UNPHU promotes innovative solutions to climate change at the 2025 Climathon Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo, October 2025

Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), through its Entrepreneurship Center and the Environmental and Natural Resources Department, hosted Climathon Santo Domingo 2025, an international climate ideas event that brought together over 60 entrepreneurs, researchers, mentors, and institutional representatives to develop sustainable solutions for the Caribbean’s environmental challenges.

The event—organized by CleantechHUB Colombia with support from the Green Climate Fund, the German GIZ Cooperation, and EIT Climate-KIC through the Catal1.5°T initiative, along with the Foundación El Hueco Caribe—connected academic innovation with climate action and sustainable entrepreneurship.

The 2025 Climathon Santo Domingo focused on four key themes: Clean Energy, Water Resources, Sustainable Mobility, and Sargasso. It aimed to link scientific knowledge, creativity, and entrepreneurial efforts in developing impactful business models.

The Vice-Chancellor for Research, Linkage and Internationalization, Claudia Acra, along with Carlixto Juliao, Director of the MSME Center and UNPHU Emprende, and Gabriel Rosario, Coordinator of the Center, emphasized UNPHU’s dedication to sustainability, climate innovation, and the development of young leaders. 

The space was inaugurated by Dolly Martínez, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Department at UNPHU, and Iván Cruz, Director of Financial Mechanisms and Project Portfolio at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

Throughout the event, 14 innovative initiatives were developed and presented to a jury of experts from Boost Acceleration Camp, NEX Consultora, UFHEC, the Vice-Ministry of Climate Change and Sustainability, and UNPHU. The jury highlighted the creativity, commitment, and relevance of the proposals.

In addition to workshops, mentorships, and idea sessions, participants were supported by leading professionals from the Dominican and Latin American ecosystems in sustainability, the circular economy, environmental communication, and social entrepreneurship.

Mentors and facilitators like Erika Sánchez Herrera (GIZ German Cooperation), Porfirio Báez (Gren Depot), Madelin Martínez (UNIBE – CIDE), Angélica Vásquez (El Hueco Caribe), Camila Antigua (Awarenest and CAV Creative Lab), and Piero Gómez (Fundación Enlata) also participated, guiding the teams in Design Thinking workshops, storytelling, and developing sustainable business models.

The first place at the Climathon was awarded to a team composed of students Bertha Lahoz, Axxel Terman, and Professor Vladimir Montás from the School of Architecture at UNPHU. Their project, Recycling Sargassum for Construction, aims to use sargassum as a raw material for ecological floors and coatings, helping to reduce pollution on beaches and minimize the use of traditional materials like cement and sand.

The second place was awarded to Eco Facades Solares, a solution based on renewable energy aimed at improving the quality of life for rural communities through solar systems integrated into architectural structures. Members: Máximo Amado Díaz Martínez and José Paredes.

The third place was awarded to Hydrolife, a system for capturing rainwater and humidity that generates electricity by combining technological innovation with sustainable water use. Members: Freddy Manuel Núñez González and Christian Gabriel Martínez Calderón.

The winning teams will receive various incentives aimed at improving their projects and supporting their continued growth, including incubation opportunities, training, and specialized support from partner organizations.

German Ambassador Maike Friedrichsen attended the closing day, emphasizing the importance of academic exchange in promoting climate action through higher education.

“The Climathon Santo Domingo demonstrated the potential that the Caribbean has to transform its environmental challenges into sustainable opportunities.” From CleantechHUB, we remain committed to strengthening climate innovation ecosystems in Latin America and supporting the founders who are leading the change, said Juliana Fernández, Community Coordinator of CleantechHUB.

Erika Sánchez Herrera, Technical Advisor for the CATAL1.5°T initiative for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized that “these local experiences are essential to connect innovation with action and ensure that climate solutions are implemented where they are most needed.”

The Climathon is a worldwide initiative led by EIT Climate-KIC that is being organized in over 200 cities globally, aiming to promote systemic thinking, entrepreneurial action, and cross-sector collaboration to speed up the shift to low-carbon economies.

In Latin America, the movement is organized through CleantechHUB and the CATAL1.5°T initiative, promoting the development of climate solutions from local communities, with an emphasis on sustainability, inclusion, and regeneration.