Martin Elizalde Lecuona

As the VP of Research and Development at Ecopals, I lead the design and coordination of our R&D strategy, focusing on optimizing current products and pioneering new solutions for the waste and construction industries. My role involves analyzing technical data, integrating cutting-edge technologies, developing technical teams and implementing methodologies to develop environmentally friendly, market-driven innovations. I collaborate closely with my team and collaborators, leveraging tools such as Machine Learning, Molecular Dynamic Simulations, and Mechanistic Models to drive insights and strategies.

Main tasks: Development and research of mathematical tools and methodologies for studying water distribution issues and drought in the binational river basins of the U.S.A. and Mexico, ensuring their implementation through execution plans that promote governance and collaboration with groups of different technical backgrounds. The job involved knowledge transfer, workshops, and cooperation with different stakeholders for feedback and products/deliverables that aim to inform decision-makers and shape public policy, examples: - Early alert system for drought on a municipality scale to enable actions. - Models, methodology and indicators for assessing water distribution schemes and procuring water stewardship in the binational river basins of Bravo and Colorado. Analysis of probabilistic and comparative scenarios.

Main tasks: Assist in the management of water resources between Mexico and the U.S.A. by coordinating with different stakeholders in both countries and performing technical analyses aided by geographic information systems, modelling tools and specialised software. Supporting the Mexican half of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) and ensuring a collaborative environment where both countries honour their international water treaties.

Design of new interdisciplinary and environment-related courses, with a focus on resource management, the nexus approach and governance. Also, using my project management skills to aid in business and marketing plans, the design of procedures manuals, proposing and setting up KPI’s, statistical analysis, and data management.

Auxiliary engineer for the completion of the Water Master Plan for northern Quintana Roo (Cancun area), one of the fastest growing urban areas in Mexico with a current population of nearly 1.5 million and growth rates around 3.2%. Tasks involved: Reviewing of technical documents, writing an official report for the local government, budget projections and analysis, calculations and modelling of the water and wastewater infrastructure (Current and planned), data gathering, AutoCAD drafts of the infrastructure and recommendations of investment.

This subsidiary of Suez Environment is dedicated to the extraction, distribution and treatment of water and wastewater in the city of Cancún, Mexico. I was deeply involved with the company beyond my main duties, which gave me insight on all the activities in the company. Main tasks: Receiving and processing the needs of every area in the company, selecting a contractor through a selection process, writing the technical and legal terms of the contract and estimation checking throughout the contractor’s work. In addition: The development of a web-based application and system for evaluating the performance of contractors based on indicators, Health and Safety internal audits, and technical translator (English/Spanish).