Novia UAS explores new international partnerships for conservation

14.8.2026
News
Note 2. Photo 1

Science, conservation, and sustainable futures

In June 2026, Jorge Gomez-Paredes, who leads energy transition research within Novia UAS's Bioeconomy RDI activities, held working meetings with the leadership of Corporación Grupo Randi Randi (CGRR), an Ecuadorian non-profit organisation dedicated to ecosystem and biodiversity conservation, community-based sustainable development, participatory watershed management, local climate change adaptation, and natural resource management in Ecuador.

Founded in 2000, CGRR has more than two decades of experience working with local communities, public institutions, and research organisations. The organisation's name, Randi Randi, comes from the Kichwa language and means "giving and giving", reflecting the principles of reciprocity, exchange, and mutual support that underpin its work.

The discussions focused on potential areas of collaboration related to the environmental dimensions of Europe’s energy transition and their implications for biodiversity-rich regions such as the Tropical Andes, one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots. Particular attention was given to opportunities to combine Novia UAS’ research expertise, analytical frameworks, and modelling capacities with CGRR’s experience, geospatial analysis tools, and strong engagement with local communities and stakeholders.

The meeting laid the groundwork for future joint research and innovation projects exploring the links between climate action in the Global North and biodiversity protection, natural resource governance, and sustainable development in the Global South.  

By connecting expertise from Northern Europe and the Tropical Andes, both organisations identified promising opportunities for cooperation at the interface of science, sustainability, and conservation. The exchange reflects Novia UAS’s ambition to expand its international research networks and foster collaborations that contribute to innovative responses to global environmental and sustainability challenges.  

Photo: Jorge Gomez-Paredes together with Carla Valdospinos, President of Corporación Grupo Randi Randi (right) and María Gabriela Ramón, Geographic Information Systems Specialist (centre), during a meeting in Quito, Ecuador. 

For more information contact