In order to meet the needs of MSMEs in Bogota and the Region that allow them to improve their value offer and reach more customers, the Bogota Chamber of Commerce (CCB) launched the 2022 version of its Innovation Program in Digital, Financial and Logistics Solutions, with a portfolio focused on specializing and increasing the offer of software and IT companies, financial services and logistics and transportation, with new lines or business models that respond to the requirements of potential customers, in sectors most affected by the pandemic.

The program is aimed both for companies that want to develop innovation capabilities or seek to improve and validate their digital, financial or logistics solutions in target markets, as well as for MSMEs from different economic sectors that want to prepare and implement improvements in their businesses, based on the specialized offer that will be promoted according to the needs related to these issues. In 2021, this program, previously called "My sector is reactivated", managed to benefit 1858 companies in several of the sectors most affected by the pandemic with different services associated with the program, as well as impacting 705 of these companies with the adoption of solutions to optimize digital technologies, financial management, and optimization of logistics operations, hand in hand with 48 companies in the clusters of Software and IT, Financial Services, and Logistics and Transportation.

The software and IT, financial services, and logistics and transportation companies with advances in product and service innovation that register for this new version of the program will receive specialized consulting services, co-creation and prototype validation sessions, and meetings with potential clients, among other benefits. MSMEs in the construction and energy, health and chemical, tourism, fashion, cultural and creative industries, food and gastronomy, information and communication technologies, and business services sectors will be able to access specialized training cycles, orientation sessions with solvers, and the portfolio of improved solutions offered by the program.

With this connection between supply and demand, the program will contribute to strengthening the businesses of Bogota and the 59 municipalities of businesses in Bogota and the 59 municipalities of Cundinamarca, in areas such as digital marketing, technologies for operations, e-commerce, use of cashless cash, digital payments, access to financing alternatives, and urban distribution of products and order returns, among others. To assist businessmen and businesswomen interested in accessing the benefits of the program, the CCB has set up a web page http://www.ccb.org.co/solucionsectorial, where companies can link up and access the program's services. Among the requirements to participate are: to be a company registered in the jurisdiction of the CCB in activities related to the sectors that are the focus of the program, in addition to having its commercial registry up to date.

Juan Carlos González, vice president of competitiveness of the CCB, stated that "from the Bogota Chamber of Commerce we are committed to be closer to entrepreneurs to understand their needs, and make available a wide range of services and tools that contribute to generate greater value in business and, therefore, an increase in their competitiveness. With this program, we are committed to providing MSMEs in 16 of the sectors that we support from our entity with innovative solutions that facilitate their business recovery, based on digital transformation, financial management and efficiency in logistics operations, topics that we have identified as key to strengthening businesses in the current dynamics of the markets". Figures related to the program • Nearly 32,000 companies registered in Bogota and Cundinamarca and more than 350,000 combined jobs generated are part of the Software and IT, Financial Services and Logistics and Transportation Clusters, and at least 1,000 of these have business models with the capacity to specialize products and services to meet the digitalization, financing and logistics needs of MSMEs in other economic sectors in the city and region. • The opportunity to generate and consolidate a portfolio of specialized solutions responds to the current business situation that is supported by a survey conducted by the CCB in 2021 to more than 440 entrepreneurs, where less than 50% of them make use of technological applications, only 1% of the companies in the market have access to financing alternatives such as factoring and crowdfunding, and 50% consider it appropriate to improve their logistics operations to make their business more efficient. The flagship programs of the Bogota Chamber of Commerce. The CCB's bet for 2022 is to continue implementing programs to contribute to the strengthening and reactivation of several of the sectors that were strongly affected by the pandemic.

Thus, in addition to 4 new programs that will benefit energy efficiency companies, hairdressing and wellness services, real estate, and drugstores and health food stores, the development of the other 7 that have been implemented since 2021 will continue to support the economic reactivation of the fashion, gastronomy, creative industries, health, tourism, pharmaceutical exports, and the latter, with a focus on innovation in digital, financial and logistics solutions.