'Best in Gran Canaria' participates in Oceans 2021 conference
'Best in Gran Canaria' participates in the business meetings that, as part of the Oceans 2021 conference, will take place on 29 and 30 September in hybrid format from the cities of San Diego (United States) and Porto (Portugal).
This event brings together professionals in the field of ocean sciences, in the areas of maritime innovation, engineering, science, research and education, to share projects and research focused on artificial intelligence in ocean science and technology, ocean instrumentation and sensors, maritime policy, meteorology and oceanography.
That is why 'Best in Gran Canaria' will be attending these meetings to present the different economic and fiscal instruments that can promote the development of these projects from Gran Canaria: tax deductions; financing options and present the island as a base for testing products or the experience of entities such as PLOCAN and the different research and innovation institutes.
In addition to this offer, the SPEGC and other entities offer support to this kind of projects, seeking the most appropriate alternatives in terms of taxation and financing for each project.
Best in Gran Canaria attends virtual meetings during the DPW conference
The Economic Promotion Society of Gran Canaria, through the 'Best in Gran Canaria' initiative, attends the Digital Procurement World (DPW) conference, which brought together the main digital procurement agents on September 16th and 17th. This conference, which usually takes place in the city of Amsterdam, was held this year in virtual format.
This event is an opportunity to expand knowledge about the digital operation of Shared Services Centres and the Business Process Outsourcing sector, most specifically service-providers and users involved in the core purchasing activities. Equally, ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ has profited from engaging with leading start-ups involved in the development of technological/digital solutions for the sector.
They have been exposed to the economic and tax advantages of operating from Gran Canaria, highlighting two potential opportunities: as a near-shore base for procurement units, on one hand, and as tech base for testing and developing digital solutions that seek to raise new capabilities to strategic buyers and to help in the automatization process of recurring transactional tasks.
Thus, ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ will continue during this month professional meetings with the start-ups present in this edition will be held, in order to introduce these advantages and the fact that Gran Canaria, through SPEGC and other local entities, can become the key support-partner for these initiatives to take off.
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ reinforces technical documents, guides and information tools
The Agency for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) and 'Best in Gran Canaria' continue with their firm commitment to keeping businesses and entrepreneurs constantly updated on the advantages of setting up operations in Gran Canaria and the most suitable formulas to take advantage of this unique destination, which is probably the most attractive investment option in Europe.
Over the last three months, ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ has been updating its technical resources for informative and commercial actions, in particular to provide updated economic and business information of interest, along with practical information to facilitate the process of family relocation.
The following digital resources have been partially or totally renewed to improve the user experience for enquiries regarding Gran Canaria:
- ‘Moving to Gran Canaria: the complete relocation guide'
- ‘Tax Guide: Know the tax advantages to operate from Gran Canaria'
- ‘Leaflet: Explore R&D activities in Gran Canaria (Tax Credit)'
- ‘Best in Gran Canaria Brochure’
‘Moving to Gran Canaria: the complete relocation guide' is a novel proposal in Spain and represents a new formula of 360º relocation assistance. It grows around a carefully-thought 'Reading Guide' for short and long stays which describes the recommended flow of procedural tasks before, during and after the arrival in Gran Canaria (visas, obtaining identity documents, taxes, etc.). This guide also offers advice and solutions to issues that families may encounter when moving to the island (areas to live, housing, schools, health matters, transport, etc.).
Complete information on the local regulatory and tax framework is set out in the 'Tax Guide: Know the tax advantages to operate from Gran Canaria'. This document constitutes a valuable reference for decision-makers, particularly those in financial and operational roles. It also covers all the key aspects of the local corporate tax framework and in particular the ‘Canary Islands Special Economic and Tax Regime’ (REF), as well as important matters such as the concept of tax residence, personal income tax and the applicable regime for social security contributions. It is never too late to resolve your doubts with the help of the 'Best in Gran Canaria' Tax Guide!
A new specific digital resource has also been developed as a spin-off of the Tax Guide. The leaflet: ‘Explore R&D activities in Gran Canaria (Tax Credit) outlines the technical details of the tax incentives for R&D and innovation activities. It is well known that the Canary Islands is a European leader for R&D tax incentives, offering tax deductions covering up to 75% of R&D expenditure which can be monetised or paid in advance to promoters in various ways. This new guide now provides Gran Canaria’s regular clients with greater clarity in this area.
Finally, updates have also been made to the 'Best in Gran Canaria’ brochure, a document that summarizes the very best of the island’s essential attributes, helping all the ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ members to actively raise awareness and engagement among their prospective clients.
In addition to new resources currently being developed, SPEGC is committed to constant updating of all its resources and invites the entire business community to suggest and propose improvements to them through ‘Best in Gran Canaria’.
SPEGC also offers the ‘Business Support Service’ (SAE), whose aim is the resolution of specific queries that are not adequately addressed in the general text of the guides (form in Spanish though we guarantee queries to be responded in English). We take this opportunity to invite interested companies and professionals to raise any specific questions they may have regarding their projects through SAE or directly to ‘Best in Gran Canaria’.
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ establishes new business links in Iceland
The Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria, member of the ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ initiative, is organising and leading a direct trade mission to Iceland as part of the island’s ‘International Promotion Plan’, co-financed by Cabildo de Gran Canaria.
This action, taking place from September 4th to 8th, proves the public commitment to the internationalisation of the island’s business ecosystem, yet also the many opportunities that arise on Gran Canaria for foreign direct investment. 8 local companies partake in the business trip.
The Sociedad de Promoción Económica de Gran Canaria (SPEGC, Economic Promotion Company of Gran Canaria) and the ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ initiative, this time represented by the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Services and Shipping of Gran Canaria, have re-commenced in-person trade missions with a joint public & private visit to Iceland. The aim is to promote business opportunities between firms and organisations in both areas and to spread awareness of expanding investment opportunities in Gran Canaria for Icelandic firms irrespective of the type of company and sector.
The SPEGC chose Iceland as the country to restart this type of meetings due to a strategic decision based on recent success stories and shared bilateral interests. Both Iceland and Gran Canaria are committed to ecological and digital transition; they have similar economies with a broad scope for collaboration in developing technological solutions, start-ups and audiovisual products, as well as in consolidating maritime and tourism relationships. In fact, Gran Canaria has had long-standing ties with Iceland as a result of its major economic drivers, the port and fishing industry and the tourism sector.
The financial year 2020 saw some positive news in the form of Icelandic investments in Gran Canaria in sectors as diverse as product design and digital animation. Now 2021/2022 looks much more promising for the Canary Islands due to the favourable economic situation, the recovery of tourism and the other advantages Icelandic firms can find on the island (location, tax regulations, cost of living, IT talent, etc.).
As a ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ member, the Chamber of Commerce is acting as a representative of the island’s organisations on this trade mission—arranged together with other institutions (Canarian Government and the Consulate of Iceland in the Canary Islands). The Chamber of Commerce is duly acting as organizer, technical leader and promoter of the island using resources prepared by SPEGC/‘Best in Gran Canaria’, such as the successful Tax Guide 2021 and the Relocation Guide to Gran Canaria.