ESPOL is ratified as the # 1 * Public University of Ecuador

The development and dissemination of Ecuadorian innovation and research are some of the parameters with which, since 1958, the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (Espol) has been working. Among its achievements in 2021 is its participation in the national vaccination plan, the development of a prototype vaccine against COVID-19 and the inauguration of a pioneer plant in the production of fly meal in Latin America as the first operator of the Zede from the Coast.

Timeline of highlights in 2021

MARCH

In collaboration with the National Institute for Public Health Research and the University of the Armed Forces, Espol developed a prototype vaccine against COVID-19. The work began in March 2020 when the project was presented to the Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and the Academy (Cedia).

Since the pandemic began, the Return Plan Commission – made up of 12 professionals from different areas of Espol – worked on a mathematical simulation model of a vaccination process to identify critical points and provide the best logistical support. Espol personnel, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, inoculated more than 220,000 people.

APRIL

For its work in areas such as gender equality, the reduction of inequality, decent work and economic growth, Espol was chosen as the number 1 public university in the country, in the Impact Rankings of the Times Higher Education global congress that measures the progress of universities around the Sustainable Development Goals.

JUNE

For the fifth consecutive year, the Espol business school, Spain, was ranked as the best in Ecuador in the Latin MBA 2021 ranking of the international magazine America Economy. Spain has the AACSB (United States) accreditations, the most prestigious for business schools at an international level; and AMBA (UK), which focuses on MBA programs; in addition to the ISO 9001-2015 certification.

AUGUST

The institution is the number 1 public university in the country in the Latin American edition for 2022 of the QS Ranking (Quacquarelli Symonds), which evaluates the academic reputation, among other parameters of the entity.

SEPTEMBER

Dona Futuro was announced, an initiative that proposes to assist economically and socially polytechnic students in vulnerable situations. The project is executed by the Foundation for Aid to Education and the Espol Vulnerable Students Assistance Trust Board.

The app Fusarium Sensor Ec, a technological tool created by Espol researchers, which allows banana producers to interact with experts from the entity on issues related to the prevention and confirmation of the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc R4T).

OCTOBER

Through its official IT channels, the institution released the first Sustainability Report of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral. This summary of the entity’s management during 2020 is available to the polytechnic community, as well as to the general public.

NOVEMBER

Researchers from Espol developed a project for the early and reliable diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (DR), through a Deep learning model (deep neural networks) that makes an automatic diagnosis from a fundus photo (retinography). The system was validated with thousands of retinographies.

Through the Rectorate and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation i3Lab, in 2019 InnovAcción is launched, an initiative to, through challenges, motivate academic and administrative staff to compete as a team, enhance their talent and skills in the search for solutions. This year the third edition started.

DECEMBER

Bioconversión SA, the first insect protein meal and fertilizer production plant in Latin America, is the first operator of Zede del Litoral, an initiative promoted by ESPOL to promote innovation and export of new products and services.

Bioconversión SA will raise flies Hermetia Illucens, known as black soldier, for the elaboration of an innovative product for animal feed consumption.

The Space Travelers team, made up of six students from the institution, triumphed worldwide in NASA’s Best Storytelling category, Space Apps Challenge. The polytechnics created an educational video game that teaches what is needed to travel to Mars: diet, exercise and how to act in the face of possible risks.

With the support of the Inter-American Development Bank, Espol presented the study Evaluation of the social and economic contribution of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral-Espol: A short and long-term analysis, in which the impact of the entity was analyzed. as a public university in the region.