Originally posted on LinkedIn
With all the political discussion these days, there’s something I rarely hear about — what’s the country’s technology strategy?
If we want to grow and advance, we need to catch up on national infrastructure, government-process software, talent, and industry.
On infrastructure — we need local data capacity (not 100% dependence on external providers).
We need proper government software — well-designed, that eliminates lines and takes advantage of today’s technology. For example, why on earth do you have to stand in a physical line to get a digital ID? Why do you need 3 appointments to get a driver’s license?
We need more talent in areas with global demand. We’re a great option for nearshoring and offshoring, but we can’t keep up with demand.
We have a surplus of graduates in low-demand fields (I won’t name names to avoid bruising egos, but just Google “Careers with most graduates Colombia” or “Worst-paid careers Colombia”).
We need more people with programming skills (with AI), more high school graduates with English, more technical and vocational graduates across many trades (and being a technician needs to stop being taboo!)
We need a tech strategy for industry. Modernizing agriculture — one of the most obvious. Modernizing tourism — another one that comes up constantly. Or why not dream of creating a specialized local tech industry, like Costa Rica or Poland did over the last 20 years?
I’d love to hear more from politicians about their strategies for advancing Colombia in Technology. It often seems like an afterthought.
What do you think we can do better as a country to improve when it comes to technology?