Published on: Wednesday, 22 November 2017

Dr John Hobbs and Eoin Byrne of the Cork Institute of Technology were hosted by the University del Rosario and Bogotá Chamber of Commerce to assess the Cosmetics Cluster and its’ RIS3 strategy from the 6th to 18th of November 2017. The international collaboration was part of a larger project funded through the ERASMUS+ International Credit Mobility which sees the V-LINC research group collaborate with University of Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, Pretoria, South Africa; Botswana International University of Science & Technology (BIUST); National Strategy Office, Office of the President, Botswana along with the University del Rosario and Bogotá Chamber of Commerce.

Image: Professor Saúl Pineda, and Heidy Johana Quintero Patiño, University del Rosario with Dr John Hobbs and Dr Eoin Byrne, Cork Institute of Technology pictured at the statue of Cristóbal de Torres, Founder of University Del Rosario.

The mobility to Bogotá investigated the linkages that Bogotá based SMEs within the Cosmetics sector have with suppliers and customers to examine how to strengthen collaborative relationships and supporting services to create a more competitive and innovative Cosmetics Cluster in Bogotá.

Dr Hobbs explained, “Being awarded the ERASMUS+ International Credit Mobility funding opened the possibility of applying V-LINC in Colombia for the first time, and allowed us to build and solidify relationships with the University del Rosario and Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. I’m extremely thankful to Professor Saúl Pineda and Jeimmy Paola Garcia Jimenez (both Competitiveness Institute) and Maria Jimena Rodriguez Pinzon and Heidy Johana Quintero Patiño who work in the International Cooperation office who facilitated the visit with the University del Rosario. Similarly, we are indebted to Juanita Melo Saravia, Cluster Manager and Viviana Torres Ortiz of the Cosmetics cluster for facilitating the connections with industry and arranging interviews with the key Cosmetics firms in the cluster. Whilst Daniel Gómez González, Vice President of Competitiveness and Shared Value at Bogotá Chamber of Commerce helped with the overall ERASMUS+ application and provided some local context on the RIS3 strategies at play in Bogotá. The connections we have made with and through both the Chamber and University del Rosario have indicated a strong interest in the V-LINC methodology and its application to other clusters of importance in Bogotá, including the shared value and healthcare sectors.”

Image: The companies which work within the Cosmetics Cluster in Bogotá, presented by Juanita Melo Saravia, Cluster Manager Cosmetics @ the TCI Cluster Tours on the 7/11/2017.

During the trip Dr Hobbs and Dr Byrne had the opportunity to not only interview twelve dynamic Cosmetics companies, but also to understand the ecosystem within which they operate and identify policies and initiatives which can benefit the Cosmetics cluster in the region as well as other key stakeholders from Government, Industry and Academia linked to the sector. These included: DIAN Dirección de Impuestos y Aduanas Nacionales de Colombia; ProColombia Ministerio del Trabajo - Inicio; Invima - Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamento and SENA the national training centre for industry.

Juanita Melo Saravia, Manager of the Cosmetics cluster in Bogotá belied that the analysis will prove to be extremely valuable. “The firms who engaged with the V-LINC analysis were extremely interested in the interview process, with many of them taking additional time out of their work day to engage fully with Dr Hobbs and Byrne and provide a deeper understanding of their firms’ linkages. We are very much looking forward to the overall results for the cluster and the findings the report will present.”

Image: Dr John Hobbs (CIT), Viviana Torres Ortiz and Juanita Melo Saravia (Cosmetics Cluster) and Dr Eoin Byrne at the offices of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce.