Costa Rica News – The MIT Technology Review in Spanish will soon highlight the works of three Costa Ricans. On November 12th, they will be awarded in Guatemala for being innovators under age 35 in Central America.
The International Development Bank and the Ministry of Economy in Guatemala are sponsors of the award for these inventors of new projects that greatly impact society.
The first is Mariángela Vargas who developed a more efficient method for fractionating the blood plasma, which is later used as medicine. Current methods are costly because they are carried out under refrigerated conditions, unlike Vargas’ way. The raw materials derived from plasma are used to manufacture drugs and treat some diseases and conditions.
Joaquín Víquez is honored for his work that allows farmers to take advantage of cattle excrement. On a pig farm, his biodigestor can be used to treat the bad smells that are generated from excrement. Víquez personally visits the producers to know firsthand the challenges and opportunities on each farm considering his product.
Esteban Bermúdez is awarded for encouraging the use of pineapple waste in various forms such as converting it into biogas, fertilizer, heat, electricity, textiles or other products. 10 million tonnes of pineapple waste are generated in Costa Rica annually. This could be a resource to be re-purposed into something else. His innovative ideas allow for a circular economy, which minimizes waste and helps producers generate new income sources.
