Ciudades y Comunidades Sostenibles

FICT-ESPOL will co-lead the international STARS project, funded by the Erasmus+ program, to strengthen disaster prevention in South America through the use of Geospatial Artificial Intelligence, GIS, and satellite data. Led by Dr. Andrés Velástegui in partnership with universities from Portugal, Sweden, and Colombia, this initiative will modernize laboratories and develop academic capacities aligned with the SDGs for innovation and sustainable cities.

The Holcim Academy 2025 – II PAO successfully concluded after three months of hands-on training in concrete technology, solidifying the long-standing strategic alliance between Holcim and ESPOL. This academy-industry partnership boosted technical knowledge transfer and professional skill development for engineering students, preparing them with high standards of sustainability and efficiency to meet the current challenges of the country's construction sector.

ESPOL's FICT obtained external funding from CELEC E.P. to develop an 18-month project that will apply DInSAR techniques with Sentinel-1 images to monitor ground deformations in the area of influence of CELEC SUR. The research will support risk management and energy infrastructure.

FICT-ESPOL and the Jujan GAD (Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno canton) have launched a technical cooperation phase following the signing of an inter-institutional agreement. During this first working meeting, territorial needs were analyzed to structure projects focused on risk management and flood mitigation. Through this alliance, the Faculty reaffirms its commitment to community engagement, putting its scientific capacity and expertise at the service of territorial resilience and the sustainable development of the locality.

ESPOL’s FICT welcomed Luke Bockelmann, a student from Universidad del Norte (Colombia), to share innovations in pavement diagnostics through video processing. This technical and academic activity optimizes road conservation while strengthening the Faculty’s internationalization and global collaboration indicators.

A top-decile (Q1) scientific study analyzes 24 sub-watersheds on Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos) to prioritize those with the most favorable conditions for sustainable water management and agriculture, identifying five key watersheds with high water-retention capacity. Published in Environmental & Sustainability Indicators, the study provides high-impact scientific evidence to support territorial planning and climate change adaptation in volcanic island environments.

Ecuador faces significant risks to public health and the economy due to its high volcanic activity, particularly from ash fall. The study proposes an integrated One Health approach to strengthen risk management and the health system’s response.

Geology students from ESPOL carried out a field trip to the Zaruma–Portovelo mining district, where they strengthened their knowledge through the observation of real geological conditions and rock mass analysis, highlighting the value of practical training and responsible mining.

Joint project with the National Secretariat for Risk Management to assess the Volcanic Risk Index in Ecuador, develop a geospatial platform, and strengthen prevention and risk management related to the country’s active volcanoes.

The closing ceremony of the ADITEC Chair 2025 marked the conclusion of a technical training program in concrete technology developed by Aditec Ecuatoriana and ESPOL. The program comprised seven modules and sixteen academic hours, aimed at strengthening the competencies of future engineers through a practical, industry-linked approach.