Academy, Cultural Heritage and Innovation in the Province of Azuay, Ecuador

In recent decades, studying the link between the institutional sector and civil community has taken on a major importance. In this context, the university has been playing an important role on identifying needs and possible solutions through its creative and innovative capacities. Based on the study of the adobe productive sector in two rural areas of the province of “Azuay” (“Sinincay and Susudel”) Ecuador, the present research analyses the territorial contributions that the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Cuenca has been generating in this artisanal sector. The current situation of the sector is described and contrasted by a model of articulation between the actors involved in order to coordinate efforts in the creation of sectorial and territorial value. Besides, this model might contribute to create competitive strategies on the production of “adobe” and to strength one of the sectors which support the cultural heritage preservation in the Andean Region.