Aceleratec Launches: The Country’s First Digital Decarbonization Lab Begins Its Mission in Santander
Aceleratec launches: when decarbonization starts becoming reality
There are moments when a region stops talking about the future and starts building it.
That is exactly what is happening in Santander, Colombia, with the launch of Aceleratec, the country’s first digital decarbonization lab. A program created to solve a very specific problem: how to take real climate technology from prototype to market.
From Suricata Labs, as the program operator, one thing is very clear to us: the energy transition is not accelerated by good intentions—it is accelerated by focus, method, and execution. And Aceleratec is precisely that.
A program that responds to a real need
Innovation in decarbonization consistently faces the same barriers:
- Highly fragmented technical knowledge
- Limited strategic support
- Insufficient capital to validate technology
- Too many solutions stuck in perpetual pilot mode
Aceleratec was designed to break that cycle.
With the support of Econova Santander, the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce, and Grupo Ecopetrol, the program puts forward something that is still rare in this space: a clear technology acceleration pathway focused on impact and scalability, with hands-on support to reach a higher TRL and test solutions in real-world environments.
The first cohort: 12 teams building real solutions
The teams selected for this first cohort reflect the type of innovation the country needs: diverse, highly technical, and impact-driven.
Some of the solutions already underway include:
- Artificial intelligence and digital twins for industrial energy efficiency
- Carbon footprint measurement and management platforms
- Circular economy solutions applied to batteries and green hydrogen
- Biotechnology for CO₂ capture and waste management
- Clean energy solutions for productive sectors and non-interconnected regions
It is not a homogeneous cohort—and that is precisely its strength.
The technological DNA taking shape in Santander
When looking at the cohort as a whole, clear patterns begin to emerge:
📊 Data, AI, and IoT
Solutions that turn information into efficiency and emissions reduction. Highly scalable, but with the challenge of educating traditional markets.
🌱 Biotechnology and nature-based solutions
Deep impact and true circularity, with the challenge of longer technology maturation timelines.
⚙️ Hardware and circular economy
Strong barriers to entry, tangible intellectual property, and high capital requirements.
The combination of these approaches is what begins to build a robust decarbonization ecosystem.
More than a program, a starting point
The inaugural session made one thing very clear: the success of Aceleratec will not be measured solely by the number of startups that graduate.
It will be measured by:
- Real partnerships with productive sectors
- Synergies among entrepreneurs
- Effective access to capital
- The ability to translate complex technology into clear economic value
From Santander, something bigger is being planted: a climate innovation cluster with real ambition.
Aceleratec has already launched. Now comes what truly matters: executing, learning, and scaling—because that is where a sustainable future is actually built.
