and Atton. New openings are also highlighted, as it is the case of two new suite hotels of the Estelar chain, which already has five hotels in the city and the three new hotel projects of the Accor group.

Medellín continues to consolidate itself as a benchmark for business and recreational tourism at a national and international level. Its social and urban transformation, the originality and versatility of its tourism experiences, the infrastructure of services and the warmth and hospitality of its people, are some characteristics that mark Medellín as an international benchmark in this sector.

Medellín will host @SAHIC , the most important hotel industry meeting in the continent. What does this mean? The president and founder of this event talks about it. https://t.co/lcXWjeAc9r | @AlcaldiadeMed pic.twitter.com/WeNh484C1x

— ACI Medellín (@acimedellin) August 23, 2018

September 3, 2018 Featured Post

Línea 1,2,3 Mujer

Women’s Emergency Hotline of Medellín receives an International Award for its Innovation in citizenship attention

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The Hotline 1, 2, 3 Mujer is an innovative mechanism of the Medellín Mayor’s Office attached to the Women’s Secretariat. Today, it is highlighted in Spain by the NovaGob Excellence 2018 Awards in the category: Gender Equality, as an innovative municipal project which has achieved an impact on the care and protection of violence against women.

The NovaGob awards, from the Iberoamerican Social Network of Public Administration www.novagob.org, aim to highlight best practices and efforts made by public administrations in their procedures of citizenship attention.

Since its implementation, this mechanism has helped to reduce physical domestic violence by 37%, this is due to the effectiveness of its process, the faster it is, the greater the effect on reducing violence against women. In 2016, the Hotline 1, 2, 3 Mujer attended 3,760 events and in 2017, 3,897.

The Hotline 1, 2, 3 Mujer works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, provides timely attention to people who report cases of violence against women or when the woman is at risk of being female.

The female professionals in this Hotline, implement a model of psycho-legal attention to ensure comprehensive accompaniment and provide protection, legal assistance and health services to all women who suffer violence (Law 1257). Subsequently, under the umbrella of projects and mechanisms of the Women’s Secretariat, the victim is referred to the foster homes which offer them protection and immediate support.

“Receiving this award is a recognition to the work of a group of female professionals who are committed on the prevention and treatment of violence against women; as well as the institutional commitment of the Medellín Mayor’s Office to eradicate violence .This award becomes both an opportunity to visualize this best practice and a challenge to generate new synergies in terms of eliminating barriers in the access of women to attention services,” said Valeria Molina Gómez, Women’s Secretary of Medellín.

September 3, 2018 Featured Post

Parque Arví de Medellín

An International Seal of Sustainability for the Ecotourism Park Arví

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The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga, received the Rainforest Alliance certification in Sustainable Tourism awarded to Arví Park Corporation for its best practices in decreasing the environmental footprint and its commitment to the communities of interest.

The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-governmental organization working for the conservation of biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods. In addition to the Rainforest Alliance Certification (green frog) the Arví Park Corporation will be included in the tourism offer search system where it will appear in the Shop The Frog section and in the new interactive map of the Rainforest Alliance website. The corporation will also make part of Trip Advisor’s Green Leaders Program.

The Arví Park Corporation is the first Colombian organization to be certificated by the Rainforest Alliance in Sustainable Tourism. In addition to Arví, this seal has been awarded to other tour operators from all around the world, such as Lima Tours (Peru), Careli Tours (Nicaragua), Explore, ecotourism and adventure (Mexico), among others.

“We acknowledge the efforts of the Arví Park team and the leadership the company has assumed in the implementation of sustainability practices. Today, this has allowed them to become the first Rainforest Alliance Certified tourism company in Colombia,”said Freddy Peña, Certification Manager of the Rainforest Alliance for South America.

Its teamwork, commitment to neighboring communities and the social impact of the model of human and sustainable development are some of the actions which grant them this certification.

August 29, 2018 Featured Post

sophia, la robot humanoide en Medellín

The humanoid robot, Sophia, visited Medellín

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The Medellín Mayor’s Office supported UPB’s Summer School and Sophia’s visit since the event shows an element of development on a world scale. The presence of Sophia in Medellín and Colombia, creates a sense of certainty and curiosity at the same time because it motivates young people to open their minds and encourages companies in the sector and universities to learn, work together in proposing projects which solve human needs through artificial intelligence.

The event organizers chose Medellín for its commitment to innovation, science and technology. In 2014, the city signed the pact for innovation and by 2017 has invested $ 1.2 trillion – about 2.14% of GDP – in activities related to the city, technology and innovation.

Sophia is the first human-like robot with a high-level A.I. brain. She was created in 2016 by David Hanson founder of Hanson Robotics. She can process unstructured language, in other words, instead of programmed answers, Sophia has the ability to learn new answers and increase her knowledge base every time she interacts with humans, which is a basic example of Artificial Intelligence and autonomous learning.

Sophia’s appearance was developed in the image of Audrey Hepburn, Hollywood actress and model. She is humanoid, meaning, she has a face, arms, hands and can gesture, which add a different element when interacting with her.

Sophia, talked to the mayor of Medellín, @FicoGutierrez. The robot can have a conversation and show 62 human facial expressions. @AlcaldiadeMed pic.twitter.com/J9sbjTbBCe

— ACI Medellín (@acimedellin) July 30, 2018

Why did Sophia visit Medellín?

Medellín is Colombia’s leader in technology and innovation issues. Also, the first Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence was recently opened thanks to the agreement signed between Ruta N and the Institute for Automation of Processes and Artificial Intelligence (IRPA AI). In the upcoming years, the center will train local talent with new capacities to achieve global quality standards and generate innovative and advanced services of automation, artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, RPA, cognitive technologies and deep learning.

August 2, 2018 Featured Post

SAHIC South America 2018 tendrá destacados invitados

Renowned Guests will be in Sahic South America 2018

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Between September 24 and 25, Medellín will host SAHIC South America , the most important investment promotion event for the tourism and hotel industry. Entrepreneurs, executives and investors from more than 20 countries will meet at the InterContinental Hotel to explore new business opportunities and generate links which contribute to the development and growth of the sector.

The event has a high-quality content agenda for the attendees which is focused on specializing and deepening in trend issues for the tourism industry. Discussions, talks, round tables, conferences and work sessions on topics such as sustainability, renewable energy and innovation, are some activities that will be carried out.

Precisely, one of the panels that will take place at SAHIC South America 2018, will feature the participation of renowned hotel industry leaders such as Laurent de Housemaker, executive vice president of development at Marriott International for Latin America and the Caribbean; Patrick Mendes, CEO of Accor hotels South America and Ted Middleton, senior vice president of development for Latin America at Hilton Worldwide. The activity will be moderated by Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News.

Laurent de Kousemaeker

He is executive vice president of development for Marriott International Inc. for Latin America and the Caribbean region. He has 20 years of experience in the hotel industry in the areas such as marketing, finance, valuation, transactions and development. Kousemaeker is responsible for leading the company’s growth in the region, encompassing 12 hotel brands: Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, Edition, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, AC Hotels, Marriot Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard, Fairfield Inn, Residence Inn and Marriott Executive Apartments.

In the past Kousemaeker, has been senior vice president of Marriott International for the same region, with offices in Bethesda, Maryland and vice president of development for Spain and Portugal, based in Madrid. Also, he was general manager of HVS International in Madrid and director of the HVS International office in London.

Patrick Mendes

Mendes has an extensive experience in tourism and hotel business. He began in Bordeaux, at the Ecole Hotelier de Bordeaux-Talence. He holds an MBA in Management and Marketing from IAE Aix-en-Provence

He worked as a consultant for the development of tourism in France and southern Europe and in 1994 he began to provide services at Edenred based in Paris. There, Mendes used managed the sales and marketing team worked on the development of new products. In the same company, he spent two years in charge of operations for the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.

In 2000, Mendes moved to Lisbon to collaborate with the management of Edenred and in 2004 he joined the Global Accor hotels organization as senior vice president of global sales and distribution. In addition, he has led an international team in charge of global accounts, the definition of marketing strategy, sales and distribution.

Mendes has overseen Global Accor hotels operations in several countries of Europe, North America, Nordic markets and the development of Asia, the Middle East and South America.

In 2011 he assumed the management of the more than 80 four and five-star hotels of the organization in Latin America. In 2013, Medes was appointed director of operations for all luxury, exclusive and standard brands in South America, based in Sao Paulo. In July 2015, he assumed the position of CEO of Accor hotels South America, leading 327 hotels in operation and 200 in project; totaling the management of 15,000 employees.

Ted Middleton

He was appointed senior vice president of Hilton Worldwide in 1996. He oversees overseeing the development of Hilton’s group of managed and franchised brands in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Before joining Hilton, he served as senior vice president of acquisitions and finance for Host Marriott Corporation, where he successfully conducted numerous hotel financing, acquisitions and sales operations. He also leaded the construction and completion of three hotels.

Middleton began working for Marriott Corporation in 1986 as director of feasibility studies and market planning. Then, he served as regional vice president of development for Residence Inns, where he oversaw regional offices in charge of the development of Residence Inn in the western United States.

Middleton holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from LeMoyne College and a master’s degree in hotel management from Cornell University.

Peter Greenberg

On multiple occasions, he has been an Emmy Award winner for his work as a producer and investigative reporter. Greenberg is one of the most prominent and respected journalists in the travel and tourism sector. He is known in the industry as “The travel detective.” He is a travel editor for CBS News and participates in programs such as CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley and Sunday Morning. He has been a presenter on several T.V. shows, including the acclaimed series of travel specials Royal Tour. He has extensive experience as a journalist in the travel and tourism industry.

Check here the speakers list for SAHIC South America 2018 agenda and their biographies.

July 30, 2018 Featured Post

National and international journalists learned about Medellín’s recreation and sports strategy

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A large representation of national and international journalists arrived in Medellín to cover Colombiamoda 2018. On their first day, they had the opportunity to know the work of INDER Medellín, the characteristics of the sports program of the city, the scope of the recreation and sports projects and the progress of the “Football in Peace” program.

The tour began in the Sports Unit La Floresta. There, they learned about the facilities and sports practices of this sports complex. Later, they arrived at the Marco Fidel Suarez School and together with its students, attended the interventions of the FIFA referee from Antioquia, Wilmar Roldán, and the former presidents of Atlético Nacional, Juan Carlos de la Cuesta, and Deportivo Independiente Medellín, Eduardo Silva Meluk, about the process of implementing the “Football in Peace” program. A very exciting moment given the past and meaning of both football fan groups.

Finally, the group was taken to the Atanasio Girardot Sports Unit, where they walked around the facilities of basketball, high performance gym complex, exercises for the disabled, and the Atanasio Girardot football stadium where practices such as parkour, disc dog and CrossFit were given recognition. The tour ended with a press conference with INDER Manager, Daniel Palacios; the Secretary of Economic Development, María Fernanda Galliano and the Director of Inexmoda, Carlos Eduardo Botero.

It was a day to see Medellín from the angle of recreation and sports and its impact on the social development.

“For us, it is essential to show Medellín from different angles, since the transformation of the city has been a comprehensive strategy. The urban, mobility, security, education, recreation and sports interventions have impacted decisively the life of the citizens and therefore our development and projection towards the world,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, ACI Medellín Executive Director.

“Showing INDER’s work to international journalists is extremely important. Multiple activities related to recreation, sports and healthy lifestyles are carried out every day in the city. We have 886 recreational – sporting scenarios and 7 sports units with multidisciplinary equipment which impact their lives and health” said Daniel Palacios, Director of INDER Medellín.

July 27, 2018 Featured Post

Accenture’s Advanced Technology Center arrives in Medellín

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Accenture opened its new center located in the Ruta N complex in Medellín. The company will work with different costumers from different sectors such as finance, telecommunications, consumer goods, natural resources and energy. Also, they will use cutting edge technologies and smart tools to help customers seize opportunities, enter new markets and increase the speed of commercialization.

As part of a global network, the Advanced Technology Center will be made up by expert professionals and new university talents in: software development, consulting, technical specialists, data scientists and experts in artificial intelligence. Accenture plans to generate, this year, about 500 jobs for the Center and for its other operations in Colombia.

ACI Medellín supported its installation process by articulating it with universities, allies and local authorities; and provided them with legal, tax and sectoral guidance. “We are very pleased for Accenture’s arriving in Medellín. Being part of the installation process of this new Advanced Technology Center is a great achievement since it generates quality employment opportunities,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.

“There is a lot of technological talent in Medellín, and we are pleased to offer IT professionals the opportunity to develop their careers in Accenture. Those who join our team will have access to the latest technology and will receive training for personal and professional development opportunities. They will also expand their commercial, industrial, technical and leadership skills, “ said Marco Ribas, president of Accenture in Colombia during the opening on July 18 in Ruta N.

July 24, 2018 Featured Post

El aguacate es clave para el desarrollo de Medellín y Antioquia

Avocado, a major aspect for the development of Medellín and Antioquia

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In Medellín’s City-Region strategy, avocado has become a key element for productive development and increased competitiveness of the agricultural sector. Likewise, it has been established as an opportunity to get closer to the quality standards demanded by international markets.

Consistent with this, the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellin and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín, has continuously worked in the attraction of foreign investors, articulating them with local and regional partners to benefit from the immense potential the City- Region has. It is about 210,000 hectares suitable for growing and harvesting this fruit.

While other countries have zero-year production periods, Colombia and particularly Antioquia offer fertile soils which allow all year-round avocado production.

To benefit from this opportunity and as part of the growth strategy, ACI Medellín has invited, received and accompanied exploratory agendas from Peru, Mexico and Chile. They visited the city looking to expanding their operations and keeping the cultivation, harvest and export process active, thus satisfying avocado’s current demand.

ACI Medellín’s Executive Director, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, talked about this topic in the current edition of the Corpohass AvoNoticias Colombia magazine of the Colombian Corporation of Producers and Exporters of Hass Avocado. To read the full article in Spanish, click here.

July 18, 2018 Featured Post

Major Hotel Chains arrive in Medellín

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Foreign investment in Medellín is increasingly growing, mostly, due to tourism, events and conventions boom. This has led to the arrival of international hotel chains such as Marriot and Hilton.

According to Cotelco, Medellín went from 176 hotels and 7,370 rooms in 2016, to 197 hotels and 8,628 rooms in 2018. By 2019, there will be 34 new projects in Antioquia.

“Antioquia has the highest rates of investments for the construction of hotels in Colombia with 674 billion pesos. This also shows an excellent rate of employment, since the figures show that 56,640 workers were employed by hotels, thus generating social and economic development for the city and the region, “ says Johana Martínez, Executive Director of Cotelco Antioquia-Chocó Chapter.

The following hotel chains are in Medellín with projects both, under construction and newly opened: Decameron, Hilton, Travelers, Wyndham, Atton, Viaggio, Quinta Inn, Marriott, Metro Hotel, City Express, Click Clack and Blue Doors.

This Hospitality sector accelerated growth rate is due to the continuous increase of travelers’ arrival in the city, around 735,570 visitors in 2017, out of which 274,693 were foreigners. This is a 4.8% increase over 2016 figures, according to SITUR.

Undoubtedly, tourism growth and Medellín’s appealing to foreign investment for its City-Region strategy, are key elements for the realization of SAHIC South America 2018, one of the most important international events in the sector.

“Medellín is a city we can always learn from. Today we are a global reference in terms of social and urban innovation, and this transformation has been possible thanks to the commitment of all sectors of our society. We believe in a Medellín which is responsible for the region and is connected to the world,” said María Fernanda Galeano, Secretary of Economic Development of Medellín.

On the other hand, as pointed out by Federico Guerra Hoyos, Secretary of Productivity and Competitiveness of the Government of Antioquia, the region has valuable advantages and attractive aspects which make it an ideal destination for investment in tourism: “the department has the greatest rates of bird species in the world. This natural beauty is very close to villages with hotel infrastructure, which, added to the host talent of its inhabitants, make our territory an unforgettable place.

The Medellín Mayor’s Office through the Ministry of Economic Development; the Government of Antioquia through the Productivity Secretariat; the Medellín conventions and visitors Bureau, Plaza Mayor and ACI Medellín, work together to make SAHIC South America 2018 a success.

July 17, 2018 Featured Post

Cooperation Agreement with Korea will improve Medellín’s smart mobility system

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Mayor Federico Gutiérrez traveled to Seoul, Korea, to sign the Letter of Intent with MOLIT and implement the Traffic Function Improvement Project in the city and to officially start cooperating between both entities.

This Project seeks to implement three fundamental components for the development and improvement of smart mobility in the city:

Construction and improvement of an integrated traffic information center between the Metro System, the Enterprise for Urban Safety, ESU in Spanish, and the Mobility Secretariat.
Implementation of a regulated and systematized pilot project to manage vehicular parking.
Development of a training program for mobility officials in smart transport systems

From left to right: Delegation of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korea, MOLIT headed by Paek Seung Gun; the delegation of Medellín headed by Mayor Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga accompanied by ACI Medellín Executive Director, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal.

“We take a major step towards the management of resources to improve the quality of life in Medellín. There is no doubt, Medellín’s mobility will be among the most modern in Latin America thanks to the implementation of this Project. One of my major government goals is to improve mobility, with this cooperation project with Korea, we resolutely move forward to achieve this goal,” said Mayor Federico Gutiérrez.

“The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín, carried out an important support mission for the collection of information, accompaniment to field visits and the development of the components of the Agreement. Thus, becoming an important reference in the region for the management of technical and financial cooperation resources” added Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, ACI Medellín Executive Director.

Once the Agreement is signed, MOLIT and the Mobility Secretariat will begin joint work in the implementation of the project.

July 16, 2018 Featured Post

Medellín is the host of the World Cities Summit 2019

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During the World Cities Summit 2018 in Singapore and as part of the commitments acquired for winning the Lee Kuan Yew Award 2016 , Medellín has been presented as the host city of this event’s next year version. It is the first time WCS will be held in Latin America. About 300 high-level officials, including mayors, businessmen and experts in urban areas are expected to attend.

“We were invited to the World Cities and Mayors Summit during a work agenda in Singapore. There, I proudly presented our city, and held meetings with several world leaders who recognize its great progress. Today, Medellín is a benchmark all around the world. It is important to celebrate the ´progress made, but above all to understand and recognize that we still have many challenges to be faced and many things to improve. Medellín will host this event on July 10 and 12, 2019.” said the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga after finishing his participation in the event.

In recent years, Medellín has hosted meetings with similar global impact such as the IDB Assembly (2009), the Ibero-American Culture Biennial (2010), the World Urban Forum – WUF (2014), the UNWTO Assembly (2015) ), Cities for Life (2015), the Global Entrepreneurship Congress – GEC (2016) and the World Economic Forum – WEF (2016); renowned events that generate international trust on the city and a make it a benchmark of social-urban transformation, innovation, governance, resilience, sustainability and citizen culture.

Context

In 2016, Medellín was awarded with the Lee Kuan Yew Award from the Government of Singapore. This distinction, which is considered to be the Nobel of cities, was awarded to the capital of Antioquia for its contributions to the creation of vibrant, livable and sustainable urban communities. Other cities that have been awarded are: Bilbao, Spain (2010); New York, United States (2012); Suzhou, China (2014); and recently Seoul, South Korea (2018).

July 13, 2018 Featured Post

Securitas Healthcare officially opens new office in Medellín

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The official presentation of the new offices of the international health network Securitas Healthcare. A Chilean company specializing in providing health benefits programs. The event will take place in the Golden Mile building, tower 1, floor 3, room 2 on July 3 at 11:00 a.m.

“We have high expectations with this opening in Colombia. Today, we can be sure that there is a high quality of care, knowledge and human talent in Medellin. We are very positive about everything we are going to achieve in terms of health centers in the region, ” said Fernando Magnan, general manager of Securitas Healthcare.

The organization promotes the development of complementary health services through a global network of services providers, which is based on a rigorous selection process that ensures health centers and affiliated professionals are qualified and can guarantee high quality coverage to the users’ special needs.

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley – ACI Medellín, supported the company’s installation process through the articulation with local partners.

July 4, 2018 Featured Post

Medellín presented its sustainability strategy in Montreal

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Every three years, the international network ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, carries out its World Congress to gather cities and territories and work towards the construction of a sustainable future. This year, the attending cities met in Montreal (Canada) between June 18 to 22, to “globalize the cities’ sustainability.”

Medellín participated in the ICLEI South America meeting, presenting successful experiences related to waste management; sustainable mobility and low carbon impact; as well as sustainable and participatory urban design. The representation of the city was headed by the Secretary of the Environment, Sergio Andrés Orozco.

Medellín joined ICLEI in August 2013. Since then, ACI Medellín has been responsible for the relationship of the city with this International Network, facilitating the attraction of cooperation opportunities and positioning Antioquia’s capital as a leader in best practices of sustainable development

June 29, 2018 Featured Post

Medellín will be the first Latin-American city to be visited by Sophia the robot

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Although it seems like a science-fiction scene, the most advanced artificial intelligence android in the world, Sophia, arrives in Medellín. She will participate as the key speaker in the Summer School of the Pontifical Bolivarian University to be held in the Great Hall of Plaza Mayor on Monday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m.

Sophia, who was activated on April 19, 2015 in Hong Kong, is the first robot in the world to be granted a citizenship. She is Saudi. According to its manufacturers, it has visual data processing and facial recognition; imitates human gestures and facial expressions; and can answer certain questions and have conversations. Evidence of this are the interviews she has had with highly prestigious international media, and even her presentation to the United Nations when she spoke with the Vice-Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed .

The Summer School: Hyperrealities 2018 is supported by the Medellín Mayor’s Office in coherence with the program “Science, innovation and technology for society” of the Development Plan 2016-2019: “Medellín counts on you” .In addition, this scenario will allow the city to continue positioning itself as an epicenter of Artificial Intelligence in coherence with the recent announcement of the creation of the country’s first Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence , managed by Ruta N in agreement with the Institute for Robotics Automation. Processes and Artificial Intelligence (IRPA AI) of the United States

June 22, 2018 Featured Post

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