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.
Over 200 young people and professionals from 7 countries will work on sustainable innovation over the weekend
Over 200 young people from 39 universities in seven different countries - among them university students, representatives from IT companies and professionals related to industry and research - will participate in the ‘Smart Green Island’ event hosted by the Communications Technology Demonstration Centre for Innovation in Tourism (CDTIC) this weekend.
Over the course of four intensive days, young people, businesses and professionals will work in teams to develop projects and prototypes related to electric cars, the 4.0 industry, smart houses and green energy, among other topics.
With the aim of training young talent and building bridges between countries, the German firm, ITQ, organises these kinds of events to develop high quality prototypes in a short space of time and in an optimum environment in which young talents work with cutting-edge technology and work together with innovation professionals.
The ‘Smart Green Island’ event is being held for the third time on the island with the purpose of answering the question of how digital technology and connected devices can help build a green and smart island.
In a four-day marathon young people will not only have the chance to work on their projects and create prototypes, but also to connect with professionals in the industry to whom they can present their projects and establish synergies for future collaboration. By building these prototypes, the event endeavours to demonstrate that smart technology can help connect people and solve the problems arising from climate change.
The Gran Canaria Island Council, the Canary Government and the ULPGC will invest 7 million Euros in blue biotechnology
The president of the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo), Antonio Morales, announced today that 7 million Euros will be invested in 2018 and 2019 to boost the blue economy on the island, via various lines of work to be developed within the framework of the Bioasis Gran Canaria initiative.
The funding of 4.5 million Euros that the Department for RD&I has committed to providing the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, through an agreement that will soon be signed to develop activities related to the blue economy, includes a 1.5 million Euro allocation over two years for infrastructure and equipment linked to the facilities of the Ecoaqua University Institute, the Canary Islands Technology Institute and the Spanish Algae Bank.
In addition to the 4.5 million Euros, the island will benefit from an investment of 2.5 million Euros from the Canary Government's Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society for the experimental area of Arinaga. Specifically, the aim of Bioasis Gran Canaria will be to redevelop this area which will focus on the cultivation and production of microalgae and aquaculture.
The Corporation for Economic Development of the Cabildo is, moreover, processing a request for a further 1.3 million Euros for a high-tech incubator, a space to simulate on a small scale various proposals that could later be transferred to a business environment.
Other lines of funding are geared towards defining tools for business funding and grants, exploitation of the island's marine resources in cooperation with its public research bodies , hiring young researchers and supporting specialised training.
The Councillor for RD&I of the Cabildo, Raúl García Brink, explained that taken together, these activities are aimed at raising around 60 million Euros of private investment in the next three years, business projects that are being analysed and which "are of the greatest importance" for the island.
The Cabildo, the Canary Government and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - organisations which make up the Blue Biotechnology and Aquaculture Platform (Bioasis Gran Canaria) through the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), the Canary Technology Institute, the Spanish Algae Bank and the Ecoaqua University Institute, are thus laying the foundations for the development of this industry under the new brand "Bioasis Gran Canaria", which was presented this morning with the Regional Councillor for Economy, Pedro Ortega, and the dean of the University, Rafael Robaina.
A platform open to the future
With the aim of boosting the blue economy and marine biotechnology through microalgae the Platform was established in July 2016 with a Protocol of Action which, in its Steering Committee this morning, was broadened to incorporate aquaculture as a sphere of action and the Ecoaqua University Institute. Furthermore, the new name of the Platform, "Bioasis Gran Canaria", with a new corporate identity brand, has been approved.
The Steering Committee also established the regulatory framework within which Bioasis Gran Canaria will carry out its work and within which special relevance will be attached to the Regional Management Plan for Aquaculture in the Canary Islands, to be approved in the coming weeks, and the Gran Canaria Island Management Plan, which will increase the area available for this activity twenty-sevenfold, from 3,400 to 90,000 hectares and is, according to the President, "a very significant increase allowing investment projects linked to this field to be rolled out".
Throughout the coming year, Bioasis Gran Canaria will implement a plan for promotional activities and internationalisation to consolidate Gran Canaria as a benchmark for experimentation in the fields of blue biotechnology and aquaculture and "attracting investment and investors to the island".
The Stier Group organises the second 'Oil & Gas Meeting Day' in Gran Canaria
The second Oil & Gas Meeting Day in the Canaries will take place on 22nd and 23rd March, and is organised by the Stier Group and Saga Subsea under the umbrella of Best in Gran Canaria and with the collaboration of the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council, Proexca, the Canary Islands Shipping Cluster, the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) and Ports of Las Palmas.
The second Oil & Gas Meeting Day in the Canaries is a unique chance to discuss key aspects that will determine the future of this industry in the Canary Islands. The Canaries are a crossroads between Europe, Africa and America and, in addition to their privileged geostrategic location, offer international businesses European-level technology, legal, social and health services, aspects demanded by large companies in the industry when choosing a specific place to carry out their maintenance, repairs, prospecting, production and distribution operations.
The event will bring together authorities from West Africa and Europe, where the main explorations are taking place, and representatives of the Norwegian O&G market, national and international authorities and Spanish businesses to create jobs, synergies and activities.
The main theme, ‘Embracing The Future – West Africa Opportunities’, will provide an opportunity to interchange viewpoints and experiences among industries - to share everything that businesses, associations and institutions are doing with a view to the future and bring to those attending the opportunities for innovation within the O&G industry.
This event hosts prominent speakers in the industry such as the geologist and expert, considered father of the O&G industry in Norway, Farouk Al-Kasim, and Tore Gautessen, from Karmsund Port, who will talk about crucial aspects in the future of O&G, LNG and mineral mining, analysing trends and the progress that is being made in each country and field.
The first edition of this event took place in March 2017 and drew 96 high-level representatives from 22 countries, becoming a crucial meeting point for the industry.
The SPEGC publishes a support guide for foreign professionals who wish to establish themselves in Gran Canaria
The Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo), through the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), published a "soft landing" guide for foreign professionals and businesses who wish to settle on the island.
The guide, published in English and in digital form under the umbrella of the 'Best in Gran Canaria' initiative, focuses on two aspects: on the one hand it seeks to provide these professionals with all the information they may need to set up their professional activity on the island and, on the other, to present to them all the benefits Gran Canaria offers to make life truly enjoyable.
The handbook includes relevant information regarding connectivity, communications and the advantages available to professionals as well as useful information about how to apply for a residence permit, how to look for work, banks with experience in dealing with expatriates, etc.
The guide also gives answers to questions about setting up a business in Gran Canaria, including basic information about taxes and tax concessions, how to make the most of the talent on the island and a list of organisations which, like the SPEGC, assist professionals with the process of establishing themselves in Gran Canaria.
Moreover, the guide has a section for digital nomads and remote workers who, due to their working conditions, have special needs such as locating work spaces and a good internet connection.
Professionals who wish to reside in Gran Canaria with their family, will also find useful information, such as a list of foreign-language schools and details about health care.
The 2018 call for the granting of aid from the 'Investment Programme of foreign businesses in R&D activities' has been published
ICEX-Invest in Spain announced the 'Investment Programme of foreign businesses in R&D activities' to promote the development of new R&D by foreign capital businesses already established, or looking to set up business in Spain.
The beneficiaries will be firms with foreign capital which have a minimum 10% share in their foreign direct investment (FDI) and carry out activities covered by the aid in one or several of the following Autonomous Regions: Extremadura, the Canary Islands, Castilla la Mancha, Murcia and Galicia.
Funding is possible for R&D projects aimed at foreign capital firms that have not yet set up business and wish to set up an R&D centre in Spain, and R&D projects aimed at established foreign capital businesses, provided they attract new corporate R&D projects to the branch that is established in Spain.
The aid per beneficiary may come to an overall maximum of 200,000 Euros during any period of three consecutive fiscal years and will be a percentage of the investment made.
Applications must be made via ICEX's virtual office by 26th February 2018.
Further information: http://bit.ly/2zDlQiQ
Gran Canaria's talent meets at the second Christmas event 'Uvas de talento'
Today the president of the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo), Antonio Morales, welcomed the 70 participants of the second 'Uvas de Talento' gathering, the rendezvous that gathers professionals from the island who work abroad to encourage them to exchange experiences, contacts and synergies.
The event, held at the premises of the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), was aimed at members of the 'Gran Canaria Talent' network which already includes almost 800 professional people, most of whom are young ones who emigrated to receive training or out of necessity and who eventually found strategic jobs and are now connected via this network driven by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria through the SPEGC.
At the second edition of 'Uvas de talento', which also included business and professional people who work in Gran Canaria, there were two round-table debates moderated by the journalist from Gran Canaria, Nicolás Castellano. Their purpose was to promote opinions on "Round-trip talent" and they had input from Jaime López, executive director at Theam.io, Diego López, vicepresident of SWF Coverage at PwC (New York), José Julio Artiles, executive director of Satocan (Gran Canaria) and Néstor Rodríguez, managing director of Atrineao (Germany).
Participants in the second round table analysed the opportunities in Gran Canaria to attract investors and businesses with Germán Suárez, executive director at Astican (Gran Canaria), Pritesh Hiralal, cofounder of Zinergy (UK), Ida Stier, executive director of Grupo Stier (Gran Canaria) and Daniel Barman, in charge of Business Development at Grenergy Renovables (Chile).
This long-awaited event is celebrated at Christmas because this is when most members coincide on the island, although the SPEGC also organised the first meeting for people from Gran Canaria in Madrid in November 2016 and the first after-work session in London in March 2017.
Many of the talents said that this network has helped them start collaboration with businesses established abroad and has spurred contact to resolve doubts and exchange experiences between islanders who reside in the same city or continent.
Best in Gran Canaria welcomes six large Chinese companies looking into setting up in the Arinaga Free Zone
The president of the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo), Antonio Morales, and representatives of the Best in Gran Canaria initiative, driven by the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria, welcomed a delegation of Chinese companies who are in Gran Canaria to study the possibility of setting up a large centre on the island for the distribution of products to Africa and marketing local agro-food products in China.
The six Asian companies that participated in the visit showed interest in Gran Canaria, on account of its ideal strategic location, tax benefits, services offered at the Arinaga Free Zone, good connectivity and other advantages Gran Canaria offers, which were outlined at an event with representatives of Best in Gran Canaria.
The Chinese delegation was led by representatives of the Juerui Group, a trade platform with its headquarters in Shanghai that imports agro-food products from Spain into China and which already operates in Madrid, Murcia and Navarra. Kumming Food Service, Guangdong Yingmei, Shanghai Industrial, Wuhan Airport Bonded Zone and China Ocean Shipping are the other five companies that formed part of this trade mission.
The Councillor for Economic Development of the Cabildo, Raúl García Brink, explained that this project represents a "unique opportunity" to turn the islands into a "logistics and trade distribution centre to attract more Chinese companies".
New generations will now be able to go to bed along with 'Familia Telerín’
‘Familia Telerín’ (the 'Telerín Family') returns 50 years on with the new 3D series 'Cleo&Cuquin'. The series, aimed at children between the ages of four and five, has 52 episodes and was produced by Ánima Kitchent at its facilities in Madrid and Gran Canaria.
The series was presented today at the TIC Demonstration Centre for Tourist Innovation. Ánima Kitchent wanted to present 'Cleo&Cuquin' in Gran Canaria to thank the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo), the Gran Canaria Film Commission and the SPEGC (the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria) for its contribution in making this project a reality.
"They first told us about the fiscal incentives, but it was the willingness to work we found in Gran Canaria, and the facilities to establish ourselves and start up within a month that made us come here and what will make us stay", explained Víctor López, executive director of the production company Ánima Kitchent, who did not hide his enthusiasm about the potential for expansion on the island.
‘Cleo&Cuquin’ saw the light of day after two years of work carried out by one hundred professionals. Out of the 52 professionals who worked from Gran Canaria, twelve of them were students who trained on the 3D animation course organised by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, through the SPEGC and the Mapfre Guanarteme Foundation.
The series is promising, since the music videos alone, launched on Youtube last year, have had over 700 million hits and 1.6 million subscribers, and has become a long-awaited launch which will finally reach millions of children around the world.
Moreover, the international production company, Ánima Kitchent, took advantage of the launch of 'Cleo&Cuquin' to announce that it has closed a deal with the writer, Elsa Punset, to produce a series based on its collection 'Los Atrevidos', a project that will be carried out at the facilities of the Cabildo of Gran Canaia. The collection, which is about emotional intelligence, is aimed at children, and will also be coproduced by Televisión Española.