When Colombians hear “quantum,” many still think of superhero movies or strange physics jokes. In 2025, the word suddenly moved from memes to public policy, with a serious budget behind it.
Through the ColombIA Inteligente 2025 call, the Ministry of Science invited universities, companies, and local groups to turn artificial intelligence and quantum technologies into tools for real territorial change.
A historic call for AI and quantum science in Colombia
On April 29, 2025, in Bogota, MinCiencias officially launched ColombIA Inteligente 2025, the first national call that puts AI and quantum sciences at the center of a single program.
President Gustavo Petro and Minister Yesenia Olaya presented the initiative as a milestone of the “quantum year,” linked to Colombia’s role in CELAC and its broader science agenda.
The call is not only about prestige. It seeks to fund concrete projects that connect advanced knowledge with environmental care, social inclusion, and new productive models in regions.
In simple terms, the country wants fewer academic PDFs that no one reads and more prototypes, pilots, and services that help solve real problems in cities and rural areas.
How much money and who can apply
ColombIA Inteligente 2025 has a total budget of COP20,000 millones, about US$5.2 million.
Each project can receive up to COP1,500 million, roughly US$395,000, for activities over a period of 18 months, which makes it attractive for serious research and development teams.
To apply, groups must create a strategic alliance that includes at least one higher‑education institution, one Colombian company, and three local organizations such as communities, NGOs, or public entities.
This design tries to avoid isolated lab work. It pushes scientists and firms to sit at the same table with people who actually live the problem the project wants to address.
AI and quantum tech, explained in plain words
Artificial intelligence here means systems that can learn from data and help make decisions, from predicting crop diseases to planning bus routes or improving hospital triage.
Quantum technologies use properties of matter at a very small scale to build ultra‑precise sensors, secure communications, or powerful computers that work differently from today’s machines.
The call focuses on lines such as quantum information processing and secure communications, quantum sensing and metrology, and sustainable energy and strategic minerals.
In AI, the goal is to support projects that respect ethics, protect data, and help close gaps instead of making them worse, in line with Colombia’s national AI policy.
From national strategy to concrete projects and a quantum computer
The ColombIA Inteligente 2025 call is part of a larger mission‑oriented science policy that has already mobilized about US$226.6 million in three years across several areas.
MinCiencias reports investments of US$16.7 million in AI capacity building and US$114.3 million in high‑level training, including doctorates and postdoc stays supported by Colfuturo, Fulbright, and Icetex.
The ministry also announced a joint project with Universidad del Valle to build the first Colombian quantum computer, which would serve as a shared lab for universities and research centers.
If that plan moves ahead, Colombia could join early regional efforts in quantum hardware, instead of depending only on imported equipment or cloud access from other countries.
Deadlines, regions, and what success would look like
According to MinCiencias, proposals for ColombIA Inteligente 2025 can be submitted online until May 26, 2026, giving alliances enough time to design solid projects.
The call prioritizes territorial impact, so projects must clearly explain how their pilots or tools will benefit specific communities, sectors, or ecosystems in Colombia.
In the best scenario, some of these initiatives will turn into permanent solutions, companies, or public services that continue after the 18‑month funding window closes.
For example, a quantum sensor network could improve water monitoring, or an AI platform could help small farmers decide when to plant and harvest.
A playful, serious bet on Colombia’s scientific future
For many young students, the phrase “quantum technologies” may finally sound less far from their daily lives, now that it appears in national calls, scholarships, and real projects instead of only in physics jokes.
If ColombIA Inteligente 2025 works as planned, it will show that Colombia can talk about AI and quantum not just as buzzwords, but as practical tools that travel from labs to territories, helping people solve concrete problems step by step.
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