2020_06_01_ICS_innovactora

Amaya Vizmanos and Naiara Urra have won the Innovactora 2020 Awards in the Junior and Winn categories, respectively. In addition, two runner-up prizes were awarded to Beatriz Otxotorena and Isabel García de la Cruz. The awards are an initiative of the association Innovactoras, in which participates the network WINN of Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra, and have the sponsorship of Caja Rural de Navarra. The submission took place last Friday, May 29, at the Museum of the University of Navarra.

Amaya Vizmanos won in the Junior category, co-sponsored by the Sound of People initiative and aimed at young people between 14-18 years old, for her project "Yo te ayudo con la Sele"(I help you with the Sele). In the midst of the Covid-19 health crisis, this student of Double Degree of Law and ADE of the University of Navarra launched a network of university students to help second year students of high school diploma to face the assessment of high school diploma for Access to the University. Volunteers resolve doubts, provide notes or give online class . During the first three weeks of operation, they gained more than 28,000 followers on Instagram.

Naiara Urra has been distinguished in the Winn category, for those over 18 years old, for "My Achic". After a first experience as a cooperant in Guatemala, this graphic designer decided to start a project that seeks to improve the quality of life of women and girls in Tecpán (Guatemala) through the economic development and promotion of local crafts.

Beatriz Otxoterena, a nurse by profession, develops a project multidisciplinary through the Granja Escuela Ultzama Foundation. The project "Caracol", for which she has received a runner-up prize in the Innovactora Awards, stands out. It is a bio-construction building in which slow food workshops and environmental, educational, ecological and agri-food awareness workshops are held. The Foundation also manages the Orgi Forest and its activities.

Isabel García de la Cruz has obtained another second prize for "CosiCosa". This project of research is dedicated to research, design and develop activities, workshops and environments to learn how to use technologies as a means to develop creativity, express oneself, know oneself and understand one's own environment..

Solutions to current challenges

The Innovactora Awards seek to distinguish, reward and give visibility to women and young innovators who develop or have developed new solutions to current challenges and who are therefore good references to inspire young people in particular and those who wish to innovate in general.

submission Authorities such as Juan Cruz Cigudosa, Minister of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Government of Navarra; Miriam Martón, director General Manager of the Navarre Service of employment / Nafar Lansare; as well as representatives of Caja Rural and other entities collaborating in this initiative such as Ana Belén Albero, from the association Navarra for Innovation, Creativity and Culture; María Cruz Díaz de Terán, from the network WINN of the ICS; Celia Pinedo, from the Fabre Foundation; and María Beunza, from Happeninn Innovación, business promoter of the project corporate social responsibility (CSR). 

The association Innovactoras is a non-profit organization that was born in Navarra with the spirit of creating a network of female referents in the innovation ecosystem. It has more than 60 women from 17 countries, as well as the partnership of various entities linked to innovation, entrepreneurship and the momentum for the fulfillment of the Sustainable Objectives of development marked by the diary 2030.

Educational and informative work

The informative and formative work that association Innovactoras has been developing has led it to be a finalist in the "WSIS 2020 Awards" of the UN, which distinguishes projects and activities that take advantage of the power of ICTs, in Category 18 related to International and Regional Cooperation. This is a worldwide recognition that, in this edition, has this Navarre-based association as the only representative of Spain. 

Likewise, the association has been the seed for the creation of a six-country Ibero-American network , the network WINN for the dissemination, promotion and study of innovation and female entrepreneurship. In February 2020, the network was incorporated into the ICS of the University of Navarra.