Medellin authorities officials announced Thursday that Colombia’s second largest city aspires to be the principal technological innovation city of Latin America by 2021.
The capital of the Antioquia department now wishes to become the capital of innovation and technology of South America by investing over $389 million across 10 years in a new technology district and a strategic plan to link residents to different projects and international experiences.
The name of this newly launched campaign is ‘MedellInnovation.’
“The goal is for Medellin to be the Latin American capital in science, technology and innovation by 2021,” said Medellin’s Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Science, Technology and Innovation, Luis Hoyos.
Hoyos explained to Spanish press agency EFE that this decision came after Medellin was named, “Most Innovative City” in the world for 2012 in a competition sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and Citigroup earlier this year.
MORE: Medellin named world’s most innovative city of 2012
“[This committment includes programs] that will attract and bring innovation to society in general. We want every citizen to consider himself an innovator or a creative person,” said Juan Quintero, the director of Ruta N, a corporation which fosters innovation in the public and private sectors.
Things to look forward to in this celebration of Medellin innovation include a MedellInnovation Festival next November, MiMedellin, which will allow citizens to propose solutions to various problems, and a Global Forum for Innovative Cities.
With this new face, according to Quintero, Medellin will leave the image of being the ‘most violent city in the world’ and show how it can become a “society that makes big changes with ingenuity.”
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