• ANDICOM, organized by CINTEL, concluded its 2024 version with a presentation where Artificial Intelligence and connectivity were the main highlights.
• Japan, the Guest Country of Honor, showcased its innovations in its Pavilion and its vision through the speakers representing the country. It also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Colombian government aimed at fostering cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, the development of technological infrastructures, and the promotion of connectivity in rural areas.

Bogotá D.C., September 24, 2024 – Trends, business, top-level networking, a confluence of government, legislators, regulators, academia, entrepreneurs, representatives of the digital ecosystem, visionaries, and scientists. All of this reflects what ANDICOM is, which in its 39th version once again demonstrated that it is the benchmark business and technology congress in Latin America and solidifies itself as the leading academic and business meeting in the region, where innovation and disruption are always present.

During the three days of the event (from September 4th to 6th in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia), ANDICOM 2024 brought together 6,000 attendees from over 35 countries and featured the participation of 2,000 company delegates and more than 150 world-class speakers, who were present within the 110 academic sessions of the agenda. Prior to ANDICOM, the pre-congress was held with three simultaneous sessions on Artificial Intelligence, Smart Cities, and Blockchain, attended by 450 people.

In the top-level agenda, which included topics on Artificial Intelligence, robotics, 5G, Smart Cities, Cybersecurity, ICT Use and Appropriation, Gender, Energy Transition, challenges of the telecommunications sector, clean energies, among others, the national government, led by the Ministry of ICT, presented the progress towards making Colombia a Digital Powerhouse ("PotencIA Digital"). Indeed, Minister Mauricio Lizcano launched the National Observatory of Information and Communications Technologies (Ontic), the new digital platform that compiles the most relevant information on Colombia's connectivity in one place.

For his part, the Deputy Minister of Connectivity, Gabriel Jurado, presented the six thematic axes to fulfill the purpose of transforming the lives of Colombians through the Internet: Strengthening the Trunk Network, Mobile Access Networks, Fixed Access Networks, Connectivity for Educational Institutions, Affordability and Appropriation, and Institutional Strengthening.

Additionally, the Ministry of ICT and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan, the Guest Country of ANDICOM 2024, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to strengthen collaboration in the area of Information and Communications Technologies. This agreement, which will be valid for three years, seeks to promote cooperation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, the development of technological infrastructures, and the promotion of connectivity in rural areas.

The issue of closing gender gaps also had its space at ANDICOM. Representatives from organizations, companies, government entities, and key players in the technological business ecosystem, led by CINTEL, signed the "Manifesto for Equity and Inclusion of Women in STEM Disciplines,"an initiative that seeks to close gender gaps and promote the participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics disciplines.

CHALLENGES OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR

ANDICOM was also the stage to debate the challenges of the telecommunications sector. In the panel "Leading the Connectivity of the Future: Innovation, Challenges, and Opportunities,"the reflection resulting from the debate was that, to address new trends such as the implementation of AI and the creation of smart cities in Colombia, connectivity is required, one of the challenges facing the telecommunications sector. Even though there are investment efforts to close the gap, operators made several calls for regulation in network traffic, fair share, and the revision of energy costs to ensure the sustainability of the industry and the rights of users.

Precisely on Fair Share, in the Panel: Innovation and Equity: Exploring Fair Share in Telecom,"the discussion on the eventual intervention to regulate the use and traffic of the internet sparked diverse positions with perspectives from governance, finance, spectrum management, and effects on the end consumer. One of the points of convergence among the panelists was the importance of defending net neutrality, whose DNA is based on the principle of cooperation, which is threatened by a possible regulatory intervention.

It is worth noting that fair share is a concept used in the telecommunications sector that aims for content generators, such as Netflix, Google, Meta, Amazon, to participate or co-participate in the development of infrastructure.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Regarding the advances in Artificial Intelligence in the region, within the framework of ANDICOM, Oracle announced the arrival in the country of Nvidia's latest generation GPU equipment, hosted in the Colombia Cloud Region, which will process millions of data points and expand Artificial Intelligence for all organizations.

"We believe that the combination of our cloud platform, with AI at every layer, and Nvidia's powerful GPUs will unlock incredible opportunities for private companies and government organizations in the country to adopt AI on a large scale," said Marcelo Christianini, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence and Cloud Engineering for Latin America, who explained, "We are very excited about the significant investment we have made in AI infrastructure in Latin America, which not only reflects the company's interest in technological innovation in the region but also demonstrates the determination to lead the advancement of artificial intelligence solutions that enhance growth and competitiveness in this key market."

For his part, Germán Borromei, President of Oracle for Colombia and Ecuador, stated: "This alliance with Nvidia highlights the transformative potential of AI and demonstrates how Oracle is well-positioned to be the strategic ally for companies of all sizes, entrepreneurs, business partners, developers, and public organizations on the path of innovation to develop the country's digital economy and to create new businesses with the potential of artificial intelligence."

In the field of AI, there were also talks with world-class speakers such as Gabriele Mazzini, architect and lead author of the European Commission's AI Act, who emphasized the importance of countries reflecting on the different local variables that influence decisions regarding the regulation of Artificial Intelligence.

Virtually from Japan, Hiroshi Ishiguro, CEO of AVITA and professor at Osaka University, presented the conference "Avatar and Our Future Society," where he presented all the experiments being carried out in that country, using AI in the creation of avatars to extend people's physical and cognitive abilities to help them have more free time, better quality of life, and access to quality services in health and education.

AI was also an important topic in other sectors of the economy. In the panel "Economic Transformation through the Effective Application of Artificial Intelligence," it was concluded that the financial sector is one of the most benefited by AI in more agile verification processes. The main challenges for companies were also discussed, such as investment in technology, the architecture of efficient models, data regulation and sovereignty, and the appropriation of AI; as well as the importance of developing soft skills in terms of creativity, innovation, adaptation, and ethics to favor the adoption of new tools, which will result in greater agility in decision-making and, therefore, generate new business models.

INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TO EMPOWER AND TRANSFORM SOCIETY

Honoring the theme of ANDICOM 2024, innovation and technology were the order of the day. For example, the topic of how Blockchain can drive innovation and sustainability in the region was led by Diana Barrero Zalles, Head of Research and Sustainability at the Global Blockchain Business Council, who emphasized the need to harmonize the rules of the game, especially in terms of defining and standardizing concepts such as tokenization or digital assets uniformly, in such a way that global exchanges are facilitated effectively. She also highlighted the importance of collaboration and education, especially for those in decision-making positions at the regulatory level.

Amid the uncertainties generated in the country by the transition from a carbon-based economy to one based on cleaner energies, ANDICOM contributed to the conversation with the panel: "Energy Transition: Forging a Circular and Sustainable Future,"which revolved around the key barriers, challenges, and opportunities for a rapid and secure transition in Colombia, from the perspective of energy generators, distributors, regulators, and consumers. The panelists expressed their experiences and strategies to achieve sustainability during the transition process, agreeing that the biggest and most important challenge lies in the training and adoption of new energies by users, which will impact both tariffs and the environment.

The closing of the congress was led by Andra Keay, Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics, who in her conference "Robots and Humans: Making a Better Future" explained that the most important aspect of robots is their relationship with humans. "Robots are a reflection of our hopes and fears, we can create robots similar to us, but they are not us. Considering that robots accompany humans in repetitive tasks and require Artificial Intelligence, it is key to maintain the commitment to the ethical implementation of this technology. And that means we must ask ourselves at each step what is the ideal way to use both AI and robots," said the robotics expert, while inviting attendees to use technology for business and in daily life.

AN UNMISSABLE INDUSTRY EVENT

Parallel to the agenda, ideal networking took place in various settings (Meet & Business room and business matchmaking), where the supply and demand of ICT met and thus generated new business opportunities and projects, boosting this industry for economic and social development.

In the exclusive Meet & Business space, semi-private 25-minute meetings were held with the main ICT buyers, such as Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) or Chief Information Officers (CIOs). During these meetings, buyers present their short- and medium-term technology investment programs.

Through the Digital Leaders community, a CINTEL initiative that brings together public and private CIOs and senior executives from companies in different sectors of the economy (food and beverage, mining, marketing, manufacturing, transportation, retail, health, banking, and finance), workshops were held on cybersecurity, AI, and how to appropriate it in different organizations, where these C-levels had the opportunity to share among themselves and with the industry the existence and potential of digital tools.

It is undeniable that ANDICOM is structured in such a way that attendees can find in one place the most complete update on the most relevant topics of technology, markets, regulation, and commercial aspects of ICT. Participants can also contact the main solution providers, learn about the latest products and services, and strengthen business ties.

In the words of Manuel Martínez Niño, Executive Director of CINTEL: "In this scenario, for the past 39 years, the country and the region have heard from high government officials, great scientists and visionaries, the real and financial sectors, the digital industry, and the many guest countries of honor who have accompanied us, about the importance of ICT in the transformation and empowerment of society. And now we are preparing to celebrate the 40th version in style at ANDICOM 2025."

Relevant Figures: 

• 6,000 participants 
• 35 participating countries 
• 215 companies involved in the trade show 
• 2,000 delegates from participating companies 
• 150 world-class speakers 110 academic sessions 
• 110 sesiones académicas 
• 250 square meters in the Japan Pavilion 
• 450 pre-congress attendees