With the launch of the “Colombia Bring IT On” campaign, the virtues of Colombia’s technology sector are being promoted in New York City this July 23 and 24, according to Canada’s CNW newswire.
The two-day event was aimed at bringing together Colombian government agencies with technology buyers from the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, reported the CNW newswire.
MORE: Canada recruits Colombia’s best bilingual tech professionals
Colombia’s IT Minister Diego Molano Vega told the Wall Street Journal that Colombia didn’t want to just become “the Silicon Valley of Latin America.”
“We want to be the leading country in terms of reducing poverty [with the use of technology],” he said.
Colombian tech experts develop app to help farmers
Whether the promotional blitz is successful or not, Colombia is already making products and companies at home with exactly that goal.
One app that helps combat economic uncertainty is Cultivando Futuro, an app developed in 2013 to helps farmers in central Colombia check weather, get market prices and most importantly, connect with potential clients for their agricultural products.
MORE: Home-grown Colombian app connecting farmers to the world
“We came up with this idea at [‘Startup Weekend, English Version’] partly inspired by the farmers strikes that were sweeping Colombia at that time,” said Cultivando Futuro co-founder Alexander Santana in a 2013 interview with Colombia Reports.
MORE: Colombia’s strike wave begins with violence and roadblocks
The idea is relatively simple: farmers use a smart phone to connect with restaurants and wholesalers at the other end of the supply chain. This direct connection allows farmers to cut out the ‘middle man’ and market their goods directly. They also receive live weather updates and commodity prices.
MORE: Local startup banking on gaining trust of Colombia’s middle class
In 2013 Colombia had 1,800 registered software development and IT service companies whose combined sales totaled nearly US$3.2 billion, according to Information Technology and Communications Minister Diego Molano Vega, reported the CNW newswire.
Sources
- Colombia Stakes Its Claim as the Next Hot High-Tech Hub (Wall Street Journal)
- Colombia Launches First-Ever Internet Technology (IT) Campaign, Supported by Rapid Industry Growth (CNW newswire)
