Popayán, March 13, 2025. More than 200 businesspeople, academics, representatives of the State and society met at the Popayán Country Club to participate in XPANZ 2025 , an event that consolidated innovation and strategic collaboration as drivers of regional development. 

Organized by Reddi, the Agency for Technological Development and Innovation, the event aimed to strengthen ties between universities and businesses, promoting knowledge transfer and the generation of innovative solutions. During the event, the results of the Fusióni3 Cauca project were shared, highlighting its impact on research, interaction, and innovation. Thanks to this initiative, universities have strengthened their relationship with the productive sector, 30 innovation projects have been generated from 130 business interactions, and 30 companies in six municipalities have enhanced their competitiveness with specialized tools.

One of the most anticipated moments of the event was the Innovation Ring, where 10 projects benefiting from the Maturation Fund presented their solutions , demonstrating how collaboration between SMEs and researchers is driving the transformation of strategic sectors in the region. Another key event was the presentation of the Aurora Award, a recognition from Reddi and its strategic partners to leaders who are making a difference in Cauca. This award symbolizes the brilliance and connection of each actor in the Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem, highlighting the work of entrepreneurs, research groups, and directors of higher education institutions committed to regional growth.

XPANZ 2025 also featured an exhibition area with 15 booths from companies in Cauca and Valle del Cauca, where attendees could learn firsthand about the advances and solutions that have emerged from the connection between academia and industry. 

The event achieved a 90% promoter rate and a Net Promoter Score of 90.1, reflecting a high level of attendee satisfaction. Regarding this impact, Ana Fernanda Muñoz, executive president of the Cauca Chamber of Commerce, highlighted

"This project shattered the notion that businesses and higher education institutions cannot work together. They can. These are the steps that change the world, and we are transforming Cauca through innovation and collaboration."

XPAN Z 2025 reaffirmed its importance as a meeting point for the innovation ecosystem of Cauca. The event concluded with a clear message: innovation continues to advance, and collaboration between companies, universities, and strategic partners is key to the region’s growth.

First Innovation Sprint: Experiences and progress of Fusióni3 Valle projects

The First Innovation Sprint Fusióni3 Valle brought together University-SME alliances in a key day, where the progress of nine of the ten projects benefiting from the Maturation Fund was presented..

 

The participating alliances were:

  • Duque Espinosa Investments – Icesi University
  • Nutrimezclas – Icesi University
  • Pacific Snacks – Pontifical Javeriana University Cali
  • Prompack – Pontifical Javeriana University Cali
  • Colbits – Pontifical Javeriana University Cali
  • North Group – Pontifical Javeriana University Cali
  • LaCali Foods – Pontifical Javeriana University Cali
  • Innhealth – Autonomous University of the West
  • Implameq – Universidad del Valle

Experiencias de articulación

Con compromiso y expectativa, empresarios e investigadores presentaron las actividades realizadas en esta primera etapa de ejecución, evidenciando importantes resultados en su trabajo conjunto, como:

  • La forma en que se complementan y están dispuestos a apoyarse mutuamente.
  • La construcción de modelos de prueba.
  • La delegación de actividades, como pruebas técnicas en las MiPymes, y validaciones comerciales en las IES.
  • La elaboración de discursos claros e innovadores, que les permiten llegar a diferentes públicos y generar entusiasmo.

Resultados y retroalimentación

El público de cada sesión estuvo conformado por representantes de cada universidad anfitriona, el equipo de trabajo de Fusióni3 Valle y Reddi Colombia, quienes dinamizaron la conversación.

Esto facilitó el intercambio de preguntas, recomendaciones y establecimiento de compromisos bilaterales, orientados a fortalecer la ejecución técnica y financiera de los proyectos, y el cumplimiento de las metas definidas desde su formulación.

Anny Catalina Parra, coordinadora del Objetivo de Conexión Universidad-MiPyme, compartió algunas de las sugerencias entregadas durante el evento:

“Entre las buenas prácticas que recomendamos mantener o incorporar están las reuniones más frecuentes para que los proyectos avancen de manera más sólida y continúe consolidándose el trabajo en equipo”.

Así lo vivieron los integrantes de las alianzas

“El primer Sprint de Innovación fue muy importante para poder explicar los retos que hemos tenido en el proceso. Esto nos permitió recibir comentarios y feedback para lo que viene”, explicó el docente investigador Juan David Soler, de la alianza Nutrimezclas – Universidad Icesi.
“Esta fue una experiencia interesante, porque conocimos a personas que nos respaldaron con su retroalimentación en esta integración de la academia con el sector empresarial”, comentó Óscar Campo, docente investigador de la alianza Innhealth – Universidad Autónoma de Occidente.
“El Sprint me pareció muy interesante, porque compartimos el desarrollo de nuestro proyecto con un público no técnico. También, pudimos reorganizar las ideas y ver con otros ojos el proceso que llevamos, pensar más en los clientes finales, ya que la problemática que resolvemos no es muy conocida, pero sí nos afecta a todos”, Katerine Lotero, investigadora de la alianza Colbits – Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Cali.

Juan Manuel Chávez of Reddi Colombia highlights the launch of UBICU at Javeriana University in Cali

In a significant event, UBICU, the first technology developed by Javeriana University with a commercial license, was officially launched. The ceremony was attended by Juan Manuel Chávez, manager of Reddi Colombia, who emphasized the importance of collaboration between universities, companies, hospitals, and funders for the project to function effectively.

During his remarks, Chávez emphasized Reddi’s commitment to supporting academic and technological initiatives that aim to transform the landscape of industry in Colombia. His participation in the launch of UBICU underscores the fundamental role that higher education plays in creating innovative technological solutions.

The Javeriana University of Cali, recognized for its academic trajectory and its work in research, has taken an important step, which promises to build bridges between academia, the business sector and health institutions.

With this event, Reddi reaffirms its alliance with educational institutions to promote innovation and development in the country.

Source: Javeriana University Cali

The Innovation Voucher extends its deadline for submitting solutions

The Innovation Voucher has extended the deadline for submitting solutions until Tuesday, February 18, 2025. This will allow researchers from universities allied with Fusióni3 Valle to develop proposals for those business challenges that are still seeking innovative solutions.

Various SMEs in the ICT, Construction and Health sectors continue to search for ideas that will allow them to carry out technical and commercial validations for the development or improvement of new products, as well as initiatives that will boost their growth.

 

Companies with available challenges:

The following companies still have open challenges and are seeking solutions:

  1. IGT
  2. Implameq
  3. Duque Espinosa Investments
  4. Jikkosoft
  5. Lynks SAS
  6. Office Projects

 

Most of these challenges are related to the development of applications for customer service, activity monitoring and product validation in areas such as space design and energy.

Register to learn about all the challenges

New dates for the process

Companies whose challenges did receive solutions by January 31, 2025 will continue with the review and allocation process, in accordance with the provisions of Cut 1 of Addendum No. 3, published at https://reddicolombia.com/fusioni3-valle/. 

Review of challenges: February 3-5, 2025

Period for correcting requirements: February 6-11, 2025

Publication of beneficiary challenges: February 17, 2025

Voucher challenge assignment: February 18-26, 2025

If the solutions presented do not meet the minimum eligibility criteria, these challenges may receive new applications through the Fusióni360 platform until February 18, 2025, the date established in Cut 2 of the Addendum.

Review of challenges: February 19-21, 2025

Period for correcting requirements: February 22 to 27, 2025

Publication of beneficiary challenges: March 3, 2025

Voucher challenge assignment: March 4-31, 2025

Check the dates in Addendum No. 3

How to participate in Fusióni360?

Researchers, in order to learn about the challenges and propose solutions, must register or log in to the platform fusioni360.voltea.co.

Go to the Challenges section.

Filter those that mention Innovation Voucher and that appear with the Open distinction.

Click on the "Contribute a solution" button to learn the details of the challenge and submit your proposal.

The Innovation Voucher is an invitation for the higher education institutions allied to Fusióni3 Valle to take advantage of their innovative capabilities and services, thus promoting the development of the MSMEs benefiting from the project.

Submit your solution and contribute to business innovation!

Inspiration that transforms:
Xpanz by Reddi connected the region

With a total of 138 attendees, Xpanz by Reddi brought together entrepreneurs, academics, government and society in one place, around initiatives that are driving technological innovation in the Cauca Valley.

The event, which took place at the Pontifical Javeriana University in Cali, had a clear focus: to inspire, connect and transform the innovation ecosystem.

One of the main focuses was the agri-food sector, with the presentation and selection of winning solutions from the Agrifoodtech Challenge, an initiative of the Secretariat of Economic Development of the Government of Valle del Cauca, NIDO, led by Reddi Colombia and Eatable Adventures.

Alejandro Rodríguez, manager of NIDO, commented on the dynamics during the event: “We have managed to create a synergy so that corporations are open to finding potential problem solvers in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Meet the winners

Also featured was a presentation by Agustín Londoño, commercial director of NotCo Colombia, who shared the disruptive experience of this multinational company, considered the first Latin American unicorn in Foodtech, with its plant-based products.

Relive the conference

Universities played a key role by presenting their projects in collaboration with SMEs in the region, as beneficiaries of the Fusióni3 Valle Maturation Fund.

Learn more

Additionally, a mentoring program led by the Icesi University Mentor Network was offered. During these sessions, four strategic topics were addressed: investment and financing, intellectual property, digital transformation, and sales models for revenue generation. This program saw the active participation of 20 attendees.

By 2025, Xpanz by Reddi is expected to continue inspiring and connecting potential partners who can transform the region with innovation and knowledge.

 

On November 21st, the Fusióni3 Cauca innovation ecosystem experienced a significant event with the 4th Connection Sprint . This space, designed to strengthen alliances between entrepreneurs and researchers, brought together 50 attendees, establishing itself as a key point for interaction and the exchange of innovative ideas.

During the event, presentations were given by the alliances benefiting from the Knowledge and Technology Maturation Fund, where they shared the progress and prototypes of their innovation projects. These sessions not only highlighted the talent and collaborative effort but also generated an average of 4.5 connections, demonstrating the transformative potential of the proposals presented.

The high level of satisfaction reported by attendees, with an average rating of 9.63/10, supports the positive impact of these meetings on strengthening collaboration between higher education institutions (HEIs) and companies in Cauca.

The 4th Connection Sprint reaffirms Fusióni3 Cauca and Reddi’s commitment to regional development through the promotion of innovation projects that generate value and competitiveness for SMEs. Thank you to all the participants for making this achievement possible and for connecting ideas that become innovation!

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