General News

‘Ruta al Mar’ Highway Project Wins Big Financing Package

Medellin Herald December 15, 2017

Colombia’s national infrastructure agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura, ANI) and the Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN) national financing organization jointly announced December 14 that a new deal ensures COP$1.47 trillion (US$490 million) financing for the “Ruta al Mar” highway

Colombian economy

Mining, Energy Still Crucial to Fix Colombia’s Weak Finances: Fedesarollo

Medellin Herald December 13, 2017

Colombia’s top economic think-tank — Fundación para la Educación Superior y el Desarrollo (Fedesarollo) — on December 13 unveiled a report which finds that mining and energy projects will continue to be crucial to restoration of slumping national government finances. Antioquia is Colombia’s biggest gold-mining department — and hence figures into the

General News

Antioquia’s ‘Vias del Nus’ Highway Project Gets Financing Boost

Medellin Herald December 13, 2017

Antioquia’s development agency (Instituto para el Desarrollo de Antioquia, IDEA) announced December 13 that it’s extending a COP$132.5 billion (US$44 million) credit for the 157-kilometers-long “Vias del Nus” fourth-generation (4G) highway project in northern Antioquia. The credit will help support financing, design, environmental studies, purchase of adjacent properties,

Congresses & Conferences

30th Annual ‘Colombiatex’ Textile-Fashion Trade Show Debuts January 23-25, 2018

Medellin Herald December 7, 2017

Medellin-based Inexmoda – the trade association for Colombia’s textile and fashion industry – announced December 5 that the 30th annual “Colombiatex” trade show will bring-together some 550 companies, 125 exhibitors and about 15,800 buyers from 60 countries. The show — running January 23-25, 2018, at Medellin’s Plaza Mayor convention center – will feature displays

General News

Colombia National Agency Ranks Medellin #1 in Government Planning, Execution

Medellin Herald December 6, 2017

Colombia’s national planning agency — Departamento Nacional de Planeacion (DNP) — on December 5 announced that the city of Medellin ranks best among Colombia’s 13 biggest cities for government planning and execution. While Medellín took the top spot in the ranking of Colombia’s biggest cities, Bogotá came in second, followed by Barranquilla, Cali, Pereira,

General News

Medellin’s ‘Ruta N’ Inks Robotics, Artificial-Intelligence Development Deal

Medellin Herald December 3, 2017

New York-based Institute for Robotic Process Automation and Artificial Intelligence (IRPA-AI) announced November 29 that Medellin’s “Ruta N” information-technology development center inked a deal whereby IRPA-AI will help launch a “Digital Americas Pipeline Initiative” (DAPI). “The initiative will provide companies with direct access to trained, experienced, and certified

Companies

Fabricato Moving Rionegro Plant to Bello; Notes Anti-Dumping Decision

Medellin Herald December 3, 2017

Medellin-based textile giant Fabricato SA announced November 28 that it has begun the process of moving the entire operations of its “Riotex” factory in Rionegro to its Bello factory – both of which are nearby Medellin. Transfer of dry production units will be completed by January 2018, while the wet production units will move to […]

Companies

EPM’s Nine-Months 2017 Profits Soar 25% Year-on-Year

Medellin Herald December 3, 2017

Medellin-based multinational utilities giant EPM reported November 28 that its net profits for the first nine months of 2017 hit COP$1.6 trillion (US$534 million), up 25% year-on-year, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 22%, to COP$3.9 trillion (US$1.3 billion). So far this year, the city of Medellin – EPM’s sole owner […]

Congresses & Conferences

‘FISE’ Electricity Congress Generates US$230 Million; EV’s, Solar Power Grab Center Stage

Medellin Herald December 1, 2017

Organizers of the biannual Feria Internacional del Sector Electrico (FISE) electric-power industry conference in Medellin announced December 1 that this year’s edition generated US$230 million in new business deals, of which US$214 million involved 50 international buyers and US$10.9 million from 80 national buyers. FISE’s organizers include the Chamber of Commerce of

General News

Antioquia Continues to Rank High in Competitiveness: CPC Annual Study

Medellin Herald November 24, 2017

A new study (see: https://idc.compite.com.co/) by the national private-sector competitiveness council (Consejo Privado de Competitividad, CPC) and Universidad del Rosario shows that Antioquia continues to rank near the top in competitiveness among all of Colombia’s 32 departments (states). The departmental competitiveness index (Indice Departamental de