Invest in Spain 2021

Icex-Invest in Spain, launches the yearly call of their 'Investment Program of foreign companies in R&D activities' with the main objective of promoting the development of new R&D activities by foreign capital companies that are already established or have plans to set up an R&D base in Spain.

The beneficiaries will be firms established in Spain or with plans to open up an R&D Centre/Unit in the country, that carry or pretend to carry R&D projects and whose foreign capital represents at least 10% of the shares, both hold directly or indirectly.

The projects subject to aid must be carried out between January 1 and December 31, 2022 in one or more Spanish regions. Geographical bias applies as only 7 regions are eligible, including Canary Island. As a matter of fact, the Canary Islands is the region with the highest allocation of funds (700,000 euros).

The amount of aid per beneficiary may amount to a global maximum of 200,000 euros (Minimis regime applies) and will cover a maximum percentage of the investment made.

In addition to targeting already established foreign capital companies with the ability to attract new R&D projects associated with their Spanish subsidiary, this call is aimed at attracting R&D projects from foreign capital companies that have not yet been registered in Spain. This flexibility is especially relevant in the Canary Islands, where the combination of this financing with other regional / island support instruments for R&D and with the ‘R&D tax credit’ (up to 75% of the eligible expenses), can automatically boost any R&D project that is developed in Gran Canaria.

The deadline for application submission November 12, through the Virtual Office of (ICEX). More information under https://www.investinspain.org/en/we-help-you/smart-technology-fund/previous-calls/call-2022


Gran Canaria attends the Offshore Technology Days (OTD) fair in Norway with a dedicated stand

Offshore Technology Days (OTD) took place October 19th to 21st in the Norwegian city of Stavanger, the global capital of offshore energies. The focus of the event was to present the current and future market situation, growth prospects and new technologies and services related to the offshore energy industries, through seminars, keynotes and meetings between companies.

The joint action is framed under the umbrella of the brand 'Best in Gran Canaria', and includes several institutions and entities members of the initiative, as well as Canary Islands companies that have joined the trip in commercial prospecting tasks. All of them, together with the SPEGC, are making use of the island's resources in Stavanger, including a stand in collaboration with the Norwegian Offshore Wind Cluster. Gran Canaria will thus be represented by public entities, research institutions & industrial cluster. This strategic has the support of the Norwegian counterpart in investment promotion and business innovation facilitation, Innovation Norway.

The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) participates in this event as a unique scientific infrastructure and global reference centre for blue talent, allowing for the realization celebration of disruptive R+D+i projects linked to energy and the marine-maritime sector.

On the other hand, the Canary Islands Marine-Maritime Cluster (CMC) has set itself the primary objective of promoting the internationalisation of Canary Islands companies and the global dimension of the different marine-maritime sub-sectors (port infrastructures and services, marine renewable energies and maritime transport).

The participation of 'Best in Gran Canaria' in OTD aims to raise awareness of the advantages associated with carrying out R&D&I projects in Gran Canaria, promote collaboration and partnership frameworks between the Canary Islands and Norwegian companies and entities, accelerate knowledge of the local ecosystem in global markets and consolidate the technological, research and investment relationship between Norway and its main partner in southern Europe, Gran Canaria.


Gran Canaria hosts the headquarters of a new international animation studio

The president of the Gran Canaria Island Council, Antonio Morales, has inaugurated this afternoon the first filial of the French animation studio Fortiche Production in the Canary Islands. The delegation will count on a team of around twenty professionals dedicated exclusively to the animation department.

The managing director of the Sociedad de Promoción Económica de Gran Canaria (SPEGC), Cosme García; as well as members of the initiatives 'Gran Canaria Film Commission' and 'Best in Gran Canaria', accompanied the president during the opening ceremony.

During the presentation, Morales, who thanked the management of Fortiche Production for choosing Gran Canaria as the island headquarters for their studio, emphasised the Council's commitment to the audiovisual industry. "The tax advantages in the Islands include different figures that are an incentive for the attraction of national and international companies and an incentive for the diversification of economic activity, which the Council has complemented with its own services and advisory and support programmes to provide a tailor-made solution before, during and after the landing of the company on the island," he said.

In this sense, Antonio Morales explained that for the coming 2022 the opening of new additional spaces is planned to meet the demand of the companies already located on the island and of the new ones that will be installed. "Our objective is to provide companies with all the necessary resources for them to choose Gran Canaria as their headquarters and, in this way, nourish our labour market with specialised professionals and make companies grow with them".

The SPEGC manager thanked the teams of the 'Gran Canaria Film Commission' and 'Best in Gran Canaria' initiatives for their efforts, as both initiatives work every day to promote the island and the Gran Canaria brand abroad, making investors, companies and entrepreneurs consider and value the island as a benchmark. "This work and effort is demonstrated on days like today, when we welcome new companies that strengthen the business fabric of the island," he added.

Fortiche Production is a Paris-based animation studio, created twelve years ago by Pascal Charrue, Jérôme Combe and Arnaud Delord. Since then, the company has refined a unique graphic style and a mix of 2D/3D media, to great acclaim in the animation industry. 


The SPEGC attends Fruit Attraction to promote the potential in biotechnology and new agriculture that Gran Canaria offers

The Economic Promotion Society of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria (SPEGC) is participating in a new edition of the International Fruit and Vegetable Trade Fair 'Fruit Attraction', which takes place from October 5 to 7 at Ifema Madrid, an event that will feature 1,287 exhibitors from 44 countries and buyers from 67 countries.

More specifically, the SPEGC is participating in the "Biotech Attraction'' pavilion with the objective of publicising the benefits and competitive advantages offered by the island for business development in the biotechnology sector and new technologies in the primary sector. As a result, the SPEGC delegation has closed an agenda of more than twenty meetings with companies and research centres in the sector.

Specialised support, advice on tax issues and facilities for developing actions linked to innovation are some of the advantages that the SPEGC will provide information on at the Fair, through the BIOASIS Gran Canaria and Best in Gran Canaria initiatives.

In addition, Gran Canaria has R&D infrastructures and capacities that satisfy the needs of the industry through a broad portfolio of specialised services in aquaculture, animal feed and algae biotechnology.