Industria, Innovación e Infraestructura

FICT and the University of Oviedo are promoting new international cooperation efforts in the geosciences through joint research, training, and academic exchange initiatives, thereby strengthening opportunities for students and faculty and promoting projects with scientific impact.

Civil engineering students enhanced their knowledge of wastewater treatment through a technical presentation on innovative biological technologies, gaining insight into international research and sustainable solutions for water resource management.

The Mining Program at FICT-ESPOL held a training session on the 1Mentor by QS platform, aimed at strengthening its students’ professional profiles and aligning their education with the current demands of the mining industry. During the workshop, participants used tools based on artificial intelligence and labor market data to explore career opportunities, identify required competencies, and recognize skill gaps. The event was organized by the Mining Coordination Office, with support from Nadia Lagasca, M.Sc., and the SME-ESPOL Student Chapter.

Ph.D. candidates from ESPOL present the results of the GEPOA project, a platform that integrates satellite data to strengthen the monitoring of marine protected areas and the early detection of weather events, thereby promoting applied research and environmental management in Ecuador.

Environmental Engineering students from the Agrarian University of Ecuador visited ESPOL’s Petroleum and Drilling Fluids Laboratory to learn about processes in the hydrocarbon industry and their relationship to the assessment and management of environmental impacts. The event covered topics such as environmental sampling, sources of pollution, exposure pathways, and risk assessment for human health, fostering interdisciplinary exchange between the fields of environmental engineering and petroleum engineering. The activity helped enhance the students’ education and created opportunities for academic collaboration between the two institutions.

The FICT Petroleum Engineering program organized a technical visit to Pacifpetrol S.A., where students enhanced their practical training by learning about well reconditioning processes and the operation of oil facilities, applying their knowledge in a real-world setting within the hydrocarbon industry.

A study evaluated the use of inert mining tailings to stabilize clay soils with low bearing capacity, comparing different dosages and mixtures with tailings-cement mortar. The alternative with 15% tailings-cement mortar showed the best performance, increasing the CBR from 5.1% to 15.4% and significantly improving the soil’s mechanical strength. The results demonstrate the potential for reusing mining tailings in geotechnical applications, promoting the circular economy and sustainable solutions for road subgrade stabilization.

FICT’s Petroleum Engineering program strengthened its international academic cooperation with the National University of Colombia (UNAL) through two mirror classes for the course “Properties of Hydrocarbons and Phase Behavior.” The sessions, held in May and July 2026, covered the topics “Retrograde Gases” and “Fluid Sampling,” facilitating the exchange of knowledge between students and faculty from both institutions.

FICT and CIPAT: ESPOL’s participation in an international conference in the United Kingdom strengthened the global reach of its research through the presentation of 12 studies on sustainable development, highlighting the collaborative work of its researchers and their scientific contributions to addressing environmental, productive, and social challenges.

FICT hosted the international seminar “Sustainable Mining and Industrial Safety,” featuring Ph.D. David León, a professor and researcher at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. The event provided an opportunity to share international perspectives on sustainability and safety in the mining industry, as well as to strengthen academic cooperation between ESPOL and the UPM within the framework of the Erasmus+ program.