Gran Canaria sells itself to the American Film Market
The American Film Market is one of the major global events in the film industry. Producers, distributors and thousands of professionals attend this annual fair to hold meetings, conferences, round tables and events in which to buy and sell audiovisual productions.
The 38th edition of the American Film Market had in excess of 7,000 professionals from the industry from 80 countries, over 1,000 content producers and 400 distributors. One of the highlights this year was the section 'LocationEXPO', a meeting and business space aimed mainly at Film Commissions, which facilitated interaction between producers and Film Commissioners.
The Gran Canaria Film Commission participated in this edition on its own at ICEX's "Audiovisual from Spain" pavilion, where it promoted the advantages of filming on the island using new promotional material, and held around 20 meetings with international producers. The delegation from Gran Canaria was also able to learn about the latest trends of the international industry through conferences and networking meetings with the industry's main players.
Each year more and more international producers are interested in the variety of locations offered in Gran Canaria, its pleasant climate, its safety as a destination and the list of companies that offer production services prepared to fulfil any requirement set by the producers. The American Film Market is a unique showcase for Gran Canaria and a way of connecting with all the professionals in the industry who come together in the US film capital, Los Angeles.
Talents from Gran Canaria exchange ideas and experiences in London
Around thirty young people from Gran Canaria who work in the United Kingdom participated yesterday at the first 'after-work' event organised by the SPEGC in the British capital to create synergies and make contacts among the members of the Talento Gran Canaria network who live in London.
Attendees were surprised that there were "so many people from the island" in London and did not stop sharing and exchanging business cards, contacts and ideas. The event was also attended by the president of the Island Council (Cabildo), Antonio Morales, and the Councillor for Tourism, Inés Jiménez, who offered every facility to these young entrepreneurs to develop their ideas in London and Gran Canaria, given the importance of opportunities for redirecting such talent towards Gran Canaria, whether of islanders or not, thanks to the advantages the island has to offer.
Most of the Canarians who attended the event arrived in London looking for new challenges and attracted by the possibility of discovering new cultures. They were all grateful for the event, as it allowed participants to get to know each other and exchange professional advice and common experiences. So much so, that most agreed to organise another meet-up during the year to repeat the experience. In any case, they were invited to the next meeting of the SPEGC which will be held in Gran Canaria this Christmas, at the Uvas de Talento event.
Talento Gran Canaria, which already has over 750 members across the five continents, works via Linkedin and its aim is to unite people from Gran Canaria who work abroad so that they can meet each other and support Gran Canaria abroad.
The network was created barely a year ago and of note among its activities are meetings that are held taking advantage of dates such as Christmas or this Tourism event in London. The first Uvas de talento event was already held in Gran Canaria last December and another successful 'after-work' event took place in Madrid.
Representatives of a number of American businesses get to know Gran Canaria
Representatives of a number of American firms in the renewable energy industry spent the day getting to know Gran Canaria with the aim of placing the Canary Islands as a meeting point and strategic business hub with Africa. Proexca and Best in Gran Canaria were the coordinators.
During the course of the morning various presentations were given by Best in Gran Canaria, the Island Council for Energy and the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC), offering direct information about investment opportunities and setting up business on the island as a business base, all within the framework of the Information and Communications Technology Demonstration Centre for Innovation in Tourism, CDTIC,.
The representatives of the American businesses were also able to meet local business people.
Gran Canaria stands out at the World Aquaculture Conference in Ecuador for its potential as a testbed
Gran Canaria stood out as a testbed at the World Aquaculture Conference held in Ecuador - a country which invoices 2 billion Euros per year in this sector - thanks to its potential as a testbed for the aquaculture and marine biotechnology industries.
The commercial expedition that travelled to Guayaquil, in Ecuador, was led by the Councillor for Economic Development of the Island Council (Cabildo) of Gran Canaria, Raúl García Brink, who was accompanied by representatives of the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) and of the Primary Sector and Food Sovereignty Office of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, by a technician from the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC) and a director from the firm Langostino Real based in the town of Ingenio.
The Cabildo organised a day session to reveal the business opportunities Gran Canaria offers to the aquaculture and marine biotechnology industries, which was attended by representatives of the leading companies in the industry. The expedition from Gran Canaria also learnt about the work carried out at the prawn nurseries run by Biogemar, which signed an agreement with the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to share knowledge and technology to genetically improve larvae.
During the visit, García Brink, announced that the Cabildo of Gran Canaria is considering the possibility of starting an R&D&I project with companies from Gran Canaria and Ecuador, which would have the collaboration of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and would help "boost the rearing of larvae and supplying the emerging European market".
Some Ecuadorean companies in the prawn industry stated that they do not rule out diversifying their activities within the territory of the European Union, "focused on the production of a distinct product and with a high added value as is the case with fresh prawn", added the Councillor.
Gran Canaria is promoting itself as a marine biotechnology business platform in Canada
A delegation from Gran Canaria of representatives of the Island Council's Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) and the Spanish Algae Bank (BEA) attended the Biomarine Convention in Canada to promote Gran Canaria as a marine biotechnology business platform.
Under the umbrella of the brand 'Best in Gran Canaria', the delegation was able to contact over twenty companies to share information about the attractions of the island for companies to set up business there, such as its tax benefits, climate, air connectivity and its proximity to Africa, which sparked the interest of international investors due to the infrastructure and business and research potential the island offers.
Gran Canaria is known as a centre for scientific institutions such as the Spanish Algae Bank, the Canary Islands Technological Institute and the Ecoaqua University Institute, which are an international benchmark for the algae biotechnology sector. The Spanish Algae Bank located in Telde, has a collection of over 1,600 strains from the macaronesic region and participates in research projects such as Rebeca from the Interreg-Mac Europe Meeting, which endeavours to showcase these strains and identify the potential of its compounds for the market.
The delegation from Gran Canaria, the only one representing Spain in this event, held a meeting with the minister in charge of implementing maritime strategy, Jean D'Amour, who outlined a € 1.5 billion investment in the coming years to create 22,000 jobs in the blue economy.
Moreover, contact was made with representatives of the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Union, responsible for the Atlantic Action Plan, who pointed out that the so-called 'blue growth' stands out as a priority area to opt for funded R&D projects.
An opportunity for agreements and business
The main organiser of Biomarine 2017, Pierre Erwes, highlighted his support for Gran Canaria in the bioeconomy sector, and placed the island as "one of the hot spots to generate important projects”.
Biomarine gathered, in its 4th edition, 400 participants among which were investors, entrepreneurs and scientists with links to the marine biotechnology industry, who analysed the industry's main trends, and held working and business meetings with participants.
Most of the businesses that registered engage in the extraction of bioactive compounds, from macro and microalgae, the applications of which are of interest for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and human and animal nutrition industries, although they also have other applications such as natural pigments for the textile industry.
The Nomad City puts Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the ‘top ten’ of the Nomad List
Over 200 digital nomads and remote workers from over 30 countries met in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at the Nomad City, an event which has managed to place the capital of Gran Canaria in the 'top ten' of the Nomad List, an international ranking of ideal cities for these types of workers.
The ‘Nomad List’ collects specific data from each city, such as internet speed, safety, access to culture or leisure and weather. In this context, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with a score of 4.8 out of 5, ranks 6th out of hundreds of destinations analysed, thanks to its healthcare system, the possibility of touring the city by foot and road safety. The list also highlights its safety, internet speed, freedom of expression and quality of life, among other factors.
The Nomad City gathered over 200 digital nomads in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria between 18th and 24th September with the aim of turning the island into a leading work centre for remote workers.
The organisers of the project, who had the backing of the Island Council (Cabildo de Gran Canaria), through the Tourist Board and the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), and the Town Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, stressed the importance of this event to attract professionals and companies from different business areas and countries, taking advantage of the fact that the island has appropriate infrastructures and facilities, services which are of a European standard, excellent connectivity and great quality of life.
In addition to the training workshops, during the event participants were able to learn about the opportunities and advantages the island has to offer for startups and remote workers or digital nomads, as well as its particular tax features and financial support which they can benefit from in the Canary Islands, its suitability as an environment to develop business and its connectivity with Europe, African and America.
The Toronto Film Festival: the Gran Canaria Film Commission's new destination for promotion
A delegation of the Gran Canaria Film Commission will participate between 7th and 11th September in the Toronto Film Festival where, under the umbrella of Canary Islands Film, it will reveal the advantages offered by Gran Canaria, and the Canary Islands in general, to shoot movies.
Among the potential attractions of the island for filming, the tax incentives, which have been improved after Corporate Tax Law was changed by the Government last June, are worthy of mention.
The expedition from the Canary Islands will present these tax incentives and other attractions for production in our territory during a working breakfast scheduled for 11th September, with over 40 producers having confirmed their attendance.
Furthermore, the representatives of the GFCF and other bodies who travelled to Toronto will hold individual meetings with producers interested in learning about the advantages of shooting in the Canary Islands. These meetings will take place at a location made available by Audiovisual From Spain.
The Toronto International Film Festival has become one of the world's leading film events, and is universally considered as an ideal platform for film-makers to launch their careers, which is why the promotion work carried out by the Gran Canaria Film Commission is so important.
Over 200 professionals from around 30 countries meet in Gran Canaria on the occasion of the Nomad City
The 2nd edition of the Nomad City, an event with international exposure geared towards "remote" workers, i.e. professionals who are teleworkers, was presented in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Wednesday, 6th September. The event will gather in excess of 200 participants from over 30 countries mid-September in the city.
This initiative, which will take place from 18th to 24th September, seeks to turn Gran Canaria into a leading work centre both nationally and internationally for teleworkers. Nomad City 2017 was presented this morning at the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) centre by the organisers of the event, who have the backing of the Island Council (Cabildo de Gran Canaria), through the Tourist Board and the SPEGC, and the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
This support for the Nomad City forms part of the promotion strategy developed by the Cabildo to make Gran Canaria a destination for professionals and businesses from different industries, and is being put into action by the SPEGC and the initiative Best in Gran Canaria.
After having exceeded all expectations in its first edition, Nomad City presented the second, with important novelties. Firstly, the focus of the event has shifted from digital nomads (that is, professionals who work while they travel) to "remote" workers (teleworkers who have no need to be constantly travelling). This change entails a shift in strategy, the aim of which is to develop the digital economy on the island. Moreover, this year the event will be enriched by a full day of workshops aimed at digital marketing, professional growth and increasing the knowledge needed to find remote work.
The main characteristic of "remote" workers is that they work away from any given place, since they do not require a specific physical space to work, which means that they can carry out their work remotely. The Canary Islands as a destination is on the rise for these professionals, as it holds numerous attractions, such as its pleasant climate, natural resources, ample leisure opportunities, quality of life, reasonable cost of living, good air connectivity and excellent broadband connection.
Nomad City will be a week filled with activities to show participants the potential Gran Canaria has for all those teleworkers who are looking for a high quality place to set up temporarily. The programme Nomad City 2017 includes lifestyle experiences, such as surfing, hiking, orienteering, dolphin sightings, activities to discover the principal sites in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, after-work meetings, training sessions and talks by leading professionals and businesses, such as Upwork, Toptal and Seven Career Coaching, who will address various topics about teleworking and the future of the job market.
At the same time, upon conclusion of the Nomad City week, for the third time running, the Nomad Cruise will sail from the Port of Las Palmas, with hundreds of "remote" workers and digital nomads on board who, between 25th September and 8th October, will sail across the ocean bound for Panama.
For further information:
www.nomadcity.org
The ULPGC, the PCULPGC Foundation and the Ecuadorian company BIOGEMAR collaborate on genetically improving white shrimp
The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and the Canary Islands Foundation ULPGC Science and Technology Park, signed an agreement for collaboration with the Ecuadorian company Biogemar to research the genetics of white shrimp.
Thanks to this agreement, the ULPGC will study the "Implementation of a programme of genetic improvement for the production of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)" for a period of five years and a total cost of €1,010,000 for its execution. The results of this project will be sent to the Ecuadorian biotechnology and marine genetics company, Biogemar S.A.
With an average annual production in excess of 3,6 billion post-larvae, Biogemar has emerged as one of the sector's leading businesses in Ecuador. It mainly produces shrimp nauplia and larvae, using responsible production strategies, applying cutting-edge technology and meeting the highest quality standards to improve and preserve the genetic quality of Ecuador's shrimp.
In its commitment to support technological progress in Ecuadorian aquaculture through scientific research, Biogemar, from Santa Elena, routinely collaborates with international science groups.
On this occasion, Biogemar has placed its trust in the ULPGC's Aquaculture Research Group (GIA), attached to the University Institute for the Research of Sustainable Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems (IU-ECOAQUA), to develop this research, which will be headed by Professor Juan Manuel Afonso López.
The manager of the Ecuadorian firm, Walter Intriago Díaz, was in Gran Canaria this week to sign the collaboration agreement with the ULPGC and to visit the facilities of the GIA of the University Institute for the Research of Sustainable Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems.
The Cabildo and Indra launch Ventures4GranCanaria to identify disruptive ideas associated with Gran Canaria's challenges as a smart island
The Island Council (Cabildo) of Gran Canaria and Indra, one of the world's main consulting and technology companies, launched today the challenge Ventures4GranCanaria to boost technological entrepreneurship and the creation of startups associated with smart technology in areas that are strategic for the island: tourism, energy, the environment, marine and coastal, industry 4.0, smart cities, mobility, cibersecurity, social and citizen participation.
Ventures4GranCanaria is an initiative promoted by the Cabildo, through the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC), and Indra, in collaboration with the Town Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), CaixaBank and Satocan.
This is a call open to the entire national and even international innovative ecosystem, from entrepreneurs or students to universities, spinoffs and technological centres, among others, to present technology-based business initiatives at various stages of maturity, including those at the seed phase.
During his presentation, the president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, highlighted the importance of working with Indra given its potential, with over 40,000 employees and operations in 140 countries. Morales emphasised, therefore, that Ventures4GranCanaria is an incredibly attractive opportunity for entrepreneurs, as it makes financial support available for the winning proposals - no less than 10,000 Euros for the winner, as well as a further 3 prizes - and an incubation and acceleration stage for the 10 finalists of up to 6 months duration.
The manager of Indraventures, David Pascual, explained that as well as applying to the reality of Gran Canaria, the use of innovative technology and its disruptive focus, it would be desirable that the proposals have a clear business potential, viability to develop within a period of one to two years, and the ability to grow and internationalise (scalability).
As far as initiatives are concerned, the managing director of the SPEGC, Raúl García Brink, explained that there is an essential requirement that they be aligned with smart technology and special attention will be paid to those related to the development priorities identified in the Canary Islands Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3), which sets out preferred areas of investment in RD&I on the island until 2020.
Financial support and technological, financial and industrial acceleration
Persons or organisations interested in participating in Ventures4GranCanaria may submit their proposals until 1st September 2017 through Indra's platform iParticipa hosted in www.indraventures4grancanaria.com. Participants who have submitted at least one proposal will be able to make comments and vote on the initiatives on this platform.
Representatives of Indraventures, Indra's vehicle to reinforce the relationship with the entrepreneurial ecosystem and fund initiatives, and from the SPEGC, will select the 10 finalists. A jury formed by members from all the collaborating organisations will subsequently select the 3 winning initiatives, to which a fourth will be added, the initiative with the highest number of votes from the participants, which will receive the Community Prize.
The Community Prize winner will receive 3,000 Euros, with 4,000 Euros for the idea placed third. The prize for the runner-up will be 5,000 Euros, while the initiative chosen as winner by the jury will be rewarded with double that amount, 10,000 Euros. The four ideas will be presented to Indra's Innovation Committee to analyse and identify possible collaborations and synergies for them to be developed.
In addition, the 10 final proposals and the one with the highest number of votes from the participants will have access to an initial advice and support package for their incubation and acceleration for a period of 6 months, offered by the SPEGC, Indra and the collaborating organisations. This support will be defined in accordance with the particular needs of each initiative, and will always include technological acceleration from Indra, financial acceleration from CaixaBank and industrial acceleration from Satocan for the proposals and new tourism businesses.
Innovation as the engine for development
With Ventures4GranCanaria, the Cabildo contributes to promoting entrepreneurship and the development of new businesses in areas that are strategic for the development of the island, but also to placing it as a centre of attraction of innovative and entrepreneurial talent that wants to meet its challenges. The objective is for the wining startups to be associated with Gran Canaria and develop on the island.
The challenge progresses, as well, along the lines of the initiative referred to as Gran Canaria Smart Island from the Cabildo, in which various island departments coordinated by the SPEGC participated, and which consists of providing the island with telecommunications infrastructures, sensorisation and analysis to obtain data and turn them into knowledge, to identify what the island and its citizens and visitors need, whether detecting forest fires or water leaks.
With regard to Indra, Ventures4GranCanaria is the first external call that the company launches through Indraventure within the framework of an innovation model that seeks to strategically accelerate and extend the ability to generate and gather ideas that are potentially attractive for Indra's future offer.
The company has fostered this first initiative in Gran Canaria because its strategic interests in innovation coincide and are aligned with the priorities of the Canary Islands Smart Specialisation Strategy (RIS3). Therefore, the objective is to identify and boost innovative initiatives in the smart technology field, that may be of interest for the business and promote their presence on the island.
The website to submit your projects is www.indraventures4grancanaria.com.
Submission of the initiative. Download here.