On April 11, 2026, Rafael Cabrera García, an engineer and professor in the Civil Engineering program at the Faculty of Geosciences Engineering (FICT) at ESPOL, was granted a Remote Pilot License for unmanned aircraft following his training at Ecuador’s General Directorate of Civil Aviation. This certification attests to compliance with current regulations established by the national aviation authority for the regulated operation of drones.
Obtaining this license provides significant support for scientific research and the execution of projects in various fields by enabling the use of drones as a highly valuable technical tool. This accreditation strengthens capabilities in data collection and analysis applied to surveying processes, technical inspections, monitoring of civil engineering projects, and territorial analysis.
Furthermore, the use of these emerging technologies enables the generation of strategic information to assess phenomena such as deforestation, territorial expansion, and changes in land use, contributing to the development of academic and research initiatives with practical applications.
This achievement also has a cross-disciplinary academic impact, as it benefits students from various degree programs by introducing them to the practical use of innovative tools applied to engineering and territorial analysis. In this way, technical and professional training is strengthened through the integration of technologies that provide greater precision, efficiency, and safety in various processes.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SDG 4: Quality Education, through the strengthening of technical skills and continuing education.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, by promoting the use of applied technologies in engineering processes.
