77 foreign companies in technology, life sciences, manufacturing and commerce, among others, have arrived in Medellín between 2020 and 2023, creating close to 13,000 quality jobs for people from all over the territory, representing $836 million in foreign investment. These companies arrived thanks to competitive costs, tax benefits, human talent and the quality of life offered by the District.
Companies such as Life Factors, N-iX, Sana Commerce, Concentrix, Genius Sports came to Medellin to contribute to the development of the Software Valley. Most of the installed companies come from the United States, Spain, France, Holland, Germany and Argentina.
“In the entity we intensify our international relations so that foreigners who come to the city bring development, knowledge and employment that dignify our talents and improve the quality of life of the people of Medellin. The positive balance in attracting foreign investment has required years of effort by ACI Medellin, with key support from entities such as ProColombia and Ruta N, with which we have exposed potential investors from around the world because Medellin is a great opportunity for their businesses to prosper,” said the executive director of ACI Medellin, Juan Camilo Mergesh.
Many executives from the companies’ countries of origin chose to stay in the city and in many cases brought their families with them, which in turn creates dynamism in the economy and favors interculturality.
“We came to Medellin attracted by the quality of Colombian engineers. Personally, I came to live in Medellin 10 years ago, working in other software companies where I met the quality, knowledge and desire to learn from the engineers here. I have been very happy because the people and the environment are unique. For the moment, the company seeks to continue growing and generating jobs and development for this city that has welcomed us with open arms,” said Håkan Ahlstedt, director of Nexer in Colombia, a Swedish technology company that arrived in the District in 2022.
This foreign investment is complemented by the positive figures that the city had with the arrival of international tourists. In the first half of this year, 674,493 were registered, that is, 13% more than in the same period of 2022, when there were 593,648, and 56% more if compared to the same period of 2019, making Medellín positioned in the world as a District open to the arrival of people from other countries who want to work and live in the city.
In international cooperation, the city has received 27 million dollars for the fulfillment of projects in education, culture, sports, health and social inclusion.
This recognition of the District at the global level meant that between 2020 and so far in 2023, 1.813 high-level international validators, including ambassadors, mayors, executives of large companies, ministers and senior government advisors, as well as 200 international journalists from media such as América Economía, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Telemundo and Univision, among others, who came to learn about projects such as the C4TA, the Software Valley Centers, the escalators in Commune 13, the metro system, cultural programs such as the Music Schools Network and the Buen Comienzo Gardens.
“I love Medellín for its climate; the people are also very friendly, the public spaces are clean and the people here have a great sense of belonging to the city. In addition, it is a very innovative city, very internationalized, although it retains its own flavor. Finally, I love that here there is a balance between green and natural, along with an organization around business and investment,” he said.
On October 5, the event Medellín and its International Allies will be held at Ruta N, where the most outstanding achievements of Medellín will be socialized before key members of the international community such as ambassadors, consuls, mayors, ministers and entrepreneurs, as was done in 2021, when projects such as the 80 Metro, Software Valley Centers and C4TA were presented to friends from all over the world.