Biography
Professor Blanca Antizar is the Director of Consultancy for Europe, Africa and Latin America. Blanca’s current project portfolio spans diverse initiatives, including ten public grant projects, unlocking more than £57m of EU funding. This has enabled Isle to work with more than 120 new stakeholders in 20 different countries where Isle were not present previously; and supports clients in the private and public sector with their water security and circular economy strategies. She has also led the Utility of the Future and the New IBNET World Bank’s flagship projects, engaging with hundreds of utilities globally, expanding Isle’s global ecosystem in middle and low-income countries.
Prior to joining Isle Utilities, Blanca held a fruitful academic career, working in seven leading universities in four different countries for circa 20 years. She currently holds the position as the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in Environmental Security and Resilience at University College London, inspiring the next generation of environmental leaders. Since 2007, Blanca has supervised 11 PhD students, and is the Industrial Supervisor of one PhD student at the University of Bath. She has published more than 100 publications including international peer reviewed journal papers, books or book sections. With an h-index 33, in November 2023 Blanca’s publication record was recognised in Elsevier’s prestigious 2022 World’s Top 2% of Highly Cited Scientists for her contributions to Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Security and Resilience.
Blanca’s achievements have earned her numerous national and international awards, including the 2022 iAgua award as ‘Woman of the Year’ in the water sector-the most prestigious awards in the water sector in Spain and Latin America-for her contribution to positioning Isle as a leading consulting firm in the fields of technology and innovation. Frequently invited to speak at high-profile events, in March 2023 she was an invited panellist at the ‘Sustainable and inclusive infrastructure and regional integration’ session as part of the Interamerican Development Bank Group’s Annual Assembly in Panama and at the ‘Water and Productive Development’ session organised by the Economic Commission of the UN for Latin America and the Caribbean in Costa Rica, in preparation for the 10th World Water Forum in Indonesia taking place in May 2024.
Blanca is member of the Strategic Council of the International Water Association, Ambassador of Water Europe, Member of the Industrial Advisory Board for the School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, Member of Strategic Advisory Council for WE&B and Non-Executive Board Member of the NGO Asociación Ria in Spain focused on sustainable environmental remediation and considering social and ethical impacts of implementing innovative technologies.
