General News

Antioquia Awards Construction Contract for Crucial ‘Toyo Tunnel’ Project

Medellin Herald October 15, 2015

The Antioquia departmental government announced October 14 that contracts have now been finalized for construction of the 9.75-kilometers-long “Toyo Tunnel” project — part of a crucial highway connection between Medellin and a new freight port being built on the Caribbean coast. The

General News

Antioquia Outshines All Colombia in Institutional Management, Public Finances

Medellin Herald October 14, 2015

A just released study by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Cepal, in Spanish initials) finds that Antioquia continues to surpass all other departments in Colombia for institutional management and public finances. Antioquia also ranks second (behind Cundinamarca) in over-all “competitiveness,” according to the study. However, the

General News

New ‘Branding’ Studies Analyze Medellin’s Global Image

Medellin Herald October 13, 2015

A joint study by researchers at the University of Medellin and Spain-based Urbegi University examines how Medellin can tap qualitative and quantitative analytical methods to measure its global “brand” image. On a parallel front, U-Medellin and international collaborators have just launched a separate, related study on “Brand Medellin” (“Marca Medellin”), aiming to measure

General News

Avianca’s Big Expansion Boosts Antioquia’s Growing Aeronautical ‘Cluster’

Medellin Herald October 8, 2015

Medellin investment promotion agency ACI (Agencia de Cooperación e Inversión de Medellín y el Área Metropolitana) announced October 8 that a new “Clúster Aeroespacial Colombiano” (Colombian aeronautical cluster) is becoming a magnet for new business growth in Antioquia.  The growth of aeronautical investment and jobs in metro Medellin is due in part to a huge […]

General News

‘El Niño’ Cuts Antioquia’s Hydropower Reserves: XM

Medellin Herald October 7, 2015

Medellin-based XM — Colombia’s national electric-power grid operator and its national wholesale energy-market trading platform – announced October 5 that the “El Niño” drought phenomenon this fall has cut hydropower reserves and consequently has boosted the call upon thermoelectric plants. Colombia’s aggregate national hydropower reservoir level has dipped to 63.97%,

General News

Medellin’s Annual ‘Como Vamos’ Surveys, Studies Show Progress, Shortfalls

Medellin Herald October 4, 2015

The latest annual “Medellin Como Vamos” (“How Are We Doing?”) survey (released October 2) of a representative sample of 1,520 local adults from all economic sectors shows that Medellin’s citizens are mostly satisfied with progress being made in many crucial areas — although recent security problems need more attention. While Medellin has seen a huge […]

General News

Corona, Cementos Molins to Build US$370 Million Cement Factory in Antioquia

Medellin Herald October 2, 2015

Spain-based Cementos Molins announced September 30 that it signed a joint-venture deal with Colombia-based multinational Grupo Corona to build a US$370 million, 1.3 million tonnes-per-year cement factory in Sonson, Antioquia. The new plant – due to start-up in mid-2018 — will take advantage of a limestone-mining license already obtained by Corona, according to

General News

Antioquia’s ‘Prosperity Highway’ Contracts Now All Finalized

Medellin Herald September 23, 2015

Colombia’s national infrastructure agency (ANI, Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura) announced September 22 that it has now finalized and awarded the last of a series of nine construction contracts for the massive “Autopistas de Prosperidad” (prosperity highways). The projects — once completed over approximately the next five to eight years — would vastly

General News

Metro-Medellin’s Flower Exports Bloom; Dutch Connection Beats ‘Dutch Disease’

Medellin Herald September 18, 2015

Just a few kilometers to the east of Medellin in the Llanogrande-La Ceja-Rionegro region, the long-established cut-flowers industry is seeing its export profits bloom this year. Thanks to the rise of the U.S. dollar – up about 70% year-on-year, to around COP3,000 per US$1 – flower exporters are more-than-recovering from losses suffered when the U.S. […]

General News

Medellin, Cartagena Making Biggest Gains in Social Progress: IPS Study

Medellin Herald September 17, 2015

Medellin and Cartagena are the two Colombian cities making the biggest gains in a new “Social Progress Index” (SPI, or “IPS” in Spanish) ranking, as found in a study sponsored by major international and Colombian foundations as well as university researchers. According to the study, Medellin and Cartagena posted a 25% gain in the social […]