The capital of Gran Canaria will host the Canary Islands Digital Laboratory of the Future
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will host the Canary Islands Digital Laboratory of the Future, thanks to a 200,000 Euro grant awarded to the London School of Economics Enterprise by the Government of the Canary Islands, and to the support of the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo) through the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) and the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council.
The main mission of this Laboratory will be to identify, pilot and put into practice intelligent solutions in the digital domain for the islands, in cooperation with partners and local and international suppliers.
In that regard, the grant is aimed at funding part of its creation and launch, within the framework of the Operating Strategy for Internationalisation of the Canary Economy, the main objectives of which are attracting investment to the Canary Islands in the digital sphere, cooperation in the creation of a Canary digital agenda and promoting internationally the "Canary Islands" brand within digital innovation.
Through this grant, the London School of Economics, one of the world's most prestigious centres for business, applied research and personalised programmes, will incentivise the creation of skilled jobs and economic activity.
Although the headquarters of this Canary Islands Digital Laboratory of the Future will be established in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the activities of this strategic project will cover the entire archipelago.
Over 500 researchers debate in Gran Canaria about aquaculture as an alternative to food supply for the future
Over 500 researchers from 43 countries are participating this week in the International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding being held in Gran Canaria to study the role of aquaculture in the future of food for human consumption. The fact it is being held in Gran Canaria "confirms the commitment and work carried out by the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo) in this field", according to the President of the Cabildo, who highlighted that in the Canary Islands alone there is currently only 10% of the fish that existed 50 years ago, "so we have to find alternatives".
The world population is increasing year by year, threatening to exceed 7.5 billion people in 2020 and, at the same time, marine resources are becoming increasingly scarce, so the need to produce alternative foods is on the rise in a future in which aquaculture will play a crucial role in guaranteeing the production of aquatic species.
The director of the ECOAQUA Institute at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and organiser of this conference, Marisol Izquierdo, confirmed that aquaculture "is probably the fastest growing food production industry today", as it is currently producing 50% of the fish for human consumption globally, at just over 110 million tonnes.
In this respect, the conference launched this morning falls within the strategy of the Cabildoof diversifying the island's economy, one of the pillars of which is the blue biotechnology being developed by this institution through the Bioasis initiative, the Blue Biotechnology Platform and Aquaculture. Bioasis, which in addition to the Cabildo,has the participation of the Government of the Canary Islands and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands Technology Institute, the Ecoaqua University Institute and the Spanish Algae Bank, "defends blue biotechnology as a proposal for the future for the island", the president explained.
Bioasis Gran Canaria will be present at this conference organised by the Aquaculture Research Group from the ECOAQUA Institute and the ISFNF Scientific Committee, to show Gran Canaria to the international experts, "as one of the places in Europe with the best environmental, research and business conditions to develop aquaculture and biotechnology", according to Antonio Morales.
This forum, held biannually for the last 40 years and which is being held on the island for the second time, is a meeting point for researchers currently working in the production of high quality aquatic food for the consumer, to whom it will reveal the latest developments in the industry. The programme with 100 presentations, 300 posters and various conferences and lectures, will go into detail about the raw materials used in the fish and crustacean aquaculture diets, the intersection between genetics and nutrition and the practical applications of nutrition research.
Those attending ‘Cartoon Business’ will learn about the opportunities Gran Canaria offers the animation sector
Gran Canaria is committed to the audiovisual industry and, if proof of this were needed, it is the opening of 'Cartoon Business' today, an international event of reference in the animation business taking place on the island for the first time, and which will give the 130 persons registered the chance to learn about the opportunities Gran Canaria offers the animation sector.
The pleasant climate, tax incentives, equipment and infrastructure, are just some of the conditions that enable Gran Canaria to keep its firm commitment to film and animation as a way of diversifying the island's economy.
The event will address, over the course of 16 sessions, topics such as the new funding models that have emerged as a result of the changes in the distribution and production markets for the animation sector, and it will do so under the guidance of companies such as Youtube, Technicolor, the BBC, Radio Televisión Española, Lightbox Animation Studios and the publisher de Agostini.
The fact that 130 participants have attended is proof "that European producers are interested in coming here", said the training director at Cartoon, Yolanda Alonso.
This was the case with Ánima, one of the companies that participated in the eventand which has been developing projects from the facilities of the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) for the last two years with the aim of staying in the island "for a long time to come", according to the company's international sales and co-productions director, Miguel Aldasoro.
‘Cartoon Business’ is currently being held in Gran Canaria as part of the strategy to create a powerful audiovisual industry on the island and turn it into a European benchmark. The event brings the entire animation industry together, from buyers to producers and animators, and therefore becomes a high-level meeting point which this year will focus on licenses, goods and derived products.
Gran Canaria hosts the ‘Cartoon Business’ with 120 persons from 23 countries registered
Over 120 animation professionals from 23 countries have already registered to participate in ‘Cartoon Business’, an international event for the animation industry which has been held in the past in Ireland and the Netherlands and which will take place in Gran Canaria from 7th to 9th May.
‘Cartoon Business’ is a high profile seminar of great interest for attracting production companies who are involved in animation work and where the advantages of working in Gran Canaria can be explained.
Hosting this event in Gran Canaria is important both for the number persons registered as well as for the quality of the speakers, who represent companies such as Youtube, Technicolor, the BBC, Radio Televisión Española, Lightbox Animation Studios and the publisher, Agostini, among others.
The event, which this year focuses on licenses, goods and derived products, will address over 16 sessions subjects such as the new funding models that have emerged due to changes in the distribution and production markets in the animation industry.
Over the 3-day event at Cicca (Caja de Canarias Centre for Initiatives) professionals will be able to share their experiences to help animation companies incorporate new sources of revenue and develop new business models.
Investors, production companies for small and large businesses working with content aimed at children, specialists in funding and "new" partners in animation such as toymakers or book publishers, will participate in lectures, debates and presentations about successful cases which will help in managing budgets and improving the implementation of projects.
New web portal with research from the ULPGC: ULPGC Research
For the research being carried out at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), a new web portal now exists, research.ulpgc.es, the aim of which is to concentrate all the information generated as far as Research, Innovation and Transfer are concerned, with a two-fold objective:
• to promote the research and innovation work carried out on a daily basis at the ULPGC, providing students, lecturers and research staff with information concerning the resources at their disposal
• informing society about the knowledge generated at the ULPGC, so that any person with an interest can have access to the information and contacts needed for a real transfer of the knowledge generated every day at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
This new portal was set in motion by the Vice-Rector's Office for Research, Innovation and Transfer, run by the Vice Rector, José Pablo Suárez Rivero, in the interest of institutional transparency and dissemination of the scientific culture, but also as a meeting point for researchers and a benchmark for those involved and interested in research by the ULPGC.
This portal has information about research figures, action plans, current projects, regulations, public notices, news and scientific culture, among others, and also has a YouTube video channel in which highly respected researchers who visit the ULPGC and research groups from the university itself explain what they do, in a language aimed at a broad audience. It also has a Twitter account, @ulpgcresearch, and a Facebook page.
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.
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.
Best in Gran Canaria and the Canary Island Special Zone at the Nutraceuticals Europe event
Representatives of Best in Gran Canaria and the Canary Island Special Zone (ZEC) attended the second edition of the Nutraceuticals Europe – Summit & Expo 2018, the global event for novel and functional ingredients held in Madrid.
Nutraceuticals Europe combines trend analysis, scientific innovation and training via top-level and internationally renowned speakers. Furthermore, the event encourages contacts between businesses, boosting development of business activities among various profiles.
Through the stand shared by Best in Gran Canaria and the ZEC the advantages of developing a business in Gran Canaria were presented to the main firms in the industry, not just on account of its unparalleled fiscal and investment advantages, but also because of its strong appeal for doing business, working and enjoying life.