Colombia is not just watching the artificial intelligence boom from the sidelines. Through the ColombIA Inteligente 2025 call, the country is inviting researchers, companies, and local organizations to bring AI and quantum science straight into regional challenges.
MinCiencias presented this call as a key piece of the Government of Change, a way to connect cutting‑edge technologies with environmental, social, and economic needs in different territories.
What ColombIA Inteligente 2025 is and why it matters
The ColombIA Inteligente call belongs to the national Program on Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Science and Technologies. It is the first initiative of this type in Colombia, fully centered on these areas.
Authorities framed the launch as a historic step, placing Colombia on the regional map of AI and quantum innovation. The idea is to turn science and technology into practical tools for local development, not just academic exercises.
The program seeks to democratize access to advanced technologies, especially for regions that usually see these topics as something distant or reserved for large centers in Bogota or Medellín.
How the call works, funding, themes, and participants
ColombIA Inteligente will finance high‑impact projects with up to US$401,000 each, for a maximum duration of 18 months. Proposals must focus on solving concrete territorial problems, not just testing technology in isolation.
The call has two thematic axes, artificial intelligence, and quantum science and technologies. In the quantum axis, the lines include information processing and secure communications, quantum sensing and metrology, and sustainable energy and strategic minerals.
To participate, groups must create strategic alliances. Each alliance must include one higher education institution, one national company, and three local organizations, for example, community groups, NGOs, or regional entities.
Applications are being received online through the MinCiencias portal, and the deadline is May 26, 2026. Until that date, interested teams can refine their ideas and complete the required documentation.
AI and quantum science in simple terms in Colombia
Artificial intelligence refers to systems that can learn from data and perform tasks that usually need human judgment, such as recognizing images, translating text, or recommending decisions.
In practical terms, AI can help Colombian regions predict floods, optimize crops, detect health risks earlier, or improve public transport routes, always depending on the quality of available data.
Quantum science and technologies use properties of very small particles to achieve things that normal electronics cannot. This includes more powerful computing, extremely secure communications, and highly sensitive sensors.
For example, quantum communication can help design channels that are much harder to spy on, and quantum sensors can detect tiny changes in magnetic fields or gravity, which is useful in mining, energy, or environmental monitoring.
How this call fits into Colombia’s broader science missions
The ColombIA Inteligente call is not an isolated effort. It fits inside Colombia’s mission‑oriented science policy, which focuses on areas such as health, peace, bioeconomy, energy transition, and the right to food.
MinCiencias has already invested US$17,180,000 in AI capacity building and financed 164 research and innovation projects, plus US$117,600,000 in high‑level training and postdoctoral stays through alliances with Colfuturo, Fulbright, Icetex and universities.
The ministry has also supported STEAM education through Colombia Robótica, with 29 labs in 13 departments and more than US$2,280,000 invested to bring technology closer to children and teenagers.
In this context, ColombIA Inteligente appears as the next logical step, moving from training and pilots to larger, mission‑driven projects that link AI and quantum technologies with real regional needs.
Turning advanced tech into territorial solutions
The ColombIA Inteligente 2025 call shows that advanced topics like artificial intelligence and quantum science do not have to stay locked in labs or big tech companies. With clear rules and funding, they can become tools for local change. For universities, companies, and community organizations, this is a chance to build alliances and design projects that speak both the language of science and the language of their territories. The deadline is set, now the ideas need to follow.