The entity trained more than 17,000 people in technological skills, strengthened access to capital for entrepreneurship, and obtained international recognition.
Ruta N presented its 2025 management balance sheet with results that consolidate the entity as the District's innovation benchmark. Advances in talent training, strengthening of the technological ecosystem, incentives for scientific research and greater international projection are highlighted, aspects that contribute to the growth of Medellin as a competitive territory connected to global trends.
One of the main aspects is technological education. In alliance with Google, 10,000 training licenses were provided free of charge for people over 18 years of age interested in areas such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. In addition, together with Platzi, 6,000 licenses were granted to access more than 800 courses related to digital marketing, AI and web development, expanding training opportunities in digital skills.
"The entity had always been seen from an economic approach, but now we are working with a social approach. This year we did a first exercise in which we looked for young people who are in the communities transforming the city withCTI projects," said the executive director of Ruta N, Carolina Londoño.
In the educational field, the training, with the Ministry of Education, of the 1,011 students in grades 9, 10 and 11 of public institutions in web development, chatbots and data analysisstands out . In addition to this, 1,082 people participated in 13 intensive trainings in different technologies with the possibility of job connection, a process accompanied by 37 companies that expressed their interest in linking local digital talent. Through Medellín Venture Capital, 150 new investors weretrained to energize the science, technology and innovation ecosystem. In addition, the StartIA program exceeded 1,000 actors.
"With the community we will continue to work on the theme of challenges, in the communities and townships, identifying their problems, aligned with global megatrends and how through science, technology and innovation children, young people, families and teachers will continue to transform reality," added the director.
For the FutuMed strategy, more than $21,000 million were allocated to three funding mechanisms: Research Promotion (G8+), Solutions to City Challenges and Payment by Results. For the latter, six projects were selected: three in health, two in agrotech and one in GovTech.
Medellin's international projection was strengthened thanks to the alliances of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution with Berlin (Germany), Kiev (Ukraine) and Malaysia, which facilitated the exchange of experiences and best practices in digital transformation. In addition, the city was included in the GovTech community of the World Economic Forum and selected to participate in the Pioneer Places program for its smart aqueduct project in the San José district of San Antonio de Prado.
Ruta N received more than 60,000 visitors last year and consolidated its position as the epicenter of innovation in Medellín. 350 events of companies, universities and national and international organizations were held in the spaces of the complex. The spaces of the entity were the scene of conversations on artificial intelligence, leadership, science, entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, among others.
The year closed with StartupBlink's recognition of Medellin as the fastest growing ecosystem in South America during the last two years, with an increase of over 41%, and as the fastest expanding in Colombia in 2025. Similarly, Ruta N was chosen as the best public open innovation ecosystem in the country, according to the Ranking 100 Open Startups 2025, a result based on the opinion of more than 100 technology-based companies.