Suelux was one of the Ecuadorian initiatives that won Climathon 2025.
Climathon is a global program driven by EIT Climate-KIC and facilitated in Ecuador by IMPAQTO. It connects people, ideas, and solutions to face the challenges of climate change. Every year, multidisciplinary teams in more than 100 countries co-create innovative projects with environmental and social impact.
In the Climathon Ecuador 2025 edition, two teams stood out for their commitment to sustainability and their vision for the future. One of them was Suelux, an initiative led by Francisco Javier Paredes Proaño, teacher, researcher in innovation and sustainability, and principal of the Unidad Educativa General Eloy Alfaro (UEGEA) in Salcedo.
Innovating from education to regenerate the soil
For Francisco, participating in Climathon was “a deeply inspiring experience.”
“It allowed us to share ideas with people committed to climate change and to confirm that from education we can also innovate. It was a space where learning, creativity, and action came together to show that young people can be protagonists of real solutions.”
Their project, Suelux, was born from an urgent concern: soil degradation. This environmental problem affects agricultural production, food security, and the economy of rural communities, especially in provinces like Cotopaxi, where the loss of fertility worsens poverty and malnutrition.
Suelux proposes an innovative solution based on mountain microorganisms, capable of regenerating soil life and returning productivity to farmers. Its approach combines science, sustainability, and hope, demonstrating that innovation can emerge from any territory.
Science, practice, and purpose
One of the biggest challenges the team faced was maintaining scientific rigor without having a professional laboratory. However, this did not stop them.
“We validated the product’s effectiveness directly in the field, in different types of soil and crops, from vegetables to flowers, observing consistent results. That experience allowed us to strengthen the method and demonstrate that innovation can also arise from practical learning and constant observation.”
For Francisco, spaces like Climathon are vital because “they connect local ideas with global solutions.”
The program encourages students, teachers, and entrepreneurs to transform environmental problems into sustainable opportunities, showing that science, education, and action can generate real impact on the planet.
A community that drives change
Being part of IMPAQTO’s community of changemakers is, for Francisco, a source of pride and hope:
“Being part of this community means joining people who believe that change begins with small actions. It motivates us to keep growing, to share what we’ve learned, and to continue showing that innovation can be born anywhere—even from a classroom in a small canton called Salcedo, among mountains and nature—when there is purpose and passion for life.”
Suelux is proof that transformation begins locally: from the land, from education, and from collaboration. At IMPAQTO, we continue supporting those who act for a regenerative future, demonstrating that climate innovation knows no borders.
