This policy brief is crafted in the framework of the EU-LAC Innovation Cooperation Initiative launched by the European Commission, implemented in 2024-25. The overarching aims of the initiative are to a) bring together innovators from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to collaborate on solutions to shared challenges of sustainable development, and b) structure the presence of EU-affiliated innovators in the LAC region.
As part of this initiative, a public event was organised on the 27th of August in Bogotá, by Technopolis Group and Enrich in LAC with the support of the EU-LAC Foundation. This event was attended by public officials from the national government and the EU Delegation to Colombia, local entrepreneurs and civil society representatives, and overall Colombia-based innovation ecosystem stakeholders and innovation networks. The event included a space for networking, reflection and discussion between experts and practitioners from the EU and LAC.
This policy brief summarises the main conclusions and key findings derived from the discussions and Q&A sessions with the attendees. In the second section, the document presents existing stakeholders, programmes, and activities that were mentioned during the event. It does not intend to reflect all the EU-funded innovation cooperation initiatives, but those referred to by the participants. Section 3 identifies the main challenges of fostering collaboration between the innovation ecosystem players. Section 4 summarises the recommendations of the participants to enhance the cooperation between the players of both regions and increase the presence of European organisations in the LAC science and innovation environment. Sections 2, 3 and 4 include a box where the dimensions addressed respectively are applied to the specific case of the Caribbean Blue Economy, developed during the keynote speech.
The policy brief is available for download on the project website.