Startups for marine science, biodiversity or renewable energies find an ally in the Agreement for Science and Innovation in the Canary Islands

The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, chaired the signing of the Agreement for Science and Innovation, a document that “make those who subscribe it to commit themselves to actively work to promote research and innovation in the islands for their transference to the productive and social fabric and for the progress and the improvement of the competitiveness”. In the signing act was present, among other authorities, the minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, as well as representatives of the different political parties, of the public administrations and of the civil society, who adhere to this initiative.

The Agreement for Science and Innovation in the Canary Islands has been promoted from the regional ministry of Economy, Knowledge, and Employment with the objective to join the best political, economic, technical and social agents to make it real. After months of work and of proposal and perspective exchange, they arrived at the current agreement, which makes the signing sides commit to work to improve funding and the resources with the purpose of reaching the European rations in investment; of promoting governance and the participation with the R&D&I ecosystem; of betting on talent, thus promoting the scientific race; and of nurturing vocation at a young age, entrepreneurship, the elimination of gender gap, etc.

In the press conference after the signing, Torres highlighted that, regarding key points for the future of the islands, “there shall not be schisms between parties and civil society groups, just like we did in the pandemic, the volcano, or the recent fire in Los Realejos. This is an agreement that commits us for the future, and it is highly important”. The president claimed that the islands have reasons to host the National Centre of Vulcanology and to aspire to be the headquarters for the Spanish Space Agency, for which the nomination of the Canary Islands was announced in both cases. “We want to win; we know it’s not going to be easy, but we need to chase the opportunity”, he stated.

“The pandemic, the volcano and the fires have proven the need for science”

The head of the Executive considers that this signing act, with the support emerged from the agreement, means that “words are not enough, because it is not easy to reach such an agreement. We are facing difficult times that prove the importance of science. The very same year that the pandemic appeared there appeared the vaccine, something that had never happened before in the world. The same goes for the volcano in La Palma, since it would not have been possible without science to know where the eruption would start, and the scientists almost apologized for a 300 metres inaccuracy even though it saved lives. And with the fire these days in the North of Tenerife, where drones have allowed to learn what the hot spots are. All of this is science, and it is proven that the greatest investment possible is necessary in this field. We’ve increased an 85% the budget in science, but it is not enough yet, since we should learn from the present”.

In this regard, Torres reminded that in the Jameos del Agua (Lanzarote) was signed the Agenda Canaria 2030 last 2 December, an agenda “in which there’s a bet on a law for science and for other developments, including the budgetary part, something that is also in today’s agreement.” Moreover, he insisted on the need to take advantage of the European funding.

On the other hand, the minister of Science and Innovation claimed that it is a very special day, and she aimed her first words to the families affected by the forest fire spread in the North of Tenerife last Thursday, 21 July. Morant congratulated the administrations for reducing the severity of the flames (the emergency level has gone back to 1, so the management lays upon the Cabildo), and highlighted the key role of science for that achievement.

According to her opinion, the signing is “an exercise of maturity and political and social tallness. We have not signed any random thing whatsoever, but a commitment for the future, for hope. When we have had to face the volcano crisis or the pandemic, when our citizens were in mortal danger, when we all looked at the scientists and expected an answer from them. And they have met the expectations, and today politics and the Canarian society gives it all back to them by committing to science and innovation as a leverage for the generation of progress. For all of that, I give all my recognition to this agreement that has been signed”, and that linked with the national agreement signed, as well, with the parties and the civil society.

“Making an improvement in Spain is promoted everywhere in Spain, and that’s why we have to invest in all territories, since all of them have potentials that we need to learn to take advantage of, and we bet on the decentralisation of the research centres like the Spain Space Agency or the National Centre of Vulcanology”.

Morant agreed on Torres’ proposal for the Canary Islands to host the Space Agency. What is more, she claimed that, between 2018 and 2021, the Ministry of Science and Innovation has dedicated 81 million euros to (university and business) investigation projects in the islands, “22% more than the yearly average prior to the Government of Pedro Sánchez”. The Canarian Institute of Astrophysics (IAC) contributed extraordinarily with 9 million in 2021, and with 13 million in 2022. Furthermore, Morant added that the greatest employment public offer will kick off in the science field “with 20 more positions for civil servants in the IAC, 40% more than the current personnel”.

The minister highlights that the Canary Islands have almost duplicated their investment in science

The minister praised that the Canary Islands have almost duplicated their investment in science with the Government of Ángel Víctor Torres (an 85% more) “because that’s the most substantial role, the budgetary, something that is proven with figures and facts”. She also highlighted the singular science infrastructure projects in the islands “with centres of excellence that not only make research of an international reference, but also take us to the world podium, as it happens with the Great Canarian Telescopemm the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands, the Teide and Roque de los Muchachos Observatories, the RedIris (high capacity for 30 years dark fiber network) or the supercomputing node of the IAC in La Palma.

Also, she spoke about the lines of investigation for marine sciences, biodiversity and renewable energies in the islands. She insisted that “we can these islands to be seen as totally sustainable, with clean energies, protecting biodiversity through the marine environment, using cutting-edge technologies to reach that control. Therefore, Canarias is taken back to the top-notch employment and future niches”.

The Agreement for Science will be available on the Research, Innovation, and Information Society Agency of the Canary Islands website so that it can be read and signed by whoever wishes to. Today it was subscribed by Ángel Víctor Torres Pérez, president of the Canary Islands; Nira Fierro Díaz (PSOE); José Miguel Barragán Cabrera (CC), Poli Suárez Nuez (PP); Luis Alberto Campos Jiménez (NC); María del Río Sánchez (Sí Podemos); Jesús Ramón Ramos Chinea (ASG); Ricardo Fernández de la Puente Armas (Cs); Ernesto Pereda de Pablo, vice-rector of Investigation and Transference of the University of La Laguna; Lluís Serra Majem, rector of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Pedro Alfonso Martín, president of CEOE-Tenerife; José Cristóbal García García, vice-president of the Confederation of Businessmen of the Canary Islands, Manuel Navrro Ramos, general secretary of UGT-Canarias, and Inocencio González Toscón, general secretary of Workers Comissions in the Canary Islands. The Canarian Federation of Municipalities and the Canarian Federation of Islands also adhere to the project, with the signature of the Fecam president, Mari Brito, and the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Pedro Martín.

The Canary Islands aspire to be the headquarters for the National Centre of Vulcanology

Moreover, the ministry of Science and the autonomic president spoke about the state of the creation of a consortium of both governments with the purpose that the Canary Islands host the future National Centre of Vulcanology. The consortium has set as an objective to manage scientific, technical, innovative, economic and administrative collaboration with the entities that constitute it for the construction, equipment and exploitation of this centre of reference.

The National Centre of Vulcanology will be an infrastructure dedicated to the integral management of the volcanic phenomenon in regions that are highly actively volcanic areas ,promoting the interchange of knowledge between groups of research and the cooperation empowerment with the aim of increasing its international visibility and of contributing to the sustainable development of the volcanic regions.

 Translated by Andrea Expósito Santana