Innovation is helping to:
Generate new sources of revenue
Improve resident outcomes
Critical success factors:
Dedicated funding
Focus on measurement
Dedicated innovation team
Engagement with partners
Support from outside city administration
Medellin
Colombia
Mayor
Federico Gutiérrez
Population
2,500,000 (2017)
Innovation Website
Lead Innovation Officer
Paula Zapata
Spotlight on innovation in Medellin
Medellin has a triple helix collaboration between the public sector, the private sector, and academia. Every month the presidents from the main companies in the city, along with officers from the public sector and the headmasters of the universities get together at the University, State and Enterprise Committee (CUEE) to find common points and join efforts towards achieving greater economic development for the city.
Note: The City Innovation Snapshot (PDF version) was produced in 2019 and some aggregate findings have been updated with the latest survey results below.
Vision and approach to innovation capacity
Along with 50% of cities surveyed, Medellin has an explicit innovation strategy. Similar to more than half of cities surveyed, Medellin approaches innovation capacity both from a holistic/macro level, as well as in specific policy areas.
Policy areas that Medellin is focused on
Policy areas by number of cities
Medellin utilizes 7 different innovation skills or roles
Innovation roles by number of cities
As an independent body, Medellin’s dedicated team for innovation is led by the Executive Director, which consists of more than 100 people.
Terms Medellin most associates with innovation
Medellin's most common innovation activities
- 1
Taking risks or testing new ideas
- 2
Data-driven analytics/public data management
- 3
Engaging residents in new ways
- 4
Developing new solutions based on digital technologies
- 5
Organizational change within the municipality
- 6
Human-centered design
- 7
Rethinking your city’s approach to financing partnerships
Its innovation activities also include facilitating organizational change within the municipal administration.
How is innovation funded here?
Like 81% of cities surveyed, Medellin has dedicated funding to support innovation capacity.
Top sources of funding
Activities being funded
47 cities
Launching or sustaining a project
79 cities
Idea generation & brainstorming
51 cities
Investing in digital systems
36 cities
Investing in physical infrastructure
30 cities
Paying for services
How is innovation measured?
Medellin has developed partnerships to promote its innovation capacity with other public agencies, private firms, not-for-profit organizations, and city residents/resident associations.
To improve data use, the city has also developed data partnerships with the private sector, academia, and think tanks to collect and analyze data.