Editing Ecuador (section)

===Sciences and research===
[[File:NEE-01-PEGASO.jpg|left|thumb|[[Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency|EXA]]'s first satellite, [[NEE-01 Pegasus]]]]

Ecuador was placed in 96th position of innovation in technology in a 2013 [[World Economic Forum]] study.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131104000235/http://elcomercio.com/sociedad/Tecnologia-innovacion-emprendimiento-emprendedores-Ecuador-desarrollo-nuevasTecnologias_0_995900422.html Ecuador ocupa el puesto 96 en innovación tecnológica]. elcomercio.com. 19 September 2013</ref> Ecuador was ranked 105th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/|title=Global Innovation Index 2024. Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship|access-date=2024-10-22|author=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]]|year=2024|isbn=978-92-805-3681-2|doi= 10.34667/tind.50062|website=www.wipo.int|location=Geneva|page=18}}</ref> The most notable icons in Ecuadorian sciences are the mathematician and cartographer [[Pedro Vicente Maldonado]], born in Riobamba in 1707, and the printer, independence precursor, and medical pioneer [[Eugenio Espejo]], born in 1747 in Quito. Among other notable Ecuadorian scientists and engineers are Lieutenant Jose Rodriguez Labandera,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lavandera |first1=J.R. |date=27 December 2009 |url=http://m.expreso.ec/ediciones/2009/12/27/guayaquil/guayaquil/jose-rodriguez-lavandera--el-inventor/ |title=José rodríguez lavandera, el inventor |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510005403/http://m.expreso.ec/ediciones/2009/12/27/guayaquil/guayaquil/jose-rodriguez-lavandera--el-inventor/ |archive-date=10 May 2011 |website=expreso.ec }}</ref> a pioneer who built the first [[submarine]] in Latin America in 1837; [[:es:Reinaldo Espinosa Aguilar|Reinaldo Espinosa Aguilar]], a botanist and biologist of Andean flora; and [[:es:José Aurelio Dueñas|José Aurelio Dueñas]], a chemist and inventor of a method of textile serigraphy.

The major areas of scientific research in Ecuador have been in the medical fields, tropical and infectious diseases treatments, agricultural engineering, pharmaceutical research, and bioengineering. Being a small country and a consumer of foreign technology, Ecuador has favored research supported by entrepreneurship in information technology. The antivirus program ''Checkprogram'', banking protection system ''MdLock'', and Core Banking Software ''Cobis'' are products of Ecuadorian development.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eluniverso.com/2009/02/01/0217/220/3A2B9B57BD244019AC0760C8CBF7C0EB.html |title=Checkprogram press release |publisher=Eluniverso.com |access-date=24 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119052834/http://www.eluniverso.com/2009/02/01/0217/220/3A2B9B57BD244019AC0760C8CBF7C0EB.html |archive-date=19 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>