The Innovation and Technology for Development Centre at the Technical University of Madrid (itdUPM) is a network of people and organizations whose aim is to generate both knowledge and practical solutions which facilitate a more sustainable and fair social development, through truly available quality services that are adapted to each particular context. itdUPM has contributed to satisfy the basic needs of some of the poorest communities in Africa and South America, such as access to water and energy, sustainable management of natural resources, basic habitability, application of telecommunications to health and education. In order to ingrain these innovations and to have long-term effects, itdUPM designs and develops jointly actions in which public administrations, NGO’s, business industries and international organizations collaborate side by side.