H.E. Iván Duque Márquez, President of the Republic of Colombia, opened today in Jerusalem the offices of iNNpulsa Colombia – the Colombian agency for innovation and entrepreneurship. The iNNpulsa office will promote cooperation, investments and joint entrepreneurial projects, as well as creating business opportunities for the private and public sectors in Colombia and in Israel. The new office is headed by an innovation director.
The Israel Innovation Authority hosted the event, with speakers including the Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Deputy Director General for Latin America & Caribbean at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Amb. Jonathan Peled, the President of iNNpulsa Francisco Noguera, and entrepreneurs from both countries. President Duque presented his vision for deepening bilateral cooperation in the field of innovation.
The opening of the office in Jerusalem is the result of intensive diplomatic efforts by the Israeli Ambassador in Bogota Mr. Christian Cantor, together with many partners in Colombia and in Israel, who worked tirelessly over the past few years to advance this goal.
Israel and Colombia – the third largest economy in Latin America – have close and warm relations, reflected in this strategic partnership in the field of innovation, applied science and technology.
President of Colombia, H.E. Iván Duque Márquez: “The Colombian economy will grow at 8.5% in 2021, setting up the highest economic growth of this century. Today Colombia shows a different perspective of competitiveness, which includes the environment as one of its protagonists. Thus, we address new markets and new consumers, making our policy of producing while conserving and conserving while producing materialize in ‘sustechnability’.”
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Orit Farkash-Hacohen: “Colombia is a true friend of Israel. Governments make alliances, but it is the people who build bridges. Today, we add another significant layer to the deepening ties between Israel and Colombia. I congratulate the President of Colombia on the opening of the iNNpulsa Innovation office in Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. The new iNNpulsa Colombia innovation office in Jerusalem will boost our strategic cooperation in the fields of science and technology. In the world of high tech, sharing resources, knowledge and data is the key to leadership. I am certain that Colombia’s official entry into the flourishing Israeli innovation ecosystem will benefit both countries and their high-tech sectors.”
Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority Dr. Ami Appelbaum: “We extend a warm welcome to the President of the Republic of Colombia H.E. Mr. Iván Duque Márquez on the occasion of the opening of iNNpulsa – the Colombian Entrepreneurship and Innovation Agency – here in Jerusalem. We believe that the presence of iNNpulsa in the thriving innovation ecosystem in Israel will expand the relationships between the two countries and strengthen the collaboration between the two innovation agencies in bringing their synergetic strengths to enable innovative technologies in cleantech, smart transportation and smart cities and additional technological sectors that will have great bearing on our collective future.”
Deputy Director General and Head of the Economic Affairs Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yael Ravia-Zadok: “The opening of the iNNpulsa Innovation office in Jerusalem represents a leap forward in the connectivity between the Israeli and Colombian ecosystems. The FTA signed last year, together with the opening of the Innovation office, paves the way for deeper economic ties, entrepreneurial collaborations, opportunities and investments, thus magnifying the economic dimension of the strong relations between the two countries.”
Attached photo credit: Jorge Novominsky (L-R: Dr. Ami Appelbaum, Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Francisco Noguera, President Duque)
Please contact Tehilla Birnbaum for further details: 050-6286923 or [email protected]
