IBM opens its largest regional AI center in Bogotá

US tech giant IBM has opened in Bogotá its eighth and largest artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies center in Latin America.

The ‘Cognitive Transformation Center’ will be the regional hub and provide services to companies globally in industries such as banking, telecommunications, gas and energy.

Services will be provided in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

“The option for Colombia was mostly to meet the digital transformation needs of our customers in the region. It also completes a network of seven centers we have in other countries in Latin America,” Thais Marca, IBM’s Latin America services general manager, told BNamericas.

The investment "strengthens our capacity to support Latin American companies in their transformation plans, migration to the cloud and use of artificial intelligence", the executive added.

The focus of the center will be front and back office processes in the areas of HR, billing, finance and customer relationships.

According to Marca, planning for the center started before the coronavirus outbreak and even with its launch most employees will continue working remotely, except for those considered providing essential services.

Investment details were not disclosed.

IBM also did not reveal how many professionals are being hired, but said that a first batch of people has already received over 8,500 hours in training in new technologies.

COMPROMISO POR COLOMBIA

The government is particularly upbeat about the investment.

"This great center, the largest of IBM in the region, shows that Colombia continues to maintain its attractiveness to investors. Efficient foreign investment is one of the essential instruments in the current situation, not only because it leverages exports, but also because it creates job opportunities and helps boosting the economy," trade, industry and tourism minister José Manuel Restrepo said in a statement.

According to Restrepo, the government is working under the ‘Compromiso por Colombia’ initiative to attract similar foreign investments.

The plan was announced by President Iván Duque in July to revive the economy after the pandemic.

On Tuesday, Duque said the plan would bring up to US$30bn in public and private investments to Colombia in the next two years and generate 1mn jobs.

"In private investment we are talking not only about accelerating the fourth generation road corridors, but also starting the pre-bidding documents, tenders and the awarding of fifth generation roads," the president told the Iberoamerican business journalists network.

He also cited port and airport developments and projects in industry and mining as potential targets of private foreign investments.

Duque said the government has 17 potential public-private partnerships in digital transformation mapped under the initiative, in addition to 22 projects for creative and cultural industries and 25 wind, photovoltaic, geothermal and transmission line energy projects.