Professor Blanca Antizar advocates for innovation and diversity in the water and sanitation sector

Blanca Antizar, European Director of Isle Utilities and Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at UCL, emphasized the need for innovation in the water and sanitation sector in Latin America and the Caribbean at a panel on sustainable and digital infrastructure at the IDB Group's Annual Assembly. Professor Antizar highlighted the importance of aligning digital transformation with the transition to a green economy, integrating startup technologies, and promoting a more diverse workforce to achieve sustainable and inclusive infrastructure in the region.

Blanca Antizar, European Director of Isle Utilities and Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at UCL Civil Environmental and Geomatics Engineering, recently participated in the Sustainable and Inclusive Infrastructure and Regional Integration seminar at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), under a panel on "The Imperative of Sustainable and Digital Infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean" at the IDB Group's Annual Assembly that was held in Panama, from 16 to 19 March 2023. The panel discussed the importance of adopting green technologies and digitized solutions to enable affordable, resilient, and inclusive services, particularly in a context where private sector investment and innovation are crucial.

During her speech, Antizar emphasized the need for innovation in the water and sanitation sector in Latin America and the role of the IDB as a fundamental partner in promoting a more diverse workforce in the digital economy. She highlighted the importance of aligning digital transformation with the transition to a green economy and integrating technologies brought by startups into water and sanitation services.

Professor Antizar also stressed the urgency of reducing the time between testing and adoption of technologies and addressing the gender gap in digital technologies in the sector. She referred to a project supported by “Fuentedeinnovacion,” an alliance of the IDB Group for innovation in the sector, which promotes the adoption of technologies through the innovative financing instrument Isle’s Trial Reservoir.

Those interested can watch Professor Antizar's session in English or Spanish on the IDB Group's channel in English or Spanish (at minutes 15:39, 45:55, and 1:01:47). Her contributions shed light on the importance of sustainable and inclusive infrastructure and regional integration, and the need for urgent action to accelerate the adoption of green technologies and digitalization solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean.