The home of Ruta N is a striking five-storey L-shaped building clad in copper-coloured concrete panels that project like wind-filled sails. Just across the road from the campus of the University of Antioquia and next to Hewlett-Packard's business-process outsourcing centre for Latin America, Ruta n aims to turn Medellin, Colombia's second city, into a hub of technological innovation. Its 104 staff are trying to do three things: work with schools to boost the teaching of science and technology; conduct applied research in fields such as nanotechnology and advanced materials; and create an innovation ecosystem linking universities, startups and the private sector. In the past year alone Ruta N has helped generate 1,800 jobs, says Juan Camilo Quintero, the project's managing director.
展开▼
