Vanessa Sanchez, Director of Innovation, Technology, Digitalisation, and Formalisation, Ministry of Production, Peru

1. How do you use your role to ensure that technology and policy are truly inclusive? 

In a country as diverse as Peru, we are working to ensure that digital transformation is not a privilege reserved for large cities, but rather a tool that drives equitable productive development across all regions, strengthening our micro and small businesses—especially those led by women—so they can compete on a level playing field. Therefore, we co-design public policies with key stakeholders in the ecosystem and their beneficiaries, listening to their needs from an empathetic and local perspective to build solutions that reduce gaps, facilitate access, and open new opportunities for productivity, development, and competitiveness.

Our conviction is clear: every digital service should bring us closer to a Peru where no one is left behind and where everyone can fully participate in the benefits of the digital economy. 

2. What’s a moment in your career when you saw firsthand how technology or a new policy changed a citizen’s life for the better? 

I had the opportunity to work for almost a decade at the Technological Institute of Production, where I witnessed firsthand how technology transforms lives. Through the Centers for Productive Innovation and Technological Transfer (CITE), I supported entrepreneurs who, by incorporating best practices and technological improvements tailored to their production level, overcame barriers that had limited their growth for years: reducing production times, standardizing processes, and improving the quality of their products.

I especially remember an entrepreneurial family from the Amazon who, after incorporating water-efficient technologies, modernizing the design of their production areas, and diversifying their aquaculture production, managed to make their processes more efficient and sustainably increase their income. This allowed them to ensure their children's education and revitalize their district. There, I confirmed that technology not only improves processes: it opens opportunities, empowers, and dignifies, especially when it reaches those who need it most.

3. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year, and how did you measure its success in building trust and serving the needs of the public? 

Throughout my career I have learned that public policies generate real impact when they manage to translate complexity into solutions that make people's lives easier, and this year that conviction was strengthened by two important processes that are a priority in the Ministry of Production and are implemented by the team of the General Directorate that I lead, in coordination with other directorates and offices. 

The first is the reform of the National Innovation and Technological Development Program (a program that provides non-refundable funds to innovative entrepreneurs and companies in the country); and which seeks to expand its intervention in productive development (which requires technological adaptation and scaling) and with a territorial approach more suitable for the regions of the country, which have their own characteristics in their entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. 

The second is the support for promoting the Peru Produce Single Window (VUPP), an initiative designed to simplify, expedite, and expand access to the procedures and services that support the formalization and growth of micro and small enterprises (MSEs).

Formalization is a shared challenge in Latin America, and in Peru, we have taken on the responsibility of building a more accessible and supportive environment for entrepreneurs, working with global standards and in partnership with organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). 

4. What was one unexpected lesson you learned this year about designing for real people? This can be about a specific project or a broader lesson about your work. 

The biggest lesson is that true public innovation doesn't happen behind a desk, but in the field, by listening to those who experience the problems we're trying to solve. During the process of creating the Network of Digital Transformation Centers in Peru, I understood that technology is only truly useful when it addresses people's real lives: while 96 percent of Peruvian SMEs consider digitalization key to growth, 73 percent don't know where to begin (Movistar, 2025), demonstrating that the gap isn't technological, but cultural. It's not just about adding tools, but about providing support, building trust, and understanding the aspirations of entrepreneurs seeking to transform their businesses. Innovation isn't measured by the number of features, but by its ability to adapt to people's pace, context, and opportunities to improve their daily lives. 

5. We hear a lot about AI. What's a practical example of how AI can be used to make government services more inclusive and trustworthy? 

Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform public services into more human, accessible, and reliable experiences. In Peru, we are taking a firm step forward with the Produce Más Digital Channel, which consolidates the services of the Ministry of Production into a single point of contact for entrepreneurs and incorporates MAIA, a generative AI-powered virtual assistant that guides micro and small enterprises (MSEs) through the country's most widely used messaging application, not only via text but also with image and voice recognition and proactive communication. Thanks to this technology, an entrepreneur can obtain guidance on formalizing her business, accessing financing, or completing procedures without leaving home or wasting valuable time. When designed ethically and with a user-centric approach, AI becomes an ally in closing gaps and democratizing opportunities, ensuring that everyone can participate in the benefits of the digital economy.

6. How are you preparing for the next wave of change in the public sector? What new skill, approach, or technology are you most excited to explore in the coming year? 

We live in the data economy, a phenomenon described by experts as the “Big Bang of Data”: today we generate more information in a single day than humanity produced in the entire 20th century, and the challenge for economies is to learn how to process, leverage, and position it as a strategic asset for organizations and the government. Along these lines, we have been developing the study “Assessing the Data Maturity of SMEs in APEC Economies to Boost Cross-Border Trade through Interoperability,” which seeks to measure digital capabilities and overcome key barriers so that data flows seamlessly between SMEs and public services, thus enabling a more proactive government. This work will be a valuable input for evidence-based decision-making, not only in Peru but also in APEC economies, as it will allow us to closely monitor the implementation of initiatives that will make the government more agile and capable of anticipating the needs of our citizens and entrepreneurs without border barriers. 

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators who want to build a career focused on serving all citizens? 

My main piece of advice is to remember that innovating in the public sector means serving with purpose: putting people at the center, cultivating empathy, actively listening, and working on the ground, where real challenges are faced, to design solutions that reduce barriers and create opportunities. Patience and perseverance are key, because transformation processes take time, but every step forward builds trust.

It is also essential to broaden the institutional perspective and collaborate with the private sector, academia, and other ecosystem stakeholders, leveraging the potential of GovTech to incorporate cutting-edge technology into solving public problems. These partnerships strengthen government initiatives and allow for more sustainable, inclusive, and impactful solutions. The greatest satisfaction in this work comes when a public policy translates into tangible well-being in people's lives. 

8. Who inspires you to build a more inclusive and trustworthy public sector? 

I am inspired by every entrepreneur who, despite the difficulties, is committed to growth and contributing to the country's development; in them I find resilience, creativity, and the conviction that Peru can move forward from every community.

I am also inspired by the public servants who, from different areas of government, work quietly to improve public systems and create opportunities for more people, reminding us that real change is built step by step, with purpose and a vocation for service.

And, on a more personal level, my greatest motivation is Ivanka, my little daughter: her curious gaze toward the world reminds me every day why it is worthwhile to strive for a more accessible, innovative, and just government; I want her to grow up in a country where she can dream big and find the opportunities to make those dreams a reality. 

9. If you had an unlimited budget, what would your dream project be? 

My dream project would be to build a country where equal opportunities don't depend on where we're born, the language we speak, or the resources we have. I would drive a major transformation that combines universal connectivity, digital education for all ages, and public services designed with empathy, so that every person—from a family in the Amazon to a young entrepreneur in the highlands or on the coast—can access the knowledge, markets, and tools that allow them to reach their full potential.

I dream of a Peru where technology closes gaps instead of creating them; where every girl and boy can dream big and has the same starting point to achieve those dreams.

That is the fairest future I aspire to build: a country with a supportive government, where meritocracy prevails and talent is the engine of development, without geography dictating the limits of dreams or people's possibilities. 

10. Outside tech, what excites you the most? 

Outside of work, I find balance and motivation in my Amazonian roots (the San Martín region, a place in northeastern Peru renowned for its immense biodiversity, its warm people, and a culture that lives in harmony with nature).

I grew up there, surrounded by verdant mountains, rivers that flow with determination, and communities that teach that everything blooms in its own time.

Spending time with my daughter is my greatest inspiration: hearing her questions and her sincere arguments reminds me why it's worthwhile to work for a fairer, safer country full of opportunities. 

I'm also deeply motivated by discovering cultural nuances from the coast, highlands, and Amazon in different ventures, because they demonstrate that every effort has meaning if it contributes to an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future.