With great enthusiasm, the “Cluster Procesos de Innovación para el Desarrollo de Territorios Inteligentes” officially kicks off, part of the Habilitas 2024 Project, promoted by IILA (Italian-Latin American International Organization) and financed by the Ministry’s General Directorate of Development Cooperation of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (DGCS/MAECI). This ambitious training project will take place in Calabria, under the guidance of Smart City Instruments (SCI), a spin-off of the University of Calabria.
The program is dedicated to eight entrepreneurs, academics and sustainable territorial development professionals from different Latin American countries. The main objective is to promote the transition towards smart territories, through the adoption of advanced technologies and innovative social practices. Participants, selected for their expertise in key areas of sustainable development, will explore crucial strategies for the modernization of urban and rural areas.
The participants and their professions are:
• Freddy Francisco Faundez Campodonico (Chile), CEO of Venti and Director of Climate Action at Aymapu Family Foundation;
• Joselyn Carolina López Cruz (Honduras), administrator at Grupo Constructor Guerra;
• Henry Paul Llumiquinga Loya (Ecuador), technical analyst at the Escuela Politécnica Nacional;
• Jesús Miguel Martínez Vizcarra (Peru), engineer in Occupational Safety and Health and Environment at Energy Ingeniería y Consultoría;
• Sara Teresa Musio Nava (Venezuela), economic studies analyst at the Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico del Estado Zulia;
• José Willington Ramirez Cabezas (Colombia), program manager at Michael Page/Ecopetrol;
• Johanna Monserrat Vásquez Ramón (Dominican Republic), sector analyst at the Ministerio de Economía Planificación y Desarrollo;
• Facundo Villar(Argentina), director of the Centro de Investigaciones en Turismo (CIT) at the Provincial University of Ezeiza (UPE).
The Cluster’s training activities will be scientifically coordinated by the CEO of SCI, Alfredo Sguglio, who introduced the theme of “Intelligent Territories” during the VI PYMES Forum in Medellín, Colombia. The program will be enriched by a team of experts, including the Scientific Director, Prof. Natale Arcuri, and Dr. Angelo Macilletti, Director of International Relations of SCI, with strong experience in Latin American contexts, offering participants highly qualified mentoring .
The Intelligent Territories Cluster emphasizes the integration of innovative technologies and social practices to address global challenges, improve the quality of life and promote economic and environmental sustainability. Participants will have the opportunity to closely study the Calabrian cities, territories, businesses and cooperatives selected by Smart City Instruments as models of intelligent territories.
Through field visits, practical activities and meetings with local administrators and innovative entities, the interns will delve into the themes of the smart city, the urban-rural continuum, socio-technical innovation and sustainable land management. The goal is to apply this knowledge in urban and rural contexts in their respective countries, promoting a smarter and more sustainable future.
The Habilitas project is included in the PYMES Forum of IILA, coordinated by Dr. Jose Luis Rhi Sausi, and for years has represented a virtuous example of cooperation between Italy and Latin America, consolidating over time the exchange of knowledge and the development of innovative strategies for sustainable growth of the territories.
