The Magic of Medellin Colombia; Social Transformation, Inclusion and Innovation  

 

“The city is changing and we are creating a layer of economic inclusion”- Catalina Castano, Director of Operations (COO) Ruta N Medellin

 

Point Roberts WA, NEW YORK, NY – July 28 2015 - Investorideas.com, a global news source covering leading sectors including Latin America releases the third in a series of articles following a recent trip to Colombia hosted by PROCOLOMBIA, the government’s promotion agency.

 

The day in Medellin included a lunch with ACI (Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellin and the metropolitan area), meetings with Ruta N Corporation and a tour of the Comuna 13, home of the world’s largest outdoor escalator.

 

Medellin was named ‘Most Innovative City the World in 2013’ by Citigroup, Wall Street Journal and Urban Land Institute. The city is making every effort to maintain its title as it encourages new business enterprises in the city with tax incentives and access to resources including universities with large talent pools to hire from and a plan to become a “world class system,” said

Catalina Castano, Director of Operations (COO), @ Ruta N Medellin

After spending twelve years in New York she said what motivated her coming from an ecosystem like NYC is, “We are in the right direction. The city is changing and we are creating a layer of economic inclusion.”

She also went on to say, “Twenty years ago we were known as the most violent city and in 2013 we won awards as the most innovative;  it was won due to social inclusion.”

 

Medellin’s transformation was not just about technology and science; it started with mobility. It claims to have the best transportation system in Colombia and it is home to the world’s largest outdoor escalator, located in Comuna 13, one of the poorest areas in the city, giving mobility to seniors and children in the community. This simple idea has transformed and inspired the area to

create beautiful murals on the walls and the tin roofs of the houses, demonstrating pride of community once again.

 

The city and Ruta N Corporation have developed a plan that feature collaboration with the universities, public sector and the large corporations to move the city into a new direction of growth and opportunity.

 

The programs are designed to create stronger institutions, circulate more ideas and ultimately - more money. The long-term goal is to create a culture of innovation.

 

With incentives to investors, venture capitalists, angel investors and corporate tax incentives, the plan is taking hold.

 

There is even a Medellin Innovation Pact; with 1800 companies signing to date. Its success speaks to the fact that some corporations in other cities now also want to sign the Pact. The goal is to increase the GDP percentages of the region.

    

Once the companies sign the Pact, they allocate a representative that receives training and they put together an innovation plan with a commitment for one project per year.

 

What is most exciting about Medellin is that there is no complacency after winning their award in 2013. The city and its people are striving for a better future and innovation is seen as the key.

 

 

 VIEW ALL IMAGES AT http://www.investorideas.com/news/2015/main/07281.asp

 

About ACI: ACI - Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellin and the metropolitan area.

ACI is a key player of the internationalization process of Medellin and Antioquia as it establishes and strengthens strategic international relations that favor the consolidation of a new and positive image; facilitating access to resources for international cooperation and allowing the increase of business and investment flows for the entire Antioquia territory. https://www.facebook.com/aci.medellin

 

About Ruta N Corporation

Ruta N Corporation is pursuing the consolidation of Medellin as a city of knowledge. Therefore, in order to increase the competitiveness of the city, it has undertaken the development of a technology district in the north of the city. This district will lay the foundation for economic development in this area, attracting companies related to science, technology, and innovation, especially in the areas of health, energy, and Information Technology and Communications-ITCs.

 

About Comuna 13

The district of Comuna 13 clings to a steep hillside. For many years the 12,000 residents of this community had to make the precarious climb up hundreds of concrete steps, comparable to climbing a 28-story building but now the giant electric escalators reduce their daily commute from thirty-five minutes down to six minutes.

 

About PROCOLOMBIA:        

PROCOLOMBIA is the government promotion agency in charge of promoting trade, investment, tourism and country brand. For more information, please visit www.procolombia.co.

 

Recent interview with ProColombia's President Maria Claudia Lacouture:

http://www.investorideas.com/news/2015/main/06291.asp

 

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