Created in 1999 by MIT Technology Review, Innovators Under 35 (IU 35) is the largest global community of innovative leaders seeking social change in the world, whose purpose is to discover and present the projects and ventures of the young people so that they can interact with world experts who contribute to the development and transformation of their ideas into successful companies.

In Latin America, IU 35 LATAM is present in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela. It is the most powerful platform to publicize young people who work in technologies that will allow a change to benefit the well-being and economy of their countries.

MIT Technology Review convened the Innovators Under 35 LATAM 2022 awards, aimed at young entrepreneurs and innovators under 35 in Latin America who are using technology to solve the great problems of humanity and who have a project or entrepreneurship in the fields of biotechnology and medicine; artificial intelligence and robotics; software; energy and sustainability; internet and web; electronics and hardware; transportation; nanotechnology and materials; and telecommunications. This year, there were more than 500 nominated candidates, whose work was evaluated by a panel of judges, who chose the list of 35 winners, published by MIT Technology Review.

This is the third time that Ecuadorians participate with their enterprises and obtain the award at the IU 35 LATAM. Previously, Carolina Serrano won with her project GelWear, which seeks to combine reusable fabric with a cellulose membrane made from sugar cane residue; and Joshua Salazar with Offline-Pedia, which turns old televisions into low-cost computers packed with academic content for rural communities without internet.

In this 2022 edition, Theoretical Physicist Doménica Garzón participated with her “Water Y” project, which is an emerging impact venture that aims to create a water condenser that allows people to have an immediate response to the lack of this vital liquid and that can also be used in crops through drip irrigation; thus solving the scarcity of water caused by the summer season after the effects of natural disasters or in places where access to water is difficult due to its geographical location.

“Water Y” achieves the supply of water through an atmospheric water collector that can collect water regardless of humidity level and geographical location. Its production is low cost and is manufactured from agricultural waste such as rice husks. In addition, it has a portable version of the device to collect water for personal consumption. The device bases its technology on the use of graphene, enhancing its efficiency and significantly increasing the amount of condensed water.

For this initiative, Garzón has been chosen by MIT Technology Review in Spanish as one of the Innovators under 35 years of Latin America 2022, which greatly heightens the name of Ecuador and Yachay Tech University.