ICEX-Invest in Spain opens the third edition of Rising Startup Spain
ICEX-Invest in Spain opens the period for applications to participate in the latest Rising Startup Spain, a programme aimed at entrepreneurs in Spain who have a minimum 10% foreign participation.
Through this programme, ICEX-Invest in Spain seeks to promote innovative projects developed by foreign nationals or non-resident Spanish nationals who are going to set up a business in Spain or have done so in the last year.
Rising Startup Spain is the first official programme designed to help attract international talent and innovative business models that will contribute to enriching the fabric of Spanish business while also positioning Spain as one of the main centres in Europe for technology and innovation.
In the third edition that has just been opened, the services offered by the programme are: speeding up the process for obtaining a visa, free work space in Madrid or Barcelona, personal advice tailored to the needs of the project, a €10,000 grant per business, visibility in specialised media to advertise the business in Spain, attendance at events held in Spain and meetings with Spanish multinationals.
The deadline for entrepreneurs who wish to enter their applications for this third edition is 4thAugust 2018.
Further information and registration.
Meetings to make known the tax advantages in Gran Canaria to expatriates
Within the framework of the Best in Gran Canaria initiative, we held a gathering with expatriates who live on the island, and with those who had just arrived, to tell them about the tax advantages available in Gran Canaria.
This was the first of a series of gatherings that came about due to many expatriates and remote workers saying that they knew little about about the tax system in Spain and the Canary Islands.
During the event, Eduardo Sánchez Iglesias addressed the following points:
- Introduction to the special tax system in the Canary Island: ZEC and others.
- Establish your activity in Gran Canaria: should you start as a freelancer or company?
- Working from Gran Canaria with your company registered in another country: What should you know?
- The cost of being an Autonomo (freelancer) in Gran Canaria.
- Invoicing correctly. IGIC for clients in the Canary Island, Europe and other countries.
- Expenses you can write o as an Autonomo (freelancer).
- Diference between corporate taxes and personal taxes.
The Agency for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC) provides financial and consulting support to entrepreneurs and investors based in Gran Canaria.
Talento Gran Canaria gathers in Barcelona 60 professionals "proud" of the level of qualification of people from Gran Canaria
The initiative Talento Gran Canaria brought together in Barcelona 60 people from Gran Canaria who reside in the city and who were able to get to know each other and connect professionally in a relaxed environment at the 4th Afterwork gathering organised by the Gran Canaria Island Council (Cabildo) through the Corporation for the Economic Development of Gran Canaria (SPEGC).
Though many people from Gran Canaria work in Barcelona, most of those who attended had never met but many were "proud" of the fact that "there is so much talent from the island" in this city, where people such as Raúl Cabrera, in charge of the VIP areas and special clients of FC Barcelona, among others, works.
For Raúl it is "fabulous" to meet people who have moved away from the island and from such a wide variety of industries: A/V, telecommunications, law, banking, renewable energy and even health, represented by professionals such as Raúl himself, or Pedro Padrón, who has been in Barcelona for just over two years, and who is currently working as purchasing engineer for SEAT.
“When you meet other people from Gran Canaria you feel quite a strong bond”, according to Pedro, who was also able to meet, among those from Gran Canaria, possible future suppliers for the automotive company for which he works.
In this sense, the gathering, which had high female representation, met the expectations of the Cabildo and managed to connect very diverse profiles opening up the possibility for establishing future professional relationships.
Most of the professionals who attended the event in Barcelona left the island years ago to study or to work. Many hold positions and do work that cannot be easily found on the island, which means that despite "itching to return" they are not considering doing so in the short term.
This is the case with Taida Martínez, producer for Gestmusic Endemol, who after 18 years in Barcelona and having worked on programmes such as Boom, Tu cara me suena and Ahora caigo, is currently deeply involved in preparing the next edition of the programme Operación Triunfo. Despite the temptation, on various occasions, to look for professional opportunities in Gran Canaria, Taida says she will not make that move until she finds something "creatively and financially" similar to what she is presently doing in Barcelona.
Of the same opinion is María José Rodríguez, who has been living in the Catalan capital since 2010 and has been working in the communications and public relations department at Atrápalo since 2015: "I still want to continue growing professionally and the island for the moment does not offer this possibility", she explained, although convinced that "in a few years" she would again be able to "enjoy" Canteras beach.
Regardless of whether or not they want to return to the island, rendezvous such as this afterwork gathering do not just give rise to professional opportunities among the members of the network; they also bring about business opportunities in Gran Canaria, which also gives meaning to such events, aiming to encourage the exchange of experiences, contacts and synergies among people from Gran Canaria.
Rendezvous such as this are linked to the Uvas de Talento gatherings, which the SPEGC holds at its facilities in December, when people from Gran Canaria return to the island for Christmas, the purpose of which is to make known the view that professionals who work outside Gran Canaria have of the island.
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.
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.).