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.
'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.
The 4th DEEP LEARN SUMMER professional summit kicks off in Gran Canaria
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ joined the opening session of ‘DeepLearn 2021 Summer’, contributing with local content to the international event on artificial intelligence and deep learning technologies.
The annual event, hybrid on this occasion and located in its fourth edition in Gran Canaria, brings together for five days (from July 26 to 30), 275 attendees to the INFECAR venue site, plus an estimated 300 online participants. It is an event of a marked academic and professional nature, focused on international research training, whose objective is to update participants on the most recent advances in the development of deep learning.
The programme consists of presentations, masterclasses, several industrial and pitching sessions, as well as a recruiting session. By such a comprehensive approach, the Organization Committee seeks to offer a complete program that addresses the current applications of Deep Learning and the large-scale processing of data in branches such as neurosciences, language processing, human-computer interaction, computing, medical games, health, etc. With a target audience of students, researchers and professionals who want to be updated on recent developments and future trends, Deep Learn is a window into the world of data and its technical and operational exploitation.
On the opening day, "Best in Gran Canaria" presented the advantages that can be activated on the island, especially for Technological Innovation and R&D activities, the island resources available at the moment (University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, PLOCAN, Smart Destination initiative by SPEGC,…) and the initiatives which will be activated in the short term (eg. SPEGC’s High Technology Incubator for Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence applied to the Marine and Maritime sector).
"Best in Gran Canaria" will remain as a prominent agent during the week, participating in B2Bs and in one-on-one meetings with professionals from the artificial intelligence and massive data collection sector.
Meetings between ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ and the traveltech start-up ecosystem
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ has held meetings this week with different companies linked to the Israeli start-up sector, with the aim of establishing connections to promote Gran Canaria as an ideal destination for the development and programming of digital solutions, most specifically in traveltech and tourism-related customer-relations apps.
These quality b2b meetings involved several organizations and entrepreneurs and it proved an interesting engagement by consulting companies specialized in management and promotion of small and medium companies, high-tech industry organizations, R&D centres and the media. All of them are duly linked to high technology and innovation. The 2-day event was organized by Patronato de Turismo de Gran Canaria and lead by SPEGC/’Best in Gran Canaria’ on the technical content.
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ took this opportunity to introduce to advantages that shall be activated if based on the island. As a growing technology hub for start-ups and IT companies, Gran Canaria presents a comprehensive package: the fiscal and economic conditions of the Canary Islands’ Economic and Fiscal System (REF), which includes a 45% deduction for Technological Innovation activities and a 4% corporate tax rate, financing schemes (eg. Cabildo de Gran Canaria/SPEGC’s own participative loan) and qualified talent. Other arguments such as quality and cost of life equally play a decisive role.
Over the course of the coming weeks, new follow-up meetings are scheduled, with traveltech development and operations at the top of priorities for both delegations. It is no longer a secret, that the israeli counterparts also showed interest in considering Gran Canaria as an entry point to the EU, Africa and LATAM, as well as its potential as a remote talent base.
Gran Canaria: EU-Certified Quality of Life
As the residents of Gran Canaria and the millions who visit it well know, the island ranks as one of the territories with the best quality of life in Europe.
The reasoning and the intuition which explain why independent professionals and workers relocate year after year to the Canaries is forcefully and quantitatively backed up in the latest report drawn up by the European Commission's European Spatial Planning Observation Network (ESPON). ESPON's mission is to give advice and reinforcement to the European Union's policies for cohesion, and it publishes an annual report on the status of the living conditions in Europe. The report analyses up to 50 variables, grouped into three major categories (quality of life enabler indicator; life maintenance indicator; life flourishing indicator), with a level of breakdown in line with the NUTS-3 standard, and including the territories of the European Economic Area (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland). This analytical exercise provides specific data for the island of Gran Canaria.
Among other factors, there is analysis of indicators such as quality of air, water, noise, contamination, access to healthcare, green infrastructures, labour market, natural spaces, governance, social interaction rates, and the like; this allows the identification of the potential of the various European regions, cities and territories, and the economic challenges they are facing.
The result of this study, with 2020 data, places Gran Canaria as the fifth territory at national level in terms of quality of life (with a score of 0.58), practically tied with the fourth (0.59 points). The Canarian territories rank immediately after the NUTS-3 of the Basque Country and well ahead of Spain's remaining island and coastal destinations. It is quite clear that Gran Canaria places at the topping range, rivalling regions and provinces in Scandinavia, Germany and Switzerland.
In comparison with the highest scoring territory of the ranking (0.69), Gran Canaria outstandingly performs in various aspects: healthcare, environmental health, biodiversity, cultural values and social harmony/sense of social belonging. In the final analysis, this compound score, known as TQoL, reflects the capacity of living beings to survive and flourish in a certain place, thanks to the economic and societal factors and the ecological conditions of the territory.
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ and the SPEGC (link) are working to share information and provide support for all those professional and entrepreneurial projects which decide to grow and consolidate their global impact from a destination which is a unique place to live: Gran Canaria.
Gran Canaria: ‘Embrace your new Home’
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ and the Economic Promotion Agency of Gran Canaria (‘Sociedad de Promoción Económica de Gran Canaria’- SPEGC) continue with their shared efforts to provide information, intelligence and support to companies, entrepreneurs and professionals with relocation plans to the island. Gran Canaria is indeed a top-tier destination for work, entrepreneurship, business and personal development. As such, this full-scale digital approach aims at showcasing how easy it is to relocate on the island rather than merely introducing the attributes that make of Gran Canaria a global hotspot for quality of life.
After the launch of ‘Moving to Gran Canaria: the complete relocation guide’ and its broad success in the media, the latest version already includes feedback and tips received from readers, users and local economic agents. Hence, the guide is now a validated instrument for attracting talent and professionals that has been widely advertised and used by established and soon-to-arrive companies. We equally know that both remote workers and expats remain as key audience of this thoughtful document.
What’s new?
- Promotional video: designed to attract and retain digital professionals. It also aims at raising the awareness of the genuine and welcoming character of Gran Canaria’s society.
- A specific website hosted at ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ corporate site, including videos, testimonials and the downloadable version of ‘Moving to Gran Canaria. The complete relocation guide’, both in English and Spanish.
- Comprehensive support/’Landing package’, that not includes administrative knowledge already displayed on the guide, but also local intelligence, tips and other support and information services offered by ‘Best in Gran Canaria’, via an exclusive soft-landing desk (softlanding@spegc.org). Our experts will guide you through the relocation process.
Gran Canaria commits to a reliable and comprehensive landing service (our ‘Landing Package’), that encompasses a set of instruments and professionals whose objective is to facilitate and speed up the adaptation to your new home: Gran Canaria.
‘Best in Gran Canaria’ participates at the virtual meeting with video game developers from the Visegrad Group
Best in Gran Canaria took an active role in today’s virtual mission with video game developing studios from the Visegrad Group countries (Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary).
This meet-up was organized by ‘Canary Islands Films’, a group of public institutions including 2 regional entities and 2 entities at the island level (SPEGC among them). For Canary Islands video-game developing studios joined the event, Rising Pixel and Eteru from Gran Canaria, along eight studios from the Visegrad group. The private sector introduced their latest content, as well as their ongoing & forthcoming projects. From ‘Best in Gran Canaria’ perspective, it has been a great opportunity to show the economic and fiscal advantages available on the Canary Islands and to facilitate one-on-one collaboration between local and international companies.
The video game sector is a growing industry with great potential related to investment and job creation. Gran Canaria, as a technological hub for the IT and audiovisual companies, has powerful instruments such as the 45% tax deduction for Technological Innovation activities, qualified talent and its own financing instrument (participative loans from SPEGC to finance disruptive and innovative projects based on the island). It must be noted that the services offered by the Sociedad Económica de Gran Canaria – Economic Development Agency of Gran Canaria – through its brand ‘Best in Gran Canaria’, also represent a key support to establish a foothold in Gran Canaria (tailored-training, offices, information & soft-landing package, tax consultancy services via SAE – Business Support Service, etc.).