Cooperation Project on Agricultural Innovation Launched in Colombian Regions

(ANSA) - BOGOTA, 14 OTT - In the presence of the Italian Ambassador to Colombia, Giancarlo Maria Curcio, the LabInnova Latin America 2026 project was launched in Bogotá. Promoted by the International Italian-Latin American Organization (IILA) and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), the project is supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The initiative involves Colombian agri-food companies—particularly those in the fruit and vegetable sector—based in four departments in the country’s central region and in Cauca (in the southwest). These companies will participate in a knowledge exchange with Italian counterparts and experts, with the aim of improving internal innovation and production processes and fostering technology transfer, all with a view to strengthening trade relations between Bogotá and Rome. “Italy and Colombia continue to strengthen their ties. We are complementary nations: Italy offers a high level of industrialization and technology, while Colombia boasts a highly significant agricultural sector,” observed Ambassador Curcio, also noting the agricultural support and development initiatives currently underway in various areas of the country through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). “We continue to work to ensure that Italy and Colombia remain united and prosper together in their respective roles,” the diplomat stated during the event held at the “Casa del Huila” headquarters; the department of Huila, along with Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima, and Cauca, is among those participating in the initiative. Following the presentation, the project will get underway tomorrow in Popayán, the capital of Cauca, with the launch of a training program that will continue through October 17. The program will take place at the Regional Agricultural Center of the SENA (National Learning Service)—the country’s leading public agency for free technical, technological, and complementary training, which is also a partner in the initiative. In a message sent from Rome on the occasion of the project’s launch, Giorgio Silli, Secretary General of IILA, described it as an “excellent example of Italian institutional cooperation in the service of innovation and development.” Silli then emphasized that the project aims to enhance the “knowledge and skills” of Colombian entrepreneurs in order to “strengthen innovation and technology transfer processes for SMEs in the agro-industrial sector and foster commercial relationships and opportunities with the Italian market.” “We cannot tackle the major challenges of the agro-industry on our own. We need innovation, cooperation, and partnerships that transcend borders. Italy and Colombia have the opportunity to build a more sustainable future together, and IILA plays a strategic role in this journey,” concluded the IILA Secretary General.
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