The summit will also showcase the measures taken to achieve a prompt economic recovery after the pandemic, and the role of foreign investment in propelling it. President Ivan Duque will be among the keynote speakers.

The hybrid event will showcase the country’s strategic advantages and opportunities for foreign companies looking to invest in Colombia.

“Since August 2018 and up to August of 2021, ProColombia has supported the arrival of 598 investment projects for US $25,4 billion, which have resulted in over 265,000 new jobs. This event is a great opportunity to continue positioning Colombia as the ideal investment destination in the region, increase these numbers and contribute to the recovery of our economy,” said Flavia Santoro (above), president of ProColombia.

Colombia currently has 17 free trade agreements with 65 countries including the United States, Canada, the European Union, with the potential to reach 1.5 billion consumers.

During this year’s summit, the country will present 140 investment projects with a combined value of $7.5 billion USD, across key sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology as well as other opportunities in a sustainable ecosystem.

ProColombia claims that in previous editions, the CIS has impacted more than 400 investors and generated over 1,000 appointments. The platform has attracted participants such as former President Bill Clinton, Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili and former President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno.

These include an investment by the US conglomerate Glenfarne Group in a power generation project worth US $420 million in the Colombian Caribbean while two other investors in the renewable energy sector made announcements worth US $100 million, and Peruvian company Camposol expanded its investments worth more than US $150 million for the production of Hass avocados.

Argentine concern the Pegasus Group, with projects in the hospitality and cosmetics industries, will invest in an elderly care facility with a US $20 million investment.

The British fund John Laing invested in the acquisition of 30% of the Ruta de Cacao (Cocoa Route) 4G highway concession in Santander.

The academic track of the event was attended by more than 500 international investors, doubling the previous edition.

“These figures show the interest international companies have in the business opportunities Colombia has to offer. The doubling of the number of investors, when compared to the 2018 version, ratifies our country as one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world,” said Flavia Santoro, President of ProColombia.

14 regional investment promotion agencies from Antioquia, Boyacá, Quindío, Bogotá, Bolívar, Huila, Caldas, Nariño, Orinoquía, Córdoba, Atlántico, Magdalena, Risaralda, Valle also participated, along with 12 free trade zones and logistics projects.

“Colombia is taking steps in the right direction, working to attract investments that have an impact and benefit its people, with greater technology and supporting entrepreneurship. Colombia is a developing country; there is a lot to be done, a lot of talent, and this is the right time to invest,” said Frédéric Cuq, representative of the French company Thales Group.

Cao Yijing, executive of the Chinese CCCC Shanghai Dredging Company, stated that, compared to other countries, “Colombia has the right conditions in place for investment: legal certainty, economic growth, and stability. This is a good time to begin operations in Latin America, and the right place is a country like Colombia.”

Photo credit: ProColombia

Academic seminars and workshops will take place on October 29 and a business conference on October 30. Special breakout sessions will be held for the Orange Economy, clinical studies, infrastructure, agribusiness, renewable energy, manufacturing and tourism. Foreign Direct Investors have been confirmed from North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

“It is the most important meeting with foreign investors that the country has, because with this we managed to attract high-impact businesses. The last event we held in 2018 facilitated 27 deals signed by companies that participated in the event, which represent investments of more than US $720 million and the generation of more than 6,400 jobs,” said ProColombia president Flavia Santoro.

“Meetings such as the Colombia Investment Summit open up opportunities for the arrival of greater foreign investment, understood as a vehicle for the recovery of our economy, and that contributes to the fulfillment of the goals of the National Government in terms of competitiveness, development and growth with equality. We will continue working on the creation of incentives to attract large foreign direct investment projects and to optimize the free zone model as a driver of regional development. In the same way, we will focus on creating sectoral tax schemes and, also, on promoting red carpet strategies that bring together tax, institutional, regulatory, legal, financial tools, mainly, and that to date show satisfactory results,” said the Minister of Commerce , Industry and Tourism, José Manuel Restrepo.

ProColombia is the agency responsible for promoting foreign investment in Colombia, non-mining energy exports, international tourism and the country’s image. Through a national and international network of offices, the agency offers support and comprehensive advice to foreign direct investors, through services, programs and advice aimed at facilitating the design and execution of investors’ successful entry into Colombia.

“Colombia is consolidated as an ideal destination for direct foreign investment. We are a country of regions with different development foci throughout the territory and with great opportunities for entrepreneurship and creative industries, agro-industrial development, tourism, manufacturing and specialized services that can contribute to our country having an economy thriving and outstanding in the region, ”said Flavia Santoro.

“We want to extend an invitation to businesspeople from Colombia and the world to take part in the Colombia Investment Summit, a space to identify investment opportunities and explore the possibilities that the country offers,” she said.