Bogotá once again reinforces itself as a leader in innovation and urban development in Latin America by hosting – for the second time – the Smart Cities Expo Bogotá 2024, an event that brings together experts to exchange ideas, knowledge and solutions on how to drive smart and sustainable development to cities.
“For Bogotá, it is a great honor to host, for the second year in a row, an event of the size and importance of the Smart Cities Expo. Our goal is to make Bogotá a smart city that uses new technologies to respond to these challenges and improve the quality of life for all its inhabitants,” said Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán.
At the inauguration ceremony, the mayor expressed his concern about the decrease in funding for science in the country due to the reduction in the budget of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation: “Between 2023 and 2024, MinCiencias investment has decreased by 26.5% and with the budget set for 2025 it will be reduced by an additional 31.2%. That is, an investment of $ 266 billion in 2025 is equivalent to 50% in real terms of the investment in 2023. We cannot talk about smart cities in a country where we do not give science the importance it should have.
However, the president stressed that Bogotá would reverse this trend and move towards a truly smart city. For this reason, he took advantage of the innovation space to present the “Bogotá Científica” program. “Our city has the highest scientific capacity in the country, and this is something we have and we will take advantage of,” he said.
Bogotá is home to 41% of researchers and 32% of research groups, according to MinCiencias. In addition, 39% of patents filed and 43% of those granted in the country in 2023 originated in the city. It also has three of the top 20 universities in Latin America according to the QS ranking and is home to 40% of Colombia’s most innovative companies, according to ANDI.
“For this reason, our commitment, through the Atenea Agency, is to decisively increase the resources allocated to research and development, from 0.4% to 1% of GDP in 2028. And with Bogotá Científica, we will take a quantitative step in the financing of science. By investing more than 120 billion pesos, an unprecedented figure of direct funding from the regional government.
Bogota Science Program.
Through “Bogotá Cientifica”, over the next five years, five strategic scientific ecosystems for the future of the city and Colombia will be funded: circular economy and sustainability, medicine and health sciences, bioeconomy and bioagriculture, cultural and creative industries, convergent technologies, artificial intelligence and industries 4.0.
“With Bogotá Científica, we will transform our city into a regional hub for the adoption and promotion of science, technology and innovation in various sectors,” he noted.
Regional entities such as the Environment, Health and Safety Secretariats, Family Compensation Funds, Colsubsidio Compensation Funds and the National Navy come together in developing this program.
At the end of the event, Mayor Galán commented that according to the latest results of the 2024 Moving Cities Index, Bogotá is the seventh smartest city in Latin America and the first in Colombia. “Our commitment is to make Bogotá a city that hosts great events and, in addition, where the main debates of the future take place: a city focused on learning in order to better respond to the challenges and transformations we are experiencing today,” he said.
Smart City Expo Bogota 2024
Under the theme “Innovation that Transforms – Safe and Resilient Cities”, this edition will feature over 60 speakers and over 30 exhibitors who will showcase innovative solutions and the latest trends in smart cities. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about projects focused on improving public services, sustainable urban mobility, and citizen security, all with the aim of enhancing the resilience and sustainability of cities.
“In Bogotá, we are building a more resilient and innovative city, where public-private collaboration is essential to foster economic and social development. Innovation Zones are strategic platforms to foster this process and have a positive impact on our communities,” said María del Pilar López Uribe, Minister of Economic Development.
Andrés López Valderrama, CEO of Corferias, highlighted the importance of creating this type of space for the future of cities: “We are very proud of this alliance with Fira Barcelona International that allows Corferias to continue contributing to the development of the country and making it an essential part of discussions on transcendent issues such as smart cities.”
In turn, Ricard Zapatero, CEO of Fira Barcelona International, thanked the vote of confidence that allowed the event to be held in the country's capital, and called on people to work for smart cities during the three days. “A smart city is one that tries, through new technologies, to improve the lives of citizens. In these three days, let's make all the cities of Latin America better. Thank you for the trust, for the collaboration and for improving the lives of citizens,” said the senior executive.
This international event, organized by Fira Barcelona International and Corferias, with the support of the Mayor's Office of Bogotá, will take place from September 25 to 27 in Pavilion 8 of Corferias.
Through this event, Bogotá reaffirms its commitment to building a safer, more resilient and more innovative city, and reinforces itself as a regional benchmark in sustainable urban solutions.
