The goal of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín is to position the city and the region as a strategic hub for air operations, tourism occupies an important line in the city’s recovery plan. This is the reason as to why alliances are being made to promote the destination with other cities in the world, which represents, among other things, the direct connection with new air routes to New York, Orlando, Cancun, Mexico City and Santiago de Chile.

Traveling to Cancun from any city will be possible, with a connection/stopover in the capital of Antioquia on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

This commitment is already showing results with the inauguration of the new Medellín – Cancún international route, operated by the airline Viva Air, which represents the opening of the Medellín HUB, an important step in the purpose of turning the capital of Antioquia into the hub for air connectivity in the continent.

“Not only are we now connected to Cancun, but this also means that every time a plane flies to said destination, another plane flies back to Medellín as well. Tourists arrive from Mexico, and this is one of our most important markets. What’s behind a tourist? There’s travel agencies, hotels, taxis, restaurants and visits to different parts of the city, and an exchange of experiences. I believe that Medellín has a lot to show and more so after everything we’ve gone through” said the mayor Daniel Quintero Calle.

Through the Jose María Cordoba Airport, Medellín connects with nine cities and five countries with direct flights. On the 10th of June, the Medellín- Orlando route will start operations, and the Medellín- Mexico City route will start in the beginning of August.

Around 35,000 passengers are expected to mobilize during the first year of operations of this route, with flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The next ones to operate will be: Medellín-Orlando (June 10th) and Medellín-México (in the beginning of August).

Before the pandemic, tourism represented 8% of the local Gross Domestic Product (GDP). From 2015 to 2019, the arrival of international passengers exceeded 55%, with more than 900,000 visitors annually.

The Municipal Administration and actors of the sector seek to overcome the barrier of one million visitors in the coming years, to resume the growth that local tourism had. In addition, it’s an opportunity to invite tourists to buy products made in Medellín, a campaign by local entrepreneurs to encourage domestic consumption, as emphasized by Mayor Quintero.

For Félix Antelo, president and CEO of Grupo Viva, “Medellín is a unique city, not only in Colombia, but in the world. What this city has achieved over the years is something few others have. There is much to tell the world about Medellín, we need, and we are going to focus a lot on bringing tourists from the Americas to come to know, to spend, to live experiences; so, the union between Viva and Medellín is more solid and firm than ever and we are going to continue betting on this great city”.

To date, through the José María Córdoba Airport in Rionegro, Medellín connects, through direct flights, to Miami, New York, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Madrid, Panama, Lima, Mexico City and Cancun, which are operated by nine airlines.

With the Move to Medellín strategy, the Municipal Administration intends to strengthen the sector, which is why it has already provided $ 800 million for tourism incentives and hopes to attract more foreign companies.

With the intention of reactivating the economy and propitiate the arrival of investors to Medellín, Mayor Daniel Quintero announced a series of benefits for companies that believe and install their operations in the city.  Mayor Daniel Quintero Calle will present this incentive plan for social and economic recovery to the Municipal Council.

“We will have tax reductions for those who help reactivate the city’s economy. We want to encourage technology-based companies to locate in Medellín,” said the local leader.

To achieve this goal, the Mayor’s Office of Medellín will present a project to the city’s Council so that the technology-based companies established in the city, including those created last year, have a five-year benefit in the payment of the Industry and Commerce tax. In the first two years, they will have a 100% discount, in the third year, an 80% discount, in the fourth a 60% discount and in the fifth year, a 40% discount.

This strategy seeks to encourage the attraction foreign investment and tourism to the city in order to accelerate the economic recovery of the territory.

To impulse the Orange Economy, Quintero added that, companies located in Orange Development Areas (San Ignacio, District 13, Prado and Perpetuo Socorro) will have benefits in the payment of their Industry and Commerce obligations. In the first year, they will have a 100% discount, during the second year, an 80% discount, in the third year, the discount will be of 60%, in the fourth of 40% and in the fifth of 20%.

The proposal also includes foreign companies that set up and create jobs in Medellín. These will receive tax benefits for five years, with a discount of 100% in the first year, 80% in the second, 60% in the third, 40% in the fourth and 20% in the fifth.

The incentive for foreign investment will be given through the reduction of Industry and Commerce Taxes for companies that have settled in Medellín.

The Mayor highlighted that “In the midst of the pandemic, we have been working to connect Medellín with the world, through the new direct air routes from New York, Orlando, Cancun, Mexico City and Santiago de Chile”.

This pact for the social and economic recovery of the city will have an investment that exceeds 3 billion pesos, which are expected to be used in making the most out of Medellín’s potential as a formative, innovative, avant-garde, tourist and entrepreneurial territory.

It’s expected that around mid-June, the Council of Medellín will clear the path to be able to proceed with the proposals made towards reactivating the city’s economy.

As of June 8, the city’s economy will be fully reactivated without mobility restrictions, but with all the biosecurity protocols in place.

Wingo, Viva Air, American Airlines, JetSmart and Avianca have recently announced their arrival with new international plane routes from the Jose María Córdoba Airport. These good news come as a strike of hope after a very critical 2020 for the tourism and aviation industry due to COVID-19.

With this announcement, it is shown how new investors are attracted by a territory that offers guarantees and a stable and favorable economic outlook for the installation of companies with foreign capital.

The new routes will allow to bring Medellín closer in a more favorable and direct way with touristic destinations such as Cancun, Miami, Orlando, New York, Santiago de Chile and México City, by at the same time favoring the connection  from these destinations to the rest of the world. Additionally, the consumer is favored with a more competitive market, with plane tickets that have more flexible costs and other benefits offered by each company.

The main reason why these companies are arriving is passenger traffic, which is the second highest in the country after Bogotá, as well as the economic potential of the city and region. This added to the fact that more and more passengers are avoiding making stopovers and layovers in cities like Bogotá or Panamá, especially during the pandemic where this has become more undesired.

Viva Air, with its new routes to Orlando, Cancun and Mexico City, seeks to encourage the region’s development, boosting the country’s economy and at the same time decongesting and decentralizing the Dorado Airport.

JetSmart adds to the other three connections that the company has in the country with a route between Santiago de Chile and Medellín, which will begin operations on July 7 with two weekly frequencies.

Wingo started operations towards the end of March with its new Cancun-Medellin route, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, using Boeing 737-800 NG planes, with a capacity of 186 passengers.

American Airlines will start a third flight a week in its Miami-Medellín-Miami route starting in May, operating with a Boeing 787 with a larger capacity and a daily flight to the John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, that starts operations in May as well.

Finally, Avianca announced that starting in July, they will start direct flights between Medellín and Cancun, three times a week, this added to the 167 frecuencies to 8 destinations that this airline operates currently from the Jose María Cordoba Airport.

In this way, Medellín and the region continue their positioning as a center for airline operations; these airlines see great potential to encourage tourism throughout the whole continent.

Attracted by factors such as the market size, the qualified and bilingual human talent available, and the country’s strategic location country, the company Intertec International, a global provider of customized software and IT services, announced its arrival in Colombia with the opening of operations in Medellín and Bogotá. Along with its subsidiary in Costa Rica, this is the firm’s second base of operations in Latin America serving clients based in the United States. Among the company’s plans is the active hiring in other Colombian cities such as Cali and Barranquilla to support its clients using a remote work model.

With its expansion to Colombia, the Intertec International company strengthens its presence in Latin America. The firm has open vacancies for Colombian professionals.

The arrival of Intertec responds to the National Government’s strategy of importing exporters, with which they seek that the companies that settle in the country contribute to the growth of the business and export fabric, and find a platform that allows them to serve their centers of consumption in regions such as North America and Latin America.

Intertec has 20 years of operations and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, providing custom software and IT services to industries such as electronics, aerospace, education, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, high-tech and distribution, direct sales, finance, hospitality and others.

“The decision to expand our presence to Colombia represents an exciting phase in the growth of our company. Colombia is strategic due to talent quality, service availability and a location that allows us to be close to the United States and to our clients,” said Kent Feuerhelm, Executive Vice President of Intertec International.

“This new operation is based on our nearshoring model for strategic and highly competitive locations, which allow us to serve our clients with immediacy and efficiency. These new locations help us to better serve our clients with our custom world-class software and services. IT, ” adds Feuerhelm.

The exploration of Intertec’s investment destination was accompanied by the promotion agencies ProColombia and ACI Medellín.

For Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia, “Intertec’s investment in Colombia confirms the country’s attractiveness in the software and IT services sector due to factors such as our strategic location, investment protection, and sustained growth of its indicators, among others. This it is the type of investments that contribute to make our territory a location for nearshoring operations and support the economic reactivation of our country ”.

According to Eleonora Betancur, executive director of ACI Medellín “the arrival of companies such as Intertec International to Medellín shows the transformation that the city has been presenting in recent decades and that undoubtedly portrays a prosperous city for business and with an enviable quality of life. The joint work between the public, private and academic sectors in Medellín makes foreign investment prosper and makes its expansion plans a reality in the short, medium and long term”.

Santoro explains that attracting companies with an interest in nearshoring, particularly taking advantage of the reorganization needs of supply chains and proximity to their headquarters, represents an opportunity for Colombia, which is why the National Government has been promoting the creation of tools that facilitate the establishment and expansion of investments, in addition to the adoption of sectorial and regional strategies to offer a consolidated package and ensure the establishment of new investments in the country.

ProColombia works actively to promote the relocation of company operations in Colombia. To date, it has contacted more than 660 international companies, of which 118 have stated that they would consider Colombia a nearshoring destination.

Intertec established operations with an initial team, and is actively hiring with the expectation of reaching 100 employees by the end of 2021. The company is seeking bilingual professionals in the areas of software development and engineering, quality assurance, software testing, and automation. , IT infrastructure, project management and operations support personnel.

Those interested can apply at: [email protected]

Talent.com founded in 2011 in Canada under its initial brand Neuvoo is the second largest job search engine in the world, with more than 80 million visitors per month and operation in 79 countries.

From the capital of Antioquia, technological support is provided to the global operation of the Canadian multinational.

The company arrived in Colombia in March 2017 and with the support of ProColombia and ACI Medellín settled in the capital of Antioquia, from where this  globally present job engine originates. In addition, it has offices added to those present in Montreal, Chicago, Lausanne, Barcelona, Paris, Sao Paulo and London.

“We were looking for a city where we could expand our operations in Latin America, and it seemed to us that Medellín had all the characteristics of a city in full economic development and with a lot of potential to grow and have access to good talent. The best of all was that when we arrived, we found ourselves with a very hard-working culture and with a lot of knowledge in the areas we needed ”, states Lucas Martínez, the company’s CO-CEO.

“Medellín is our technological base, so to speak, our team is made up of more than 100 people and most of them are in system engineering, computer science or other related careers. We seek that all our operations are carried out from Colombia, in addition to the development of many products for all our users who find employment through us” added the director.

For the development of its operations in Colombia, Talent.com has invested US $ 2 million and estimates to reinvest between US $ 5 million and US $ 10 million in the next two years.

The company’s goal is to create an ecosystem with the largest global job database. To date, it has more than 30 million job registrations available in the world and nearly 500,000 users find a new job each month through Talent.com.  

By 2021 this multinational expects to double its workforce in the city and reach 200 positions; and by 2022 to have more than 400 employees in Colombia. 

Talent.com is looking for bilingual software developers whose main strength is  PHP language for the backend and JavaScript on the frontend, also for programmers who are starting their work experience and who are fluent in JavaScript.

Those interested in Medellín can apply through the website [ here ] 

The startup ATOM Chat, with more than a million dollars in annual revenue, was selected among the 11 most relevant startups in the world by the accelerator Techstars.

This company created in 2019 in Panama, has a presence in Medellín since 2020. Its services are focused on providing solutions through conversational chatbots that allow customers to increase sales up to 5 times more. Brands such as Toyota, Ficohsa, Caja de Ahorros, Grupo Unicomer, MetroBank, ASSA, Ford, Grupo Melo and Hyundai, etc, are among the customers satisfied with the services of this startup.

“We visited Medellín for the first time in 2016 and from that moment on we were clear that we wanted to grow the company in this city. It was the perfect place, the perfect weather and the perfect people  to do so. This finally happened in July 2020, when we hired the first person for Customer Success in town. From there, it was a wave of growth that has not stopped yet ”, stated Erick Holmann and René Mouynes, founders of Atom.

Currently, they have a team of 13 people in the city, including the administrative staff and part of the software development team that helps to operate the platform. Likewise, they have more collaborators in Colombia and the world that allow them to continue growing and operating to bring better services to their clients.

Something they admire about Medellín is that the city has known how to run businesses without compromising natural resources, maximizing the advantages that companies have to advance in the construction of an Ecocity and a Software Valley. Likewise, they highlight that, due to its geographical location, Medellín allows it to be in the same time zone as important countries that provide economic development to Colombia, becoming a key point to boost business and be a magnet for them.

Finally, these entrepreneurs make it clear that the most important thing they have found is qualified human talent where technical skills are perfectly mixed with soft skills that allow forming united work teams with high quality standards.

The prestige of this company installed in the territory has been recognized in two publications of the magazine Forbes Centroamérica where it is cataloged as one of the firms with the most projection in the entire region.

Forbes Latam: Forbes Julio-2020 (P. 23)

In recent years, Colombia has become the third most important market in Latin America for PepsiCo, and one of the most prosperous worldwide. The sustainable growth of this multinational has been so significant that the company formalized new investments in the territory, which in turn will serve to reaffirm confidence in the country.

In order to strengthen the company’s value chain, PepsiCo will expand its production capacity in Guarne (Antioquia) and in Funza (Cundinamarca), with an investment that will allow it to continue advancing towards its purpose of creating a sustainable food system. With an estimated amount of US $ 158 million, the company bets on four pillars: innovation, infrastructure, agriculture, communities and sustainability; For this last point, there will be technologies that help take care of the environment, focused on having a positive impact on water, the implementation of renewable energies, and that also allow manufacturing plants to have zero waste.

The project will be divided into two parts: on the one hand, the construction of a new production plant in Guarne and the expansion of the production plant in Funza. These works will allow PepsiCo to continue its work with communities, since through its Foundation, they will seek initiatives focused on water, recycling, the empowerment of women in agriculture and the development of sustainable agriculture. To date, the company has 10 programs in 12 municipalities throughout the country.

On the other hand, the multinational wants to continue strengthening the associations with small farmers by expanding the intervention areas in the Colombian countryside. As announced, the company will begin to buy 20% more potatoes in Colombia, which will boost the sale of this national agricultural product. Each year, the country consumes 80,000 tons of potatoes and 18,000 tons of bananas.

Betting on its commitment to being faster, stronger and better, PepsiCo projects significant growth in the future, and it is because of this that it decides to face that next demand with new investment in the country. To meet its goal, the Funza plant will have the installation of a PC-50 technology, this will increase production by more than 140%, in addition to allowing the processing of more than 16,000 additional tons of potatoes per year, also expanding the scope of input purchases from Colombian farmers. Only in this plant $ 609,000 million pesos will be invested in upgrading.

An investment of US $ 93 million is estimated for the new plant in Guarne, which includes new packaging technologies. This will be PepsiCo’s largest production plant in Colombia, there will also be a water treatment system with the best technology in the world, which will allow a high percentage of recirculation with zero solid waste. Likewise, there will be different production lines that include brands such as Natuchips, DeTodito and Doritos, only this plant will be able to house more than 400 workers. The start of construction in Guarne began in August last year and plans to be delivered by 2022.

Currently PepsiCo has three plants in Colombia: one in Funza (Cundinamarca), another in Bogotá and one in Sabaneta which will be modernized and moved to Guarne (Antioquia).

The ACI Medellín has given permanent support to of the company to facilitate the implementation process of what will be a project for the economic growth and social development of the entire region.

In its 21 years of operation in Colombia, Mercado Libre continues to strengthen its commitment to the country, now with the opening of its second Technology, Innovation and Product Center, which will be located in Medellín, a city chosen by the company since it is a world benchmark in innovation and where more than 500 jobs will be generated. 

The leading e-commerce company in the region opens its second Technology, Innovation and Product Center in Colombia, after it developed this infrastructure in Bogotá in 2020. 

This new strategy is the result of the organization’s plans to continue expanding its technological capacity and maximize the user experience throughout Latin America, based, on this occasion, on the support that the capital of Antioquia will provide. From there, regional impact products will be developed for all Mercado Libre business units, comprising solutions in electronic commerce and financial services that transform the lives of millions of people. 

The investment made in the organization’s expansion in the country during the last two years has generated more than 1,500 jobs, a figure that is expected to increase throughout 2021. 

For the start-up of the new IT Center, plazas will be opened, filled by local experts and talents in skills such as backend and frontend software, mobile development, IT security, business intelligence, machine learning, data science, application infrastructure, user experience , among other. All those interested in consulting vacancies can access the following platform: [ here ] or on the Mercado Libre Colombia website, in the section Work with us.  

“We are convinced to continue expanding our IT team in Colombia and after a 2020 of exceptional growth, we decided to redouble this effort in Antioquia. We are sure that the ecosystem of digital entrepreneurship and the innovative approach that positions Medellín as the city of the fourth industrial revolution is the right place for this second center. ”, Says Jaime Ramírez, director of the Andean region of Mercado Libre. 

The IT Center opened last year in Bogotá had quick growth, the product of an exceptional human team, which opened the eyes of the organization to establish new points in the country that will accompany the challenge of continuing to grow exponentially. With the opening of this infrastructure in Medellín, both centers will work hand in hand and will also be “owners” and responsible for a large part of the products generated for the entire region. 

This is how Colombia joins Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico, in the list of countries that have two centers of this type for the entire Mercado Libre operation. 

The Free Market Technology, Innovation and Product area in Latin America is made up of more than 5,000 people, the majority being in Argentina but with a growing tendency to diversify that presence in other markets on the continent. Between 2019 and 2020, more than 2,500 people have been linked at the regional level and with the opening of the IT Center in Medellín, plus other expansion plans of the company, the team is expected to grow by more than 40%, a figure that is relevant in the midst of the impact that the pandemic generated in the different industries. 

 “Medellín is taking certain steps to become the city where entrepreneurship and innovation are a public good, a fundamental right that anyone can access. Along this path, it is necessary to create supply and demand for talent. On one end, we articulate the local ecosystem so that we have more people trained in the skills of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. At the same time, we work to promote our Software Valley, so that companies that are world and regional benchmarks in technology can settle down and create jobs. Under this premise Mercado Libre arrives in Medellín, to create opportunities for growth and job development ”, said Javier Darío Fernández Ledesma, executive director of de Ruta N.   

Eleonora Betancur, executive director of ACI Medellín, highlights that  “The city is experiencing one of the most important moments in its history with the transformation of its productive vocation towards technology. For this reason, we are committed to companies such as Mercado Libre not only arriving and settling in, but that each day they can grow in their capacities in such a way that they bring more social and economic development to the territory. In Medellín, the work coordinated between the public, private and academic sectors works and for this reason Mercado Libre can be sure that we will do everything possible so that their needs are always solved in the most appropriate way “. 

“We celebrate Mercado Libre’s new investment in Colombia, which reflects the investor confidence and commitment of this great multinational for local talent. This achievement confirms the potential of our territory as an investment destination and for the growth of exports of IT solutions. In addition to providing technology, employment and new opportunities for greater competitiveness in the country” , said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.   

This infrastructure is in addition to the two large investments made by Mercado Libre in Colombia in 2020: the IT Center in Bogotá, which currently has 400 people and plans to close the year with double this number, and the Distribution Center, located in Funza, with which the company generated more than 1,500 jobs this year, a figure that will increase in 2021. 

About MercadoLibre: 

Founded in 1999, MercadoLibre is the leading e-commerce technology company in Latin America. Through its platforms MercadoLibre.com and MercadoPago.com, it offers solutions for individuals and companies to buy, sell, advertise and pay for goods and services online. 

MercadoLibre.com provides services to millions of users and creates an online market for the negotiation of a wide variety of goods and services in an easy, safe and efficient way. The site is among the 50 most visited sites in the world in terms of page views and is the mass consumption platform with the highest number of unique visitors in the most important countries where it operates, according to metrics provided by ComScore Networks. The Company has traded its shares on the Nasdaq (NASDAQ: MELI) since its initial public offering in 2007. 

About Ruta N: 

Rut N is the business and innovation center of Medellín. Its purpose is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of the inhabitants of the city through Science, Technology and innovation. To achieve this, it has three strategic priorities: attracting talent, capital and global companies to the city; develop and strengthen the innovative and entrepreneurial business fabric; and generate CTi solutions for city challenges. 

About ACI Medellín:

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, has established itself as a key factor in the internationalization process for the development of the territory through the construction of strategic international relations, facilitating access to the city and the region of international cooperation resources and the arrival of national and foreign investment. 

Indra, one of the main global technology and consulting companies in Colombia and in the world, is now part of the Medellín innovation and business center, Ruta N, contributing to the quality of life of city’s inhabitants through the use of technology, science and innovation. Indra’s Smart 4.0 Center of Excellence will work to provide solutions to the new challenges and needs facing the cities of the future.

Indra will settle in Ruta N to join the city’s digital ecosystem, which will allow it to work closely on technological innovation projects.

“We are happy with the arrival of our Smart 4.0 Center of Excellence to Ruta N. With this new project, we will continue to develop innovative technologies that adapt and respond to the needs of citizens, governments and companies. We will work hard to provide knowledge and offer solutions with an approach that will have repercussions in the city and in other regions of the country, ”said Fernando Ayala, Indra’s CEO in Colombia.

Here, the company, through its subsidiary Minsait, will implement and create new solutions with innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things and big data that adapt and respond to the needs of citizens, governments and Business.

“Indra arrives at Ruta N to be an active part of the Medellín Science, Technology and Innovation ecosystem. It is, without a doubt, a commitment to building a Medellín Software Valley hand in hand with the academy, the private and public sector and the community. This is the one of the city’s commitments that will allow us to promote better employment conditions, a comprehensive digital transformation and a territory in which entrepreneurship is natural ”, said Javier Darío Fernández Ledesma, executive director of Ruta N.

Indra will be present at Ruta N to work closely on technology projects that interest the city and in which data management is the key to solving problems such as the environment, energy, urban mobility, health, safety, leisure , tourism, among others.

“Indra is growing with Colombia, it’s contributing to the technological transformation of the country’s regions, to the creation and training of qualified talent and it is the type of efficiency investment that we promote for the economic reactivation and competitiveness of the country. We celebrate this new expansion that reflects Indra’s investor confidence in our territory, ”said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

With the arrival of the Smart 4.0 Center of Excellence to Ruta N, Indra hopes to make a significant contribution to improving the living conditions of citizens and the sustainable growth of the economy.

On their end part, for ACI Medellín, the installation of a Smart 4.0 Center of Excellence in the Software Valley is a relevant fact that demonstrates the trust that Indra, a world-class company, places in the city. Additionally, these investments allow the generation of new jobs and reactivate the economy at a time when the world is facing a great crisis due to COVID-19.

Smart Cities and Innovative Technologies

The new challenges imposed on cities in relation to their citizens and the way in which they interact with their environment, due to episodes such as the recent coronavirus pandemic, make technology reinvent and develop solutions to specific problems. At that point, Indra’s Smart 4.0 Center of Excellence not only presents itself as an ally for innovation in Medellín, but also materializes through Minsait, Indra’s leading company in digital transformation consulting and Information Technology in Latin America and Spain, its interest in research and development with tools based on the integration of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things and Big Data.

Large cities require adequate and expert treatment of the information they collect about the behavior of citizens who occupy their territory against multiple factors such as banking, the environment, education, transport, etc. The use of Big Data is key in the processing of said information with a view to integration and analysis to give a prediction response on certain situations.

For its part, Artificial Intelligence makes it possible for the solutions developed to have a greater impact as they are better managed by non-corruptible software and with greater precision and reliability. Traffic management is a perfect example of the fusion between AI and Big Data in search of increasingly safer, faster and more sustainable mobility in cities. These tools can be configured to serve any other type of environment, be it medical, political, democratic, etc.

Indra hopes to make a significant contribution to improving the living conditions of citizens and the sustainable growth of the economies of their cities through the development of innovative and useful technology. In this way, the Smart 4.0 Center of Excellence aims to be able to become a space in which the research and development of new technological solutions, together with public and private entities, academia and local enterprises, positively impact life and the environmental, economic and social development of Medellín and Colombia; and therefore, contribute to improve their levels of productivity and growth.

Indra ratifies their commitment to the growth of Medellín, the epicenter of several of the latest technology projects that the company has carried out in Colombia and with which it has generated more than 1,300 jobs in the region.

Indra in Colombia actively promotes the generation of quality employment in the country’s technology sector. An example of this are the more than 1,300 professionals hired by the company, in the last year in the city of Medellín, who work on the implementation of new projects based on solutions that benefit different sectors of the economy. Projects such as the implementation of intelligent systems for the control of tunnels and tolls in the Eastern Tunnel, allowing the longest tunnel in Latin America to be safer and more efficient. Likewise, Indra implemented the complete collection system in the Ayacucho tram and has managed access control with its technology in the pioneering intermodal public transport system in Medellín.

About Indra in Colombia

Present in the country for more than 20 years, Indra is one of the main technology companies in Colombia. It has more than 3,000 professionals and offices in the cities of Bogotá, Barranquilla and Medellín, as well as a Delivery Center (Software Production Center) in Pereira, a Cloud Center of Excellence in Bucaramanga and a Cybersecurity Center in Bogotá. The company is part of some of the key innovative projects for technological development in Colombia in the Transport & Defense, and Information Technology (IT) sectors through its subsidiary Minsait.

About Indra

Indra (www.indracompany.com) is one of the world’s leading global technology and consulting companies and the technology partner for key business operations of its clients around the world. It is a leading global provider of proprietary solutions in specific segments of the Transport and Defense markets, and a leading company in digital transformation and Information Technology consulting in Spain and Latin America through its subsidiary Minsait. Its business model is based on a comprehensive offer of its own products, with an end-to-end approach, of high value and with a high component of innovation. At the end of the 2019 financial year, Indra had income of 3,204 million euros, more than 49,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and commercial operations in more than 140 countries.

With a determined commitment to encourage the development of the region, boost the country’s economy, and resume its expansion plans, Viva Air announces Medellín as its strategic Hub for operations and the José María Córdova international airport in Rionegro as its main connection center for deployment of its flights. With this, the airline seeks, not only to decongest and decentralize the El Dorado airport in the city of Bogotá, but also to provide travelers with unique opportunities by allowing direct access from Medellín to more markets, including new international destinations to the Mexico City, Cancun and Orlando. This underscores the efforts the airline is making to provide more opportunities to connect Colombia with the world.

Resuming the international expansion plans that were put on pause in 2020, Viva announces the opening of four new international routes that will connect Medellín – Mexico City, Medellín – Cancun, Medellín – Orlando and Bogotá – Mexico City. These new international routes are in addition to the airline’s most recent announcement of three new domestic routes to Bucaramanga and Cúcuta. Thus, there are already 26 domestic routes to 12 national destinations operated by the airline and seven international routes to five destinations in Peru, Mexico and the United States, transforming air transportation in Colombia with its Low Cost model.

“9 years ago, our story began among the mountains of the capital of Antioquia. Medellín is our home, here we were born and here we operate. As an airline we understand that aviation in Colombia cannot depend solely on Bogotá and a single airport. Therefore, we seek to make air connections from Medellín just as important as those from El Dorado. With the deployment of our strategy and air operations from Medellín, we hope to promote tourism, development and contribute to the economic reactivation of the entire region. Despite the challenges that the pandemic brought with it, our plans to connect Colombia inside and outside the country don’t stop. The inauguration of four new international routes ratifies our expansion plan and strengthens the commitment to the country’s connectivity,” commented Félix Antelo, president and CEO of the Viva Air Group. In addition, he highlighted that the strategic location of Medellín provides a tremendous advantage since it is the intermediate point of the two main existing connection centers in Latin America, in Bogotá and Panama.

Viva has its main offices in the municipality of Rionegro, a suburb of the city of Medellín, where it generates more than 400 direct jobs executing on its strategy and deploying operations. Additionally, the airline operates flights to 10 national and international destinations to and from the capital of Antioquia, demonstrating the company’s commitment to positioning the José María Córdova International Airport, in Rionegro, as the base for its air operations.

For its part, the Low-Cost airline will fly to Mexico City from Bogotá beginning June 2 and from Medellín starting June 8, 2021 with four flights a week. Likewise, it will begin operating the Medellín – Cancun route from June 2, with three flights a week. And finally, with the conviction of establishing Medellín as an operations HUB, the airline will begin operations on the Medellín – Orlando route from June 10 with three weekly flights.

Tickets are on sale through the website www.vivaair.com and will have inaugural rates starting at $189.90 USD round trip for the United States and $229.90 USD for Mexico. Thus, Viva makes low-cost flight a reality for all of Latin America, and expects travelers will experience the ‘Viva Effect’ in the reduction of rates by 39% in the case of the Medellín-Cancun route, for example, and 48% in the Medellín – Mexico City route.

Viva Air, an airline that has resumed 90% of its operations with a load factor of over 85% on its flights, emphasizes that the deployment of operations from the capital of Antioquia will allow it to make, thanks to the geographic location of Medellín, future direct connections between North and South America, facilitating the control of operating costs and thus more competitive rates for travelers.

This demonstrates how Viva promotes air inclusion in Colombia and expects that approximately 180 thousand passengers will benefit, during the first year of operation, from these new routes, which will allow more and more travelers to connect with the region and fly at low prices, with certified biosafety protocols and the best punctuality. Taking advantage of the advantages that the second most important airline in the Colombian air market brings with it and the direct connections that Medellín generates with the rest of the country and the world.

In its determined commitment to democratize country’s sky, to continue betting on the national market, and to continue their growth in the Colombian air market, Viva Air announces the opening of three new national routes toBucaramanga and Cúcuta. With these, there are already 26 domestic routes to 12 destinations and three international routes to Peru and the United States, operated by the airline. This is evidence of the good results that the company has obtained since its arrival in the Colombian air market and its commitment to connectivity in the region.

Viva, an airline that has transformed air transport in Colombia thanks to its Low Cost model, will fly routes from Medellín to Bucaramanga, Bogotá to Bucaramanga and Medellín to Cúcuta daily, starting April 6th with the flights to Bucaramanga and April 7th with the flights towards Cúcuta. Tickets to these national destinations are already being sold through the website www.vivaair.com with launch rates for routes from $ 59,900 to Bucaramanga and $ 89,900 to Cúcuta, one way.

“Our commitment towards connecting Colombia does not stop. We come from a high selling season with load factors above 85%, which shows that the reactivation of the domestic market is on the right track and travelers increasingly trust our Low Cost model and biosafety protocols. That is why, as a Colombian airline, we continue to grow our route network and bet on connecting Colombia”, commented Félix Antelo, president & CEO of Grupo Viva Air. “The announcement of three new routes, even in times of reactivation, shows our efforts to continue promoting tourism, business generation and economic development in the region,” Antelo pointed out.

It is estimated that the opening of these routes to Bucaramanga and Cúcuta will generate the well-known ‘Viva Effect’, a reduction in market rates between 20 and 40%. Likewise, the airline projects that, in the first month of operations, approximately 21,500 passengers will fly on these routes. Therefore, there are nine national and international routes that Viva will operate from and to Medellín, which shows the airline’s commitment to positioning the capital of Antioquia as its strategic Hub and Rionegro airport as the base of its air operations to promote dynamization of the sector.

Currently, Viva Air has 93% punctuality as a holding company, maintaining its commitment to operational performance, an attribute that positions it as the most punctual airline in Colombia and one of the most important Low Cost companies in Latin America.

Notably, Viva became the second largest airline in the Colombian air market, transporting more than 1.9 million passengers in 2020 and making up more than 12,000 flights last year. The Low Cost company expects to increase its participation in the domestic market, which in 2020 went from 15 to 24%, showing its growth and the acceptance of its business model.

The good results and the growth path of the airline make it clear that Viva today has full capacity to compete with the best conditions in the market, offering Colombians not only the best prices, but also high standards in safety and punctuality on their flights. , with a growing fleet of 21 aircrafts with the lasted technology; that position it as the most efficient and effective option when traveling.

Redacción: Viva Air

The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín attended the visit of Israel’s Ambassador Christian Cantor for three days, in order to present him the opportunities that the region has in terms of investment and cooperation.

Israel’s Ambassador Christian Marcos Cantor carried out a work agenda this week in Medellín.

In the meetings he held with the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the Antioquia Government, he spoke mainly about the investment possibilities that the region offers in innovation, technology, agribusiness and trade. Ambassador Cantor highlighted the Colombian economy and its export offer to Israel.

The Trade Agreement

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Colombia and Israel entered into force on August 10th of this year, and it is, without a doubt, a tool to increase not only bilateral trade, but also investment.

Israel is one of the most innovative and dynamic economies in the Middle East, and a strategic ally for Colombia in diplomatic matters. In this context, the agreement with Israel is the first step in the consolidation of our commercial relations with the Middle East, a region with high purchasing power and an import orientation.

It is expected that this agreement, in addition to increasing trade and investment flows, will promote bilateral cooperation, the removal of non-tariff barriers and promote diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Cooperation with Israel

The Secretariat of Security and Coexistence of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín has had working meetings with the Government of Israel, specifically with the Ministry of Defense, in order to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on security matters.

Medellín and Antioquia are interested in sharing knowledge and promoting Israeli investment in digital innovation, sustainable development, infrastructure and logistics, agribusiness, technology and life sciences.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Webinar Metro de la 80

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What does Antioquia offer in terms of investment?

1. High economic performance

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

2. Access to competitive infrastructure

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

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

3. Tax incentives for investment

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

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

4. Well-trained and qualified human talent

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

5. Quality of life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The plan is divided as follows:

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

Download the compendium of actions [ here ]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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