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

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

Other similar initiatives are:

Top Gun Route

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

Top Gun Path

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Context of the news 

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

Despite the crisis resulting from the pandemic, the international companies keep their confidence in Colombia. This is revealed in a recent survey done by ProColombia and the Regional Investment Promotion Agencies to 229 foreign companies that have their operations in the country, which, almost unanimously, are still considering Colombia a strategic investment destination.

A total of 229 foreign companies that operate in the country were surveyed by the Regional Investment Promotion Agencies and ProColombia regarding the expectations of their operations amid this crisis.

The “National Perception Survey to Investors”, in which the promotion agencies such as ACI Medellín, Invest in Armenia, Invest in Pereira, Invest in Santander, Invest in Cartagena, Invest in Cesar, Invest in Santa Marta, Invest Pacific and ProBarranquilla participated, led by ProColombia and Invest in Bogota, was carried out with the aim of knowing the perception of the companies regarding the crisis, as well as the strategies they have adopted in order to continue their operations in the country.

This also revealed that 66% of the surveyed businessmen are optimistic regarding the operations of their companies in the country, while 30% are feeling the same in respect to the performance of the economy in general.  Regarding the impact that the Covid-19 has had on the operations of these multinational companies, 89% of the surveyed companies manifested they are still operating, 80% are operating with at least 50% of their installed capacity.

The companies were mainly optimistic about their performance in the country. 99,6% of the surveyed companies are still considering Colombia as a destination for their investment.

Another conclusion of the survey is that the majority of the surveyed businessmen (79%) consider that the measures implemented by the National Government contribute to the mitigation of the impact and the reactivation of the economy.

“These results demonstrate that Colombia is still appealing for the investors. efficient foreign investment is one of the essential instruments in the current crisis, not only because it increases the exports, but because it creates job opportunities and boost the economy. That is why we work on three areas to promote the arrival of more investors: investment facilitation and business environment tools; relocation of companies that look for a new organization in their supply chains and efficiencies when leaving other places; and sector and regional incentives”, assured José Manuel Restrepo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism.

In regards to the institutional support provided by ProColombia and the Regional Investment Promotion Agencies, the surveyed companies highlighted that the management of the entities is relevant thanks to the fact the it generates value information for decision making and it helps them with the dialogue between the regional and central governments.

“We want to spread a message of support and of deep respect to the foreign investors and Colombian businessmen. They can have the absolute confidence that, with the leadership of President Iván Duque and aligned with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, we are working with conviction and commitment in favor of the business network of the country. We are convinced we are going to overcome this challenge all together. Having your optimism, commitment and support is essential in order to continue forward with confidence” said, Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

The surveyed businessmen lead companies mainly from the United States (24%), France (9%) Spain (8%) and Mexico (7%), and are mainly from the manufacture, IT services, processed foods, BPO and shared services sectors.

A crisis that has driven the change

The answers of the businessmen also allowed to identify that more than half of them have considered or have already done adjustments in their business model. The main changes that the current crisis have brought are related to the development of new business lines, the use of electronic channels for the management and reduction of the operational costs.

Also, 69% of the surveyed businessmen say that their companies have found opportunities in the crisis, especially in the BPO and shared services, technological services and medical devices sectors.

Teleperformance is an example, it is an international company with more than 330,000 employees globally and they are present in 80 countries, and in Colombia it has operations in Bogotá, Medellín, Tunja and Barranquilla. “The near future gives us hope when seeing a clear opportunity of capitalizing opportunities in the market that would allow us to demonstrate how the Colombia DNA is made to adapt to big challenges” said Andrés Bernal, CEO of the company.

It is worth to mention that the survey to the investors has 4 regional chapters in which the information is broadly presented from Bogotá (Invest in Bogota), the Central Region (ACI Medellín, Invest in Armenia, Invest in Pereira and Invest in Santander), the Caribbean Region (Invest in Cartagena, Invest in Cesar, Invest in Santa Marta and ProBarranquilla) and the Pacific Region (Invest Pacific).

Medellín will host the technological innovation center of the world’s largest cement company LafargeHolcim, which will be located in the Ruta N Innovation District. The multinational Swiss company expects to invest more than 10 million dollars and generate close to 1,000 jobs in the medium term.

LafargeHolcim, the world’s largest cement company, has created a technology support center in Medellin to unite all of its operations on the continent.

Since 2013, LafargeHolcim has a Shared Services Center located in Ruta N, from which it supports its operations in North America and Latin America with more than 400 employees.

“We will have the Americas Digital Center Information Technology in Medellin. This technological leadership site will generate in the first stage 250 jobs and in the final stage more than 1,000. This is the path for a Software Valley in this Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Mayor of Medellín Daniel Quintero Calle

Medellín is taking a leap into the future thanks to a strategy called “Software Valley” that seeks to develop a modernized economy through software and information technologies by taking advantage of opportunities to make the city the Latin American capital of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This achievement is thanks to the articulated work between Medellín Mayor’s, Ruta N, Procolombia, Governor´s Office of Antioquia and the Agency of Cooperation and Investment of Medellín – ACI to promote technological development, innovation and quality of life in the region.

Context

LafargeHolcim is a Swiss multinational building materials company. It is present in more than 80 countries and employs more than 80,000 people. Its operation is divided into four segments: cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete, and it is currently the largest cement company in the world.

* Photo: From left to right: Carlos Moreno, Latam Regional CFO of LafargeHolcim, Jochen Werling, Group CIO LafargeHolcim, Anibal Gaviria Correa, Governor of Antioquia, Daniel Quintero Calle, Mayor of Medellin and Alejandro Carballido Americas Digital Center Head LafargeHolcim.

On December 9^th, the Financial Times announced the winning agencies of the fDi Strategy Awards 2019, an online database that tracks investment in all sectors and countries. After analyzing 56 Investment Promotion Agencies – IPA- in 38 categories, the work of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín was exalted in the category of Specialties in the 4.0 and creative industries 

“Creative industries are one of the priority sectors in Medellin’s new economic development policy, representing 1.5% of Antioquia’s GDP in 2017. Medellin’s creative sector consists of more than 1,690 companies and most of them are micro and small companies involved in activities related to music, television, design, photography, jewelry, theater, cinema, radio, and plastic arts. In addition, Medellín is the only city in Colombia with a film commission, and offers 15% additional incentives to those offered by the national government.”

“In recent years, Antioquia’s industry 4.0 sector has increased by 50%, making it the second region with new software registrations in the country and home to 14% of all IT companies in Colombia.”

“The fact that Financial Times highlights the efforts made by the city to position itself as a development pole in creative industries and 4.0 fills ACI Medellín with pride because it demonstrates that by articulating the business ecosystem and institutionality, we can generate trust amongst investors and consequently development for the territory,”said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, executive director of the ACI Medellín.  

Thinking about a Medellín 4.0 is a huge challenge for our city. It makes us reflect on how to make technology an inclusive space that will help us close social gaps and generate development opportunities for the city, for the country and for the entire region.

We must all remember that Medellín did not develop at the same time as the first three industrial revolutions were happening. These took a little longer to reach Colombia.

But then, how can the country, and especially Medellín, now be selected to host a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution? And how does Colombia share this challenge with countries such as the United States, Japan, China and India?

Getting here has not been easy. The journey has been challenging. We have faced the changes, difficulties and needs of a city that, historically, was growing rapidly in its population, but that saw the hope of progress as a dream frustrated by violence and lack of opportunities. Those difficult times that Medellín went through have made us what we are today: a resilient city that sees innovation as the engine for social change and wants to share its good practices with the world.

The United States, Japan, China, India, United Arab Emirates, Israel and Colombia are part of the Centres for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global Network.

The greatness of Medellín can be found in overcoming obstacles and how it has managed to turn them into opportunities, using tools such as creativity, co-creation and the articulated work of the government, industry and academia sectors. We call this innovation and our task is to put it at the service of our citizens.

We do not have a magic recipe for change, but we are aware that our transformation has guided us on the right path. Some years ago, Medellín decided to increase its investment in activities based on science, technology and innovation: we went from investing 0.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015 to 2.27% in 2018, becoming the city of Colombia having the highest investment in these activities. Thanks to this, today Medellín is in the eye of the world and has gained international recognition from the World Economic Forum (WEF), organization we have been working with, as a team, for several years.

Having received the WEF’s acceptance as a partner, from Medellín, to promote the development and appropriation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the region, constitutes a major vote of confidence and reinforces our commitment to the responsible use of information technologies.

We know that the benefits will be incalculable, but this is not a revolution that will be measured in square meters. Belonging to this network of centres allow us, among other things, to develop tools to manage the governance of technologies, have expert advice, make our leadership role visible, connect cutting-edge technology with local needs and make the country a more attractive destination for investment and business development.

At the Affiliate Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Colombia, located in Medellín, we focus on the development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; Internet Of Things, Robotics and Smart Cities, and Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology.

From Medellín, where the first Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Latin America has been established, we will concentrate our work on three of the nine emerging technologies: (I) Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; (ii) Internet of Things, Robotics and Smart Cities, and (iii) Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology.

Our task will be to define the use of technology to improve government processes, close the inequality gap and contribute to the compliance on the challenges that are contemplated on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as quality education, gender equality, access to work, the sustainability of cities and alliances to achieve objectives, among others.

Beyond a technological revolution, we need a human talent revolution, an educational and social revolution that allows us to generate quality jobs and raise awareness about such important issues as equality, common welfare and the environment. This is our opportunity to prepare for change, adapt to it and generate value for our citizens.

In terms of investment, ACI Medellín closes 2019 with an exploratory mission to China. There, we had the opportunity to present our investment attraction strategy in three cities: Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijín.

In the last 12 years, ACI Medellín managed 2.5 billion dollars and 245 investment projects from more than 35 countries. China is the sixth country that invested the most in the city and the fourth in the generation of international business projects in the four years.

In Shanghai and Shenzhen, the tour focused on having one-on-one meetings with companies primarily from Industry 4.0. In Beijing, the Agency and Corporation Ruta N, together with ProColombia’s Commercial Office in China, managed to organize the event Why Medellin? where 35 entrepreneurs from different economic sectors learned about the commitments and projections of the capital of Antioquia in terms of investment.

“This is the first time we travel this far. We assume this challenge because we consider China a market that we want to know and for it to knows us. Currently, large Chinese companies believe in the city to expand their businesses, such as BYD, Tuya Smart, and Huawei. These success stories allowed us to reach this scenario strong and with proposals to make investors fall in love with the city,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, executive director of ACI Medellín.

By 2019, more than 180 American, Spanish, and Chinese entrepreneurs learned about Medellín’s strengths and capabilities for the installation of foreign companies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Registration Why Medellín in Madrid: click here 

Registration Why Medellín in Barcelona: click here

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Foreign companies set their eyes on Medellín.

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

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

Written by Medellín Mayor’s Office

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International speakers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Holberton School

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download the complete report [here]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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