National and international promoters of using bicycles as more than a mean of transportation are meeting in Costa Rica in the First Meeting of Innovative Bike-technology. This activity started on October 12th and it will end on Friday 21st.
The main objective is to provide spaces that allow to exchange experiences on appropriate technologic, self-manageable and sustainable “bicimáquinas” (bike-machines) in Central America.
Carlos Marroquin is a Guatemalan who has emerged as inventor and world leader in bike-technology. During his career, he highlights sustainable rural development for over 20 years through the creation and distribution of appropriate technologies. He also collaborates with international organizations such as Bikes not Bombs and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He stands out for being 100% self-taught in the development of dozens of bike-machines, which use low-cost bicycle parts to facilitate labor in rural areas. These pieces help create pumps for water wells, corn shellers, mixers, blenders, washing machines, and coconut grinders.
Marroquin is part of the International Innovation Network for Development (IDIN) which is a non-profit organization led by the Development Laboratory from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Its aim to empower a diverse network of innovators around the world to design, develop and disseminate technologies to improve the living conditions of those who are in situations of social vulnerability.