The representatives of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala -UVG and partners of the ASPIRE project (Sustainable Alliances for Innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship), Engineer Víctor Hugo Ayerdi, Project Director for ASPIRE and Director of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of UVG and Engineer Ana Lucía Solano, Research Coordinator of ASPIRE and Principal Researcher of UVG, presented the Work Plan for the development of ASPIRE research projects for its second year of implementation.
The ASPIRE project, sponsored by USAID and executed by the MIT consortium (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), UVG (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala) and AGEXPORT (Association of Guatemalan Exporters), has 15 million dollars in funds to develop a model world-class replica on how universities can solve local development challenges through partnerships between government, communities and the private sector, under a collaborative, multidisciplinary and co-creation approach for research, teaching, innovation, entrepreneurship and the transfer of technology.
This event, held at AGEXPORT, included the participation of managers, commission coordinators and sector leaders interested in implementing local research processes around food security, nutrition, agricultural development, resilience to climate change and environmental sustainability, to name but a few areas.
ASPIRE will build on the MIT innovation model to strengthen teaching capacity and UVG’s Innovation and Technology Centers (CIT) to generate relevant research and innovation for the Region.
