The International Association of Jesuit Engineering and Sciences Schools (IAJES) continues to foster collaborative academic initiatives aimed at addressing global infrastructure challenges. The Infrastructure Task Force, active since 2019, has made significant progress in areas including earthquake-resistant construction, smart cities and logistics 4.0, and access to drinking water. Recent highlights include the development of a recyclable, earthquake-resistant house by Javeriana University and new optimization software for public transport planning in partnership with José Simeón Cañas University. These initiatives exemplify IAJES’ commitment to research, innovation, and knowledge sharing among Jesuit institutions.

The IAJES Infrastructure Task Force continues to drive academic collaboration and innovation in areas crucial to sustainable development: earthquake-resistant buildings, smart Cities and logistics 4.0, and drinking water production. Since its creation in 2019, the task force has generated educational materials, research outputs, and technology transfer opportunities to be shared across Jesuit universities worldwide.

In the field of earthquake-resistant construction, Javeriana University in Colombia has developed an innovative housing prototype made from recycled Tetra Pak material, designed to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 9. In collaboration with Santa Clara University, the task force is exploring modular housing solutions and recyclable material availability in California. Current joint undergraduate research efforts focus on identifying alternative materials for structural use in regions where Tetra Pak is less accessible. These efforts are open to other institutions interested in sustainable construction methods and materials reuse.

As a result of the collaboration within this task force, articles have been produced addressing key topics such as salary ranges and technical skill requirements for the adoption of Logistics 4.0 in the Colombian business context, as well as the importance of improving accessibility, community sustainability, and institutional capacity in urban mobility planning in the Global South.

Meanwhile, the Smart Cities and Logistics 4.0 initiative has led to the creation of a Digital Transport Laboratory in collaboration with José Simeón Cañas University (UCA) in El Salvador. The laboratory supports the design of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems using newly developed optimization software that accounts for congestion and stop allocation—an innovation based on one of the highest-capacity BRT systems globally. The laboratory also hosts webinars on Smart Cities, Data Science, Python Programming, and entrepreneurship with Logistics 4.0 concepts, to support curriculum development and professional training, available at:http://www.eduinnovacion.com/es/webinars.

For more details on the Infrastructure Task Force and to get involved, visit:https://www.iajes.org/task-forces/tf-infrastructure