Colombia will have the largest South American delegation at the 2023 Mobile World Congress

MADRID, Feb. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Colombia — with a delegation of about 40 companies from Medellín, Bogotá, Floridablanca, Barranquilla, Cali, Pereira, Cartagena, and Bucaramanga—will have a stand at the 2023 Mobile World Congress, the world summit on connectivity in Barcelona, Spain, made possible with support from ProColombia and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Tourism.

"The national delegation, which is the largest in South America, will showcase its high value-added offer in software development and mobile applications, 4.0 technology solutions such as blockchain, machine learning, AI, IoT, NFTs, augmented reality, strategic city models, data analysis, and others. Exports of knowledge-based services are a fundamental pillar of Colombia's non-mining sales, which creates employment opportunities and leads to positive development in the regions," said ProColombia President Carmen Caballero.

Saul Kattan, Senior Presidential Advisor for Digital Transformation, said that "one of the great challenges for the next decade will be to move towards the democratization of technology in order to reduce social gaps, poverty, and promote equality. Therefore, the government of Colombia promotes digital transformation and digital security through a model that combines innovation, knowledge, and collaborative work for Colombia's connectivity."

"Meeting with global ICT industry representatives and being able to showcase the talent and innovation of companies from different cities in Colombia in terms of software and IT services allows us to support and promote our Colombian businesses internationally. At the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, we recognize the fundamental role of the ICT industry in bolstering digital transformation, which is why, in the government of change, we are committed to empowering it as an engine of growth and strengthening the sector's services to establish ourselves as a digital society," said Minister of Information and Communications Technology Sandra Urrutia.

For this edition of the Mobile World Congress, GSMA—the event organizer—is expecting around 80,000 visitors and 2,000 exhibitors from 200 countries and territories.

The software and IT sector represents nearly 3% of GDP and employs 174,786 people: 27,136 in Antioquia, 14,979 in Valle del Cauca, 12,424 in Cundinamarca, 6,555 in Santander, and 5,173 in Atlántico. Similarly, there are 14,889 software and IT companies, of which 84% are microenterprises, 10.4% are small, 3.9% are medium-sized, and 1.7% are large.