Bioasis Gran Canaria, an initiative to generate “blue” business

Gran Canaria is known internationally as one of the great centres for knowledge generation in aquaculture and blue biotechnology, partly owing to more than 30 years of research efforts and the magnificent climatic conditions for marine life the island affords us. Various species are already being produced commercially in Canary waters and there is, increasingly, a clear tendency to start cultivating ashore.

The Blue Biotechnology and Aquaculture Platform has been transformed into Bioasis Gran Canaria to establish it as promoter of blue biotechnology and aquaculture in Gran Canaria, via an important public inter-institutional collaboration with the participation of the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo) through its Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), the Canary Islands Technology Institute (ITC) and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), through the Spanish Algae Bank (BEA) and the Institute for Sustainable Aquaculture (IU-ECOAQUA).

Bioasis Gran Canaria aims to give firms in the industry facilities and access to a series of advantages whose absence remained up to now an obstacle to starting any activity in relation to farming of marine species. In addition to conventional farming of fish, molluscs and crustaceans, the Platform pays special attention to production and processing of microalgae which, through the extraction of its bioactive components, result in products with a high added value that can be used in different industries.

The initiative is aimed at all those entrepreneurs who have a viable project to add value and generate economy, whether for new food supplements, drugs, cosmetic products or simply farming of human consumption species such as shrimps, haliotis and abalone, including macro-algae and aquariology.

Bioasis can be considered a one-stop shop where advice is provided by more than 50 experts, putting knowledge into practice through agreements for the transfer of technology and thanks to the technical support of professionals. The Platform also acts as an information point for the legal framework applicable to the industry, as a point for internationalisation or simply to help with the search for support for drafting business plans, studying the economic-financial viability of the project or searching for funding.

One of the strong points of the Platform, via the infrastructure projects that are already ongoing, is the availability of spaces and equipment firms can use through the project incubation programmes. Thanks to a specific infrastructure plan, it is proposed to improve and develop already existing development centres and create new areas, all concentrated in the Southeast of Gran Canaria.

Within the activities of the ULPGC, new training programmes are intended in this field of knowledge, such as the new University Expert in Algae Biotechnology and the establishment of the Master in Marine Farming.

The Bioasis team hopes to see soon the first results of this initiative which opens up a window of opportunity and new business tendencies in Gran Canaria. This Platform, via a blue transition, will bring us closer to a sustainable future boosting the primary sector and diversifying the island’s economy. As the motto of the Applied Algology Group, of what was then the Polytechnic University of Gran Canaria, indicated already in 1985, “with sunshine and seawater more than just tourists can be cultivated”.


Over 160 professionals debate the offshore industry’s future challenges

Today, the president of the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo), Antonio Morales, opened the 2nd Oil & Gas Meeting Day, organised by the Stier Group under the heading “Embrace the future – Opportunities in Western Africa” which has turned Gran Canaria “into the meeting point for businesses that provide services to the offshore industry, where international, national and Canary firms have the chance to debate the challenges the industry must address with a view to the future”.

Subjects such as legislation, risk management, professionalisation of the industry and respect for the environment, have been the focus of debate at this rendezvous which gathered over 160 professionals from the petroleum and gas industry at the Canary Islands Exhibition Area.

Following the opening ceremony, the director of the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), Cosme García, who was accompanied by the director of the Agency in Las Palmas of the Canary Islands Special Zone, Alejandro Cañeque, and the manager of the Canary Islands Maritime Cluster, Elba Bueno, explained to the attendees the benefits of setting up their businesses in Gran Canaria. The tax advantages, the perfect work environment, the presence of qualified professionals and an excellent quality of life, are some of the arguments put forward by these institutions to convince attendees that Gran Canaria is the ideal place to establish their professional activities.

Organised by the Stier Group and the Norwegian firm Saga Subsea, the Oil & Gas Meeting Day was held in collaboration with organisations such as Proexca, the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), Ports of Las Palmas, the Gran Canaria Island Council, the Las Palmas Town Council, the Canary Islands Maritime Cluster and firms such as Albatros Marítimo, Hospital Perpetuo Socorro, AON, Canarship and Ateca.

The event was attended by members of various European and African governments, such as Mauritania, Equatorial Guinea and Cyprus, and numerous international firms in the petroleum and gas industry (oil companies, service providers, underwater services companies, universities, etc.).


Thirty professionals from Gran Canaria residing in Berlin met at the third 'Talento Gran Canaria' afterwork event

Thirty people from Gran Canaria who work in Germany participated yesterday in the first afterwork event organised by the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria, SPEGC, in the German capital to create synergies and make contact with the members of the 'Talento Gran Canaria' network.

After a first rendezvous held in Madrid at the end of 2016 and another one in London in November 2017, this third gathering of people from Gran Canaria took place in an art gallery in the centre of Berlin and was also attended by the president of the Island Council (Cabildo), Antonio Morales, and the Councillor for Tourism, Inés Jiménez, who showed great interest in the projects in which the members of the network in Berlin are involved.

Dácil Granados, for example, is a museum and tourist guide and writes in a blog called "Berlin Amateurs". Although she mainly works in Spanish she feels very comfortable in Berlin, where she already has a healthy group of friends and a job that she loves. This tourist guide from Gran Canaria who has been in the capital now for over 5 years said, "I would return without a doubt, but in a few years, like the Germans who retire and go to the Canary Islands".

After spending time in countries such as Italy, England, Brazil and Cape Verde, Vicente Romero decided to put down roots in Berlin, where he married and is now awaiting the birth of a daughter. Despite his youth, his extensive experience in various countries and his fluency in Portuguese have permitted him to work in online marketing at a German firm in which he manages accounts and clients in the Latin American market, especially Brazil.

These kinds of events allow him to "have contacts from Gran Canaria, which is always a good thing" and share experiences with professionals in the same industry.

Varying ages, different stories and divergent experiences... some of the members of the network arrived in Berlin to study or learn the language, others fleeing the economic crisis in Spain. Carmelo Molino arrived in Berlin for love and had to start from scratch since he did not know how to speak German. Thanks to the Association "Canary Islands in Berlin", he found the first cushion to deal with the disappointment and has now been in the city for 10 years, although "I would sign anywhere" to return to the island. This expert in Central and Eastern Europe with a degree in Slavic Studies says, "every time I go back I value the climate, the people and the sea more...the island is a luxury".

Despite their very different stories and experiences, all the attendees agreed that events such as the one held by the 'Talento Gran Canaria' network are beneficial in terms of meeting others and valuing the opportunities the island of Gran Canaria has to offer to develop professionally.
The network ‘Talento Gran Canaria’, which has recently reached 850 members across five continents, has a blog in which interviews and initiatives by professionals from Gran Canaria who reside outside the island are published, and its main means of communication is the social network LinkedIn.

In addition to these types of events taking place abroad, the SPEGC organises, within the framework of this network, the event ‘Uvas de Talento’, which gathers on the island expatriates from Gran Canaria who are visiting their families for the Christmas period.