Several business associations and government agencies have highlighted the dynamic trends experienced by the sector, although data remains negative in 2025. For one, the Colombian National Business Association (ANDI) noted that the country’s industry remained contracted for the second consecutive year in 2024, characterized by less private investment and resulting in a sales and production drop set at -1.9%.
However, the manufacturing sector demonstrated signs of improvement compared to the 2023 rates. The country’s real manufacturing output showed a variation of 2.0%, with an additional 0.7% rise in real sales in July 2024 as per the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE).
Nevertheless, experts assert that data from the previous 24 months continues to paint a concerning picture for this year.
“These results once again highlight the urgent need to implement an economic growth strategy that drives all sectors. To achieve this, it is essential to have a stable legal and fiscal environment, as well as physical and energy competitiveness that allow us to integrate into international markets,” stated Bruce Mac Master, president at the ANDI.
Others have also noted digital transformation as essential to recuperate the manufacturing sector. According to Procolombia, a governmental agency that promotes foreign investment, tourism, exports and the country’s international image, digitalization offers an opportunity to optimize operations, particularly through internet accessibility, 5G networks, big data and artificial intelligence (AI).
Here, although digital transformation is imperative to all companies of all sectors worldwide, it is especially pressing in Colombia. The country’s manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have historically represented up to 80% of the labor market and 35% of the country’s GDP. Their leveraging of emerging technological advancements to optimize operational methods and streamline the supply chain is necessary not only to boost the sector but also to open competitive opportunities in international markets.
Fracttal, an innovator in asset maintenance through the use of cutting-edge technology, offers mobile, cloud-based, and AI-powered solutions for manufacturing companies around the globe and recently established itself as a player in Colombia’s manufacturing industry.
Its software provides preventative maintenance planning, asset tracking and inventory management, streamlined data analytics, and integration with IoT, helping Colombian manufacturers enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall productivity.
“We offer a comprehensive solution that combines software, hardware and AI, allowing businesses to fully optimize their maintenance operations with a seamless and integrated approach,” stated Christian Struve, CEO, and co-founder at Fracttal.
Fracttal in Colombia
Colombia’s manufacturing digital transformation has been historically restricted by financial constraints, as well as limitations in the technical capacities and digital knowledge of companies’ teams. Additionally, a recent study found that insufficient broadband connectivity and high investment costs prevent many micro, small, and medium-sized companies (MSMEs) from using emerging technologies, leaving them reliant on outdated methods like chat-based inventories and spreadsheets.
In addition to this pressing challenge, Colombian businesses must also contend with international competition, fiscal tightening, inflation, high interest rates, decreasing household consumption, geopolitical instability, and the growing demand for sustainability, a concern highlighted by societies and governments alike.
Headquartered in Colombia since 2018, Fracttal has leveraged technology to support manufacturers in these ongoing efforts. “Ultimately, our goal is to redefine asset management, making it smarter, more sustainable, and more efficient for businesses worldwide,” Struve stated.
Fracttal via Instagram.
Fracttal’s software merges acquiring, operating, maintaining, and disposing of assets throughout their lifecycle, from machinery and tools to infrastructure. In turn, the company’s clients have experienced resource allocation optimization, a radical minimization of downtime, and extensions of asset lifespans.
Kriamos, a Colombian poultry farming company, relied on manual methods like spreadsheets and WhatsApp, which led to operational hurdles like delayed response times, limited visibility into maintenance tasks, and challenges in coordination across departments.
However, after adopting the Fracttal One software, Kriamos boosted its predictive maintenance by 80% and lowered its response time by 99%, according to a company statement.
“Fracttal is effective across all departments, seamlessly integrating every action the company takes. It’s adaptable for any company,” explained Dayana Sierra, purchasing administrator at Kriamos.
The future of manufacturing
Beyond digital transformation, manufacturers today must integrate sustainability into every stage of their processes. As signaled by the Colombo-American Chamber of Commerce, this shift towards sustainability has moved quickly, encouraged by worried demands from governments and society.
Deloitte describes this sustainability as the creation of products through processes that are financially sound and work to minimize adverse environmental impacts while conserving energy and natural resources. With this, all manufacturing companies, including those beyond industrial production and consumption, benefit from sustainable processes. Today, they are inextricably linked to technological advancements.
With sustainability at its core, Fracttal’s smart maintenance solutions help companies reduce waste, save energy, cut emissions and optimize financial resources. Its clients, then, fully embrace environmental responsibility, from its operations to its manufacturing processes.
Emerging technologies like Fracttal are transforming Colombian manufacturers from the inside out. Through its tools, businesses gain competitive advantages that respond to the ever-present calls by governments, the economy, and society, and this company is poised to guide them on this journey.
“In the early days, one of the biggest challenges was convincing companies to transition from traditional, outdated, on-premise maintenance solutions to software and cloud-based platforms, so we focused on education- offering demos, case studies, and hands-on workshops to showcase the value of our technology,” explained Struve.
Only through the implementation of technologies can Colombian manufacturers navigate the rapidly evolving landscape in the sector.
Disclosure: This article mentions a client of an Espacio portfolio company.