From November 16th-22nd, an economic mission spearheaded by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce brought 20 civic and business leaders to Medellin and Bogota to further enhance the economic and political ties between Georgia and Colombia while immersing in and experiencing the country’s culture firsthand. TheSharedWorld was proud to co-lead this mission, I am thankful for all the organizations and individuals who contributed to its success.
A big thank you to President and CEO, Veronica Maldonado, for her leadership and vision, Consul General of Colombia Ariana Arias Castiblanco, and Hernando Galindo from ProColombia for creating a spectacular agenda, Jumarie Flores for ensuring we were well taken care of throughout the trip, and all the organizations that warmly hosted us. Thank you to Georgia Power, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Atlanta Regional Commission, and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia for participating in this mission. I invite you all to look at the curated agenda to explore the robust program and get to know all the wonderful participating delegates, speakers, and hopefully to inspire you to visit Colombia yourself in the near future.
Key Takeaways from the Mission:
1.Hospitality – We often talk about our Southern hospitality, but from the moment we arrived in Colombia—from the security personnel and guides to the hotel staff, restaurant employees, and everyone we met during meetings—every person went out of their way to make us feel welcomed, appreciated, and ready to build meaningful connections. If you like coffee, I recommend visiting the coffee farm, Capilla Del Rosario Café, and learning from Simon about how to properly brew coffee.
2.Resilient and Thriving – During our visits to places like Comuna 13 and Plaza Antonio, we learned about Colombia’s difficult history. Witnessing how Comuna 13 transformed from one of the most dangerous places in the world into a vibrant community, and seeing the influence of music and the arts in the community, was truly inspirational and worthy of replication.
3. Innovation & Entrepreneurship – Meeting with executives from Ruta N, known as a city laboratory, and Argos, we saw the city’s commitment to being the epicenter of not only science, technology, and innovation but also social development and the preservation of the planet’s ecosystem. Ruta N’s special treatment zone is designed to attract investment and create a collaborative environment among businesses, academia, government, citizens, and international partners. I invite you all to learn more about the organization, and a special shoutout to Georgia Tech for being a key partner of theirs with the Medellin Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.
Argos’ mission to build housing and infrastructure to enable a more sustainable and inclusive society further showcased the country’s overall mission. They are laser-focused on leading the supply of sustainable construction materials and solutions in the Americas. By 2050, they are committed to producing and selling carbon-neutral concrete and are working on habitable 3D printed homes, and exploring generative artificial intelligence to revolutionize manufacturing processes
4.International Business Opportunities-Medellin brands itself as the district of science, innovation, and technology. It’s home to the World Economic Forum’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Center for Colombia.Key investment areas include education, health, and territory management, with a focus on entrepreneurship, including rural initiatives, and employment centers. The region of Antioquia, where Medellin is located, exports to 152 countries. Top export destinations include the United States, Italy, Ecuador, India, and Hong Kong. Key exports are gold, fruits, mineral fuels, coffee, and tea. Medellin ranks #2 in Colombia, #7 in South America, and #162 globally in the global startup ecosystem. The focus is on fintech, SaaS, business management, and adtech.
Bogota contributes to 25% of Colombia’s GDP. The city hosts over 32% of businesses in the country, with over 50,000 businesses, including numerous multinationals. The City boasts the best startup ecosystem in Colombia and the third-best in Latin America. The construction of the Bogota Science, Technology, and Innovation Campus (CTIB) aims to attract high-profile investments and technology companies by 2028. This initiative includes a free trade zone. Bogota is expected to see economic growth of 2.5% in 2024, compared to the 1.8% average for Latin America. Between 2018 and 2023, Bogota attracted 788 FDI projects worth $10.4 billion. These projects mainly originate from the United States, Spain, and Mexico and primarily focus on sectors such as Software & IT services, corporate services, textiles, consumer products, and communications.
5. Culinary Experience– Spectacular culinary experiences, particularly at Açai Memoria Amazónica, where we sampled cuisine with hand-selected ingredients from the Amazon forest. The restaurant’s mission and purpose are to support the indigenous communities and preserve the rainforest. Andrew Arrieta is more than a chef; he is an artist and a person deeply committed to the environment and humanity.
