BNC Completes strategic project to improve ST&I delivery in Colombia

BNC is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed a major strategic project to improve the way science, technology and innovation (ST&I) is delivered in Colombia.

As key UK coordinator of the “Guías para Proyectos de Regalías”, one of the deliverables of the Royalties project in Colombia, which was funded by the Newton-Caldas Fund through the British Council.  BNC worked with Medellín-based partner Ruta N, to analyse the current status of ST&I project formulation in different parts of Colombia and design strategies that facilitate improved and consistent project structure and formulation. Considerations regarding the protection of biodiversity were also a key facet of this project. As a result, the project has created and delivered a series of informative guides that will be published shortly by Colciencias, Colombia’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

This project has been funded through the Newton-Caldas Fund, which itself is part of the international Newton Fund, a £735 million fund which, through research and innovation partnerships aims to promote the economic development and welfare in 17 partner countries and to develop their research and innovation capacity for long-term sustainable growth.

The Newton Fund is managed by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered through 15 UK delivery partners, which include the Research Councils, the UK Academies, the British Council, Innovate UK and the Met Office. For further information visit www.newtonfund.ac.uk

About British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. British Council creates international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.

British Council works in more than 100 countries and the 7000 staff – including 2000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year teaching English, sharing the Arts and in education and society programmes.

British Council is a UK charity governed by Royal Charter. A publically-funded grant-in-aid provides less than a quarter of British Council’s turnover which last year was £781m.  The rest British Council earns from English teaching, UK exams and services which customers around the world pay for, through education and development contracts and from partnerships with other institutions, brands and companies.  All British Council work is in pursuit of their charitable purpose and creates prosperity and security for the UK and the countries British Council works in all around the world.

About Ruta N

Ruta N is a Medellín-based centre for advancing science, technology and innovation in its region and, as such, has been a model institution in management and project management for the ST&I royalties projects, both by national and local institutions. Ruta N has a recognized technical capacity as an executor of projects financed by the General System of Royalties.

Under its public legal nature, Ruta N has been appointed as executor of 6 projects impacting the areas of health, ICT and energy worth COP $ 120,000 million pesos (US$ 38 million), from which COP $75,000 million (US$ 24 million) are resources from the royalties program with the balance corresponding to counterparts of the institutions involved. In the projects Ruta N has gestated, 46 institutions are participating (8 universities, 5 technology development centres and 33 companies); therefore, Ruta N has become the main articulator of the Innovation ecosystem of the Medellín Region.