Water innovations and barriers for their adoption
The adoption of water innovations, essential to implement climate and sustainable development goals, is often hindered by the following barriers:
- sector regulation and procedures,
- underdeveloped business and investment cases,
- lack of suitable financing mechanisms,
- gaps in expectations, between industry and researchers,
- highly risk-averse industry and
- poorly developed human capital, resources, knowledge and skills.
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), in particular, the water and sanitation (WASH) sector faces a series of challenges to innovate, which are concentrated in three areas:
- sectoral innovation ecosystem,
- service provision
- sectoral governance, including governing bodies and regulatory agencies.
Specialized consultancy and research institutes in the region could play a determining role within the water sector innovation ecosystem. They can do so by in addition developing new technologies, playing a catalytic, thought leadership and agenda-setting role within the so-called “golden triangle” in the region. The golden triangle within the so-called triple helix innovation model includes in addition to universities and research and development institutes relationships with the public and private sectors.
To claim this role, research institutions need to increase their capacity for continuous adaptation to changes in their environment, in management models and the role of public and private actors within local and regional innovation ecosystems. This requires the adoption of an innovation management strategy based on a systemic vision of water security challenges, accompanied by a culture of innovation that operationalizes incentives for cooperation between disciplines and risk taking, among others.
Strategic Management and Culture of Innovation
It is in this context that the National Water Institute of Argentina (INA), with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organization of American States (OAS), decided to strengthen its capabilities and its role as agenda-setting leader in water related challenges, contributing to the region innovation development and implementation capacity. Is with this objective in mind that the training in “Strategic Management and Culture of Innovation” was designed.
The course combined Systems Thinking with Design Thinking and Culture of Innovation methodologies, in addition to decision support tools, such as the Financing Framework for Water Security (which provides the building blocks related to the financing and procurement of infrastructure ,design of demonstration pilots, maturing and upscaling of innovative technologies in the water sector, including Nature-based Solutions). The training design and facilitation were evaluated positively by all participants.
The process resulted in a roadmap to advance INA strategic management and culture of innovation and in this way play a catalytic role in the development of new ideas and practices in the water sector. Additionally, the course strengthened the capabilities of the participants, to work in a multidisciplinary manner. There was a high participation of women and of directors of regional centers specialized in different disciplines and hydrological conditions. In parallel with the training sessions, participants began to apply the methods learned to their ongoing proposals and projects, inviting other experts from other disciplines and regional centers to be part of the process.
The experience motivated them to launch internal reorganization processes for the ideation of new technological solutions, the development of competitive research proposals and the design of demonstration pilots; all rooted in a holistic vision of water security challenges and the universal provision of water and sanitation services. In this way, they aim to maximize the socioeconomic impact of the institute expertise and its contribution to achieving water security.
“The solution of water challenges requires collaborative and innovative approaches. This course gave us tools to unlock the potential of collective intelligence and find more efficient solutions to complex problems.”
Melina Devercelli, Director of Coastal Regional Centere, INA
“Water management in Latin America, and particularly in Argentina, requires solutions that identify and apply strategic actions that aim to overcome multiple existing barriers (conflicts, fragmentations, lack of participation of actors, etc.), while addressing growing threats (climate change, poverty eradication, loss of habitats, etc.). For these strategies to be effective over time, it is essential to open up, and advance without delay, towards a culture of continuous innovation, both in public bodies and in civil society organizations. ”
Juan Carlos Bertoni, President of the National Water Institute, INA.
Meanwhile, the INA presidency committed to formalizing the creation of a transversal program to be led by the group of innovation leaders trained. With the idea of strengthening some specific areas, the management also intends to organize an exchange with other research centers and leading entities in the region, such as the National Water Agency (ANA) in Brazil. Given the complexity involved in bringing water security plans and innovations towards implementation and guaranteeing sustained service provision, multidisciplinary collaboration and risk-taking by leading entities in the sector is a non-negotiable element of success. The upscaling of innovations, including financing and procurement aspects, should be considered from the beginning of research and development projects as well as of strategic planning processes. It is also essential to include multiple disciplines and the expectations of clients, beneficiaries and financial institutions. Only in this way will we be able to close the implementation gap of both innovations and water security plans and ensure universal access to basic water and sanitation services in the long term.
Other related blog posts
Synergy in Action: Enhancing the Water and Energy Nexus
How to solve a country’s water problem: Learning from the Israeli experience
About Source of Innovation
Source of Innovation is an alliance of the IDB Group with external partners to promote the development and adoption of innovative solutions in the water, sanitation, and solid waste sector to achieve intelligent, inclusive, and sustainable services, focusing on service providers in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Source of Innovation is funded by the FEMSA Foundation, the Coca-Cola Foundation, the Government of Switzerland through its State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the Government of Israel through its Ministry of Finance, the Republic of Korea through its Ministry of Environment, and the Government of Spain through the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (MINECO). The alliance is also complemented by direct contributions from IDB Lab, IDB Invest and the Water and Sanitation Division, and it coordinates directly with Aquafund, a fund created with IDB capital and to which a wide range of public and private sector partners contribute.
Leave a Reply