Strengthening economic relations:
The Colombian embassy visits Brüggen
Last week, we had the honour of welcoming a high-ranking delegation from the Colombian Embassy to our premises in Lübeck. The delegation, consisting of H.E. Mrs Yadir Salazar-Mejía (Ambassador), Colonel Carlos Eduardo Urbano Montes (Naval Attaché, Captain at Sea) and Patricia Salazar (Communications and Social Media Officer), was accompanied by representatives of the Lübeck Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK).
Reception at Lübeck Town Hall
The visit began with an official reception at Lübeck City Hall, where the delegation was warmly welcomed by City President Henning Schumann and Mayor Jan Lindenau. As part of this meeting, the guests signed the Golden Book of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck – a sign of the appreciation and solidarity between Lübeck and Colombia.
Visit to Brüggen
After a meeting on the premises of the Lübeck Chamber of Industry and Commerce, we welcomed the delegation to our premises. After a warm welcome by Johannes Brüggen, the guests were given a comprehensive company presentation. This was followed by a tour of our production areas for bars, crunchy muesli and muesli, led by Dr Jens Meyer, Director Quality Assurance. Our Colombian guests showed great interest in the modern production processes and the high product quality.
Potential for cooperation
A key topic of the visit was the discussion of possible collaborations in the area of raw material procurement. Brüggen is always on the lookout for high-quality ingredients such as dried fruit and nuts for our muesli products. Colombia, known for its agricultural diversity, could be a potential supplier. The imminent opening of the port of Puerto Antioquia on the Caribbean coast further strengthens Colombia’s attractiveness as a trading partner. The modern harbour could reduce logistics costs and significantly facilitate the movement of goods between the two countries. Nevertheless, it was also noted that the large quantities of first-class quality raw materials required represent a challenge and that there is still a need for optimisation on the part of Colombia.
Puerto Antioquia on the Caribbean coast further strengthens Colombia’s attractiveness as a trading partner. The modern harbour could reduce logistics costs and significantly facilitate the movement of goods between the two countries. Nevertheless, it was also noted that the large quantities of first-class quality raw materials required represent a challenge and that there is still a need for optimisation on the part of Colombia.
Another topic of discussion was the surplus of skilled labour in Colombia. While society in Germany is ageing and the proportion of (prospective) skilled workers is continuously falling, Colombia has a surplus of qualified and highly motivated young people.
In 2024, there were a total of almost 700,000 unfilled job vacancies in Germany. There is a lack of motivated and experienced skilled workers, and this is noticeable in many areas, including our own. Although Colombia has a large number of well-trained and committed workers, the unemployment rate there last year was around 10.2%, well above the European and German average.
Filling training positions is also becoming increasingly difficult in this country: in 2023, around 73,400 training positions remained unfilled. More and more young people are choosing to study at university rather than undergo vocational training. The situation is exacerbated by demographic change in Germany: at the end of 2023, 15- to 24-year-olds accounted for only around 10% of the total population – a record low. In Colombia, on the other hand, the number of 15- to 24-year-olds in the same year was around 16%.
The integration of Colombian apprentices and skilled workers into the German labour market could therefore be a promising approach for both nations, as we would support and benefit from each other.
The meeting with the Colombian Embassy provided valuable insights and opened up interesting prospects for future cooperation. We would like to thank our guests for visiting us and look forward to deepening the contacts made and exploring new avenues of cooperation together.