Our focus is the enterprise InnoTech ecosystem: start-ups, entrepreneurship, SMEs, and large companies that bring InnoTech solutions and services to make the best of our world.
We are the first InnoTech consulting firm based in the LATAM market that boosts the development of water, agriculture, energy, and digitalization technologies thanks to the bridges established with the European innovation and financing communities.
Water is the most abundant resource on the planet, our blue planet Earth, and it is essential for our survival, yet water for human consumption is a scarce good. By 2030 water scarcity will affect more than 40% of the world’s population [1]. At the same time, the primary source of water consumption, the underground water, is more and more polluted, as more than 80% of wastewater from human activity is discharged without any prior treatment into rivers and seas [2]. As a result, 2.2 billion people are at health risk already [3]. On top of pollution and lack of appropriate wastewater treatment, the morphological changes, over-extraction, and climate change will only worsen the current situation.
Considering the water scenario, both the European Union and the UN, with the SDG goal 6 – ensuring water and sanitation for all by 2030, are pushing to revert the global water situation. For that, water treatment technology will be crucial to reach a sustainable future frame.
Food, like water, is a fundamental pillar for human beings, and both are closely linked. Agriculture uses a significant share (72%) of global freshwater resources [3] and consumes about 30% of the total energy consumption [4]. Hence, water and energy play a primary role in agriculture. However, as intersectoral competition for water intensifies and water scarcity increases, water use for food production will need a revision. Further, industrial agriculture has proven to be devastating to the environment and human communities, aggravated by the rapid expansion of cities and population. Thus, it will be mandatory to adapt agriculture to more sustainable practices and technology in the following years to lower water consumption, contamination, and dependency on non-renewable energy.
Moving forward, when considering the water-food-energy nexus, it is worth mentioning that the fossil sources will be over within the next 50-years. Hence, we need to face now the race to turn the energy production system into a sustainable and renewable one. As such, Europe is pushing the energy transition with technologies funded by the recent Horizon Europe program and other responsible programs, expanding these to the LATAM, Asia, and African regions.
Last, as we urgently need to establish more efficient and sustainable ecosystems, digitalization will be the next big thing to complete the circle. For instance, remote satellite data and in-situ sensors will improve accuracy and reduce the cost of monitoring crop growth, energy use, and land or water quality. Also, traceability technologies and digital logistics services will streamline water, energy, and agri-food supply chains and will provide trusted information for consumers.
As a company, we, Zirka InnoTech, speed up this change through services for technology transfer, technologies international expansion, and their financing.
[1] Making every drop count. An agenda for Water Action. UN-World Bank. HLPW. 2018.
[2] UN WWDR, 2017. UN World Water Development Report 2017.
[3] UN-Water 2021. Summary Progress Update 2021: SDG 6 — water and sanitation for all. 2021.
[4] «Energy-Smart» Food for people and climate. FAO. 2011
Zirka InnoTech is also present in the Health sector, being Biotech our founder’s fundamental expertise.
Health will have significant challenges in the future. Major concerns in the years to come will be antibiotics resistance, autoimmune illness, or degenerative diseases as the population ages. Technology will be crucial to overcoming these challenges.
From the Zirka InnoTech side, we want to position ourselves as a reference to support fundraising and identifying the best partners to develop new technologies.
Considering the future scenario, and as indicated by the WHO, prominent specific actions will be educating people for limiting self-meditation or access to the correct diagnosis and treatment, some of them based in the new developed technologies.
Track record of Zirka InnoTech submitted proposals
(1) % Seal of excellence or above the Call threshold.
(2) The current average success rate in the EU is 4-10% depending on the call.
(3) Each consortium constituted by 3 or more entities applying to a call with a single collaborative proposal.
As an InnoTech consulting firm we catalyze IP Transfer, Promote the Expansion of European technologies in the LATAM market, and achieve Innovation Funding. Our focus sectors are water, agriculture, energy, and digitalization.
Zirka Innotech solves the funding and best-in-class partners identification barriers that the innovation and technology ecosystem faces while bringing a new product or service to the market. Funded in Mexico City, Zirka operates as well from Europe.
… as a pillar in the search for financing.
Zirka InnoTech brings together innovative teams in consortium and strengthens international cooperation.
Whether a company or organization is looking to create, participate in an innovative team or start from scratch, we support them in identifying the best-in-class partners and the design of the value chain to bring the innovative solution to the market (both in Europe and LATAM).
With these premises, we also support consortium in preparing the funding or investment applications (i.e., Horizon Europe second pillar, LAIF program, eco.business Fund, or VCs).
In particular, the second pillar of Horizon Europe is all about partners and accounts for 56% of the total budget (€52.7 bn out of the €94bn total one).
The second pillar aims to foster European industrial competitiveness and innovation performance by funding small ecosystems innovative teams solving Global and European challenges.
The Horizon Europe second pillar 2-years’ Work Programme has been recently published. During these 2-years, there will be + 700 topics to fund innovative projects performed by innovative teams.
… the Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.
The SDGs call for worldwide action among governments, businesses, and civil society to end poverty and create a life of dignity and opportunity for all within the planet’s boundaries. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030, facing poverty, hunger, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice.
Zirka InnoTech responds to this call, selecting only projects that will positively impact on: 1. SG2 to promote sustainable agriculture, food security; 2. SG6 to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; 3. SG7 to promote access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all; and 4. SG9 to build resilient infrastructures, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Furthermore, Zirka InnoTech business model goals are completely aligned with SG10 and SG17, as on the one side, Zirka aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries, and on the other, strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. Hence, Zirka InnoTech aims to be a reference in the region, supporting our customers’ revenue growth over the next years from a greater focus on sustainability.
