Water scarcity and desertification poses significant challenges for the communities in northern Argentina, northern Chile, southern Peru, and southwest Bolivia. To address these challenges, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), DeserTech, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are launching a groundbreaking initiative.
The program will bring together 15–20 participants from the Atacama region for a structured learning and innovation journey. Through a series of online and in-person seminars in Chile, participants will:
- Map drought-related challenges
- Explore innovative solutions
- Design actionable projects
The focus is on resilience—leveraging technology to combat desertification while enhancing sustainable water security.
Goals of the program:
- Learn pilot design tools based on a challenge-centric approach
- Discover first-tier desert technologies
- Join peer-to-peer learning sessions with key players addressing drought challenges in the region’s innovation ecosystem
- Execute open innovation process
- Implement innovative solutions in your region
- Connect with entrepreneurs, high-tech executives, and global organizations specializing in desert innovation.
- Tackle your desert challenges
Key Details:
- Program duration: March to July 2025
- Cost of Participation: The program is mostly free, but there may be a cost associated with attending the on-site seminar in Chile. Organizations may be asked to contribute to expenses such as flights or accommodations.
- Application deadline: February 10, 2025
- Apply here: Application Form
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applications are now open for this exciting five-month initiative that unites changemakers from Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The program offers support for pilot project implementation and funding opportunities.
- Ideal candidates include professionals working in:
- Water management
- Sustainable agriculture
- Renewable energy
- Infrastructure
- Motivated to combat desertification and are active in related fields and keen to learn how to use desert innovation as a tool
- Available to participate in 4 online sessions, meet with leading tech companies, and attend a 4-day seminar in Chile to co-create collaborative projects.
Highlights of the program:
Needs Assessment Online Seminar:
- Participants will engage in four exclusive online sessions designed to help them pinpoint critical challenges in agriculture, water, infrastructure, and energy within their regions.
- They will gain advanced tools to identify key issues and explore cutting-edge approaches to solving them.
Market Square:
- It is an online central hub for climate-tech innovation, connecting challenge owners with solution providers to drive impactful collaborations.
- The challenges identified during the online seminar will be systematically cataloged and showcased in the Market Square, where they will be matched with potential solutions and investment opportunities. This will drive a thorough scouting and screening of relevant technologies.
- Participants will also engage in B2B meetings with leading companies, fostering collaboration and paving the way for impactful partnerships.
Desert Innovation Seminar
- An exclusive, intensive seminar in Chile. This hands-on experience will focus on designing and executing proof-of-concept (POC) projects, guided by leading Israeli experts in desert innovation.
- Participants will engage with real-world case studies of successful desert technology implementations and connect with key stakeholders driving innovation in arid climate solutions.
Project Design Workshop:
- Everything learned and achieved throughout the program will be transformed into concrete project proposals ready for implementation.
- The cohort’s participants and key stakeholders from the desert innovation ecosystem will collaborate to design proposals that can be submitted for investment, either through IDB’s funding channels or other sources.
- Up to 15 proposals will be featured in a virtual booklet to showcase the region’s innovation potential. The most promising projects will receive funding from the IDB, turning visionary ideas into tangible impacts.
Time requirements for the Program:
We’ve designed the program to be impactful while respecting your busy schedule. Here’s a general idea of the time commitment:
- March: 12 hours of engaging online sessions spread across the month.
- April – May: Biweekly 2-hour meetings with solution providers.
- June: Immersive onsite seminar (not included in the above calculations).
- June – July: Weekly 1-hour follow-up meetings to maintain momentum.
Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to complete occasional, action-oriented assignments with your team and management to shape your challenges and success criteria.
This flexible structure is designed to maximize learning, collaboration, and innovation while remaining manageable within your ongoing commitments.
🔗 Learn more at: https://www.planetech.org/innovationleaders
