UTTT researcher wins Mexican Innovation Award 2026

José Francisco Hernández Gracia, a researcher at the Universidad Tecnológica de Tula-Tepeji (UTTT), has been awarded the Mexican Innovation Award 2026 in the Early Stage category. The project, titled “HidroHub Tula,” focuses on collaborative water governance in the Tula-Tepeji industrial corridor in Hidalgo, Mexico.

The initiative utilizes Internet of Things (IoT) technology and low-cost sensors, which are reportedly up to 97 percent cheaper than official stations, to democratize water information for the Tula River. The project also incorporates bioremediation using biochar and scientific validation methods from the American Public Health Association (APHA).

Over a 12-month period, the project aims to install 10 IoT nodes and certify 40 community leaders as citizen science monitors with gender parity. Additionally, the plan includes operating a biochar bioreactor and hosting three water dialogue tables with industry representatives and authorities to improve environmental decision-making.