‘Antioquia, Department of Knowledge’ Living Lab, Colombia

'Antioquia, Department of Knowledge' Living Lab, which is found in

Colombia, is a new economic model for regional development as Territorial
Living Lab (TLL) and is aimed at development of the Department of
Antioquia as a ‘Territory of Knowledge’, from the strengthening of
entrepreneurship in Antioquia and the creation of ventures in the 125
municipalities of the 9 subregions of the Department, including its capital
Medellin for their productivity and competitiveness, through intensive,
productive and efficient use of ICT as a means of appropriation of Open and
Collaborative Innovation with direct and extensive involvement of citizens,
impacting more than 6 million of people.

Description
With the Certification for the Department of Antioquia ([Link]), as a
Member of the European Network of Living Labs, ENoLL, and with the support and co-
participation with its network, it develops a joint multi-sectoral collaborative strategy,
about ICT as a tool for Open Innovation, with broad and direct participation of the
citizens. ‘Antioquia, Department of Knowledge Living Lab, is a new economic
development model, which incorporates integrally with a systemic and holistic approach,
everything that has been leading the region in relation to strategic planning and
appropriation of the ICT led to education, innovation, research and generating ventures
during the last 7 years.
Department of Antioquia is prepared to structure, implement and consolidate the project
of Living Lab ‘Antioquia, Department of Knowledge’ (including the City of Medellin:
[Link] and its Metropolitan Area: [Link]) as
the largest appropriation model of Science and Technology in Colombia and Latin
America, through intensive, productive and efficient use of ICT as an instrument of Open
and Collaborative Innovation. As a member of ENoLL, we want to share experiences,
knowledge and methodologies with the existing network of Living Labs around the world
through national and international collaborative work, involving all actors of society in the
Department of Antioquia, with a joint organized multisectoral between the State, the
productive sector, academia and civil society organizations, by highlighting the direct and
collective participation of citizens, as the basis of a Living Lab model.

References and Track Record

Antioquia is leading the country in research. Research groups located throughout the
department running 26% of research projects carried out at the national level. Of the 71
groups ranked by Colciencias as excellence in the country, 26 are in Medellin, 37%, and
600 graduates in doctoral programs, 200 are located in Antioquia, 33%. This region
showed greater connectivity and ICT infrastructure of the country, mainly over 4,350
public educational institutions, without having the private, all of which have computers
with Internet. Likewise, the growing boom in new businesses and strengthening of
entrepreneurship throughout the department.

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Their key attributes and key success factor of ‘Antioquia, Department of Knowledge LL’ is
the enormous capacity for creativity of its population, shown for years by the strength of
its people in the country's business innovation.
In the Department of Antioquia ([Link] we hope to receive
knowledge of the methodologies of the open innovation that is generated in this network
by co-participation of all Livings Labs, that allow us to generate a dynamic active
participation of all actors in the ’Antioquia Institutional Network’ ([Link] With
our Living Lab we want to participate in the development of open architecture, in the
management in research and innovation, in the incubation of joint projects, together with
our European partners and co-founding members: The Territories of Tomorrow
Foundation ([Link] European Network Digital Cities
([Link] and the European Association of Arts, Education and New
Technologies – ARENOTECH ([Link]
The contribution that 'Antioquia, Department of Knowledge' Living Lab make to The
European Network of Living Labs, ENoLL, lies in sharing the experience of the
implementation of multisectoral coordination model, with which it is put into motion a
great "Territory of Knowledge" with more than six (6) million population, involving 125
municipalities ([Link] with its political,
social and cultural dynamics, for a positive and unprecedented transformation, in a
context of enormous social problems, marked by violence, corruption, drug trafficking,
guerrillas, paramilitaries and more recently environmental disasters, with a wave of
torrential rain, that has left more than 2 million Colombians victims, and for that reason
we are looking to this pilot as a model for other countries and developing regions, and a
reality of social and economic transformation, not only from our Department of Antioquia
and its subregions, but also for Colombia.
Given the characteristics of the ‘Antioquia, Department of Knowledge’ Living Lab, its
scale, and the diversity of actors involved in this project in all regions of the Department of
Antioquia, we can share experiences in the areas of co-creation, co-design, exploration,
experimentation and evaluation. Also, our Living Lab can participate in virtually all work
groups, but if we want to emphasize in particular this Thematic Sub Groups: 1. Social
Innovation. Social Inclusion; 2. Thematic Tourism. Culture Services; 3. Regional, territorial
and Rural Development of Smart Regions; and 4. Security.

Contact
Fundación País del Conocimiento (Country of Knowledge Foundation),
Phones: 057-300 259 58 03 and 057 312 290 66 53,
Francisco Javier Roldán V., President,
Mail: frajaro@[Link]
Twitter: @PaisdelSaber
Web Site: [Link]
Medellín - Colombia

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