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Though it has seen advances in coverage in the past two decades and has inched closer to attaining universal coverage, the health sector is also seeing pressure from escalating costs due to increased coverage and an ever-expanding mandatory health plan. In 2012 the public sector accounted for 75.8% of total expenditure, with the private sector making up the other 24.2%. Total health care expenditure represented 6.8% of GDP for the same year. Meanwhile, some sub-sectors areas are registering stable growth. A dynamic private sector is pushing medical tourism forward, in the process adding to the country’s expanding infrastructure capacity. Attracting more than 50,000 medical tourists in 2013, the industry reported revenues surpassing $220m in 2013, up significantly on the $130m recorded in 2012. The local pharmaceutical industry grew 6% in 2013, while the medical device market, valued at $1.2bn in 2013, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13.3%, reaching $2.2bn by 2018, double its current size.

The expansion of enrolment at all levels achieved by Colombia since 2002 is noteworthy. Increasing the quality of the educational system has also become a priority, though improvements in this area have been difficult to implement. While recent international and national evaluations show small improvements, they also reflect substantial inequalities between urban and rural areas, socio-economic backgrounds, and public and private sectors. At the tertiary level, even though enrolment has risen significantly in the past decade, it remains below 50%, the target established in the government’s National Policy for Education 2011-14. The government attempted to introduce an ambitious reform in early 2011 designed to address some of the most pressing issues at the tertiary level but wide-scale opposition led to the withdrawal of the proposal in late 2011. Nonetheless, the national debate on education reform continues, and the sector is likely to remain a priority for the re-elected government. This chapter features an interview with María Fernanda Campo Saavedra, former Minister of National Education.

Colombia’s recent enhanced sports competitiveness at the international level is raising the sector’s commercial prospects. The government’s commitment to the promotion of sports is particularly visible in the budget allocated to Coldeportes, the body responsible for the promotion and management of sports resources, which increased from $167m in 2013 to $178m in the 2014 budget. The private sector is still relatively shy in this area. However, the success of the Colombian national football team at the Brazil 2014 World Cup seems to be raising the private sector’s interest. Colombia went from having a single sponsor in the late 1980s to becoming financed and promoted by large firms such as Bavaria, Movistar, Avianca and Pacific Rubiales. While the attention of the media and the general public remains focused on football, which also tops the rankings in terms of attracting sponsorships and investments, other sports have gradually begun increasing their profile within the country. This chapter contains an interview with Andrés Botero, Director, Administrative Department of Sport, Recreation, Physical Activity and Use of Free Time.

The possibility of a peace deal after decades of conflict promises to be a game changer for Colombia’s tourism sector. Authorities are getting ready to capitalise on this, rolling out a number of infrastructure projects and providing the sector with additional institutional support in preparation for the post-conflict influx of tourists, and efforts seem to be paying off. The sector has grown at an average annual rate of 5.5% in the past three years, according to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. Arrivals increased by 7.34% in 2013, surpassing 3.7m visitors, while revenues rose from nearly $3.2bn in 2012 to more than $3.6bn, making tourism the third-most important source of foreign currency, behind oil and coal. The sector’s recent performance bodes well for achieving the government’s target of reaching 4m visitors and attracting $4bn in tourist revenue by the end of 2014. Meanwhile, the hotel industry continues to attract significant foreign interest through a 30-year tax exemption law.

Colombia’s telecommunications market is going through intense growth as operators strive to enhance their offers in a growing array of services. The sector achieved revenues of $13.9bn in 2012, compared to $2.6bn in 2000, according to figures by the OECD. Much of this dynamism has come from the introduction of 4G services, for which five operators won licences in the 2013 government auction, and several companies have already started commercialisation of new 4G offers. Meanwhile, increasing convergence of telecommunications services is prompting the rise of triple play. While América Movil’s Claro continues to dominate the market, growing numbers of mobile internet users are creating demand for new products and services, and adding on to investment opportunities for telecommunications operators, equipment providers and content developers. This chapter contains an interview with Alberto Samuel Yohai, President, Colombian Chamber of Informatics and Telecommunications; and a viewpoint with Mariana Garcés Córdoba, Minister of Culture.

The economic growth Colombia has seen over the past decade is multiplying opportunities to strengthen research and innovation, while new investment from a growing number of firms already operating in the country is helping to raise the sector’s profile. Averaging 0.18% from 2009 to 2013, investment in research and development (R&D) remains well below regional neighbour Brazil’s 1.2% and the OECD average of 2.4%. However, it is set to reach 0.2% in 2014. A marked imbalance between private and public investment remains, with only about 30% of R&D in Colombia being conducted by private businesses, compared to 65-75% in OECD countries. Nonetheless, an impetus to improve the laws for intellectual property, coupled with funding programmes for innovation at small and medium-sized enterprises, continues to push private companies to modernise. This chapter contains an interview with Juan Camilo Quintero, Executive Director, Ruta N.