Different organizations around the world understood that connectivity became the key to education, productivity, work, the economy, among many other things. However, the digital divide still persists and to promote true inclusion, more than service coverage is needed, It implies promoting accessibility to the media and promoting knowledge and skills that respond to the benefits provided by technologies.
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This was something that the engineer, Diana Arenas, who is the current coordinator of SubaLab and SubaTICtwo different projects that promote spaces, activities and training that facilitate the closing of digital gaps, generate innovation, digital transformation and promote a positive impact on the population both at work and in the development of technology projects.
This leader is recognized as a promise in the sector, where she has already won the category of ICT life and technology woman. His extensive academic experience and his work career at the District level stand out, in which his time as Digital Government advisor in the Ministry of ICT and the wide variety of projects in which he is working stand out in his resume. with the mayor’s office of Suba in matters of innovation and technology, in addition to facts such as transcending the district spheres with programs such as GoLab and Local TIC as it does now from the District Government Secretariat.
“My greatest motivation as an ICT woman is to be able to generate a positive impact and close the digital gaps with a strong digital appropriation, since I consider it the key to the good use and exploitation of the ICTs that currently exist in Bogotá, so that later these ideas be replicated in other regions of Colombia. Also, I hope to be able to publicize my ideas and my work in schools and communities of young women, in order to be the spark for them to be interested in the use of technologies, the application of mathematics, science, among others. other areas, and manage to promote opportunities for them to enter tech careers and have greater job opportunities, give them a purpose and the digital tools they need”, the official stressed.
According to UN Women, the technological transformation, the exploitation and use of digital media, offer unprecedented opportunities for the development of the territories. A study referenced by the director of Google Colombia even predicts that the country would generate an additional US$114,000 million if it achieves a successful digital transformation by 2030, which would translate into an impact of close to 22% of its gross domestic product (GDP). ).
The truth is that despite the growth in connectivity rates, the digital gap in Colombia is still 34.4% due to the lack of digital skills, figure, which is above access to equipment (32.6%), use (29.4%); and motivation (3%), according to a study carried out by the Ministry of ICT.
For this reason, Arenas is convinced that the establishment of schemes that facilitate the migration of Colombians towards new mobile technologies is not enough, since there must be incentives so that they can use these types of systems and take advantage of them in different areas.
That is why programs like SubaLab They are so significant for citizens, since they are a space for free training to promote the culture of innovation through knowledge management, the consolidation of interest groups and the generation of spaces for co-creation and experimentation through participatory environments. where you can find safety and coexistence courses; good habits with animals or citizen oversight, among others.
While SubaTIC is a training alternative that is more focused on improving the labor skills of the Suba community through courses that are certified by Sena and other allies, and where you can see photography, post-production, Excel classes. , programming, English and even entrepreneurial behavior.
These two projects manage to train more than 5,000 people annually. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg of all the work that Arenas has led and coordinated, such as the Suba Innovation Week, a four-day event on the issues that works on employment, security, education and social innovation; Evoke, an immersive game that was carried out by the World Bank and with the alliance made in this mayor’s office, took students from local schools to strengthen their creativity and leadership or, everything that was carried out in the Participatory Budgets, where they won in the category of the most innovative strategy with SubaCamp and the largest civic laboratory in Bogotá, in addition to GoLAB and TICLocal.
“I think that during my administration a legacy and a large footprint have been left, but we must continue to grow. The important thing is that these projects remain for the citizens, that they preserve them and continue to care for and transcend them”says Arenas, who adds that he hopes in the very near future to be able to bet on working in spaces where I managed to impact all of Colombia with new projects.
Although the industry and the Colombian Government continue to advance in their career to be the protagonist of the digital transformation in the region, the good rhythm cannot leave aside other types of populations such as rural, lower strata or indigenous peoples. and Afro, who must also be part of true digital inclusion.
