The four archipelagos that make up Macaronesia have 45 million euros to promote innovative projects that they will jointly develop in the blue economy, the fight against climate change and migration research. This investment, grouped into 19 initiatives, is financed thanks to the European Interreg Mac program, a strategic EU line with more than 20 years of life that favors the territorial integration of the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde.
The analysis of the results obtained by this European program and the projects planned for the period 2021-2027 is one of the highlights of the third Macaronesia Summit that is being held from this Wednesday in Lanzarote and that closes this Thursday with a panel of top-level institutional meetings.
With a global budget of 200 million euros, the Interreg Mac territorial cooperation program has consolidated itself as the main instrument to favor the regional insertion of the EU's outermost regions in their geographical areas of reference, highlighting the relevance of regional cooperation and good neighborly relations to promote sustainable economic development and strengthen political stability.
This will be highlighted by the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, this Thursday during his speech at the main session of the Macaronesia summit, where the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cape Verde, José Filomeno Monteiro, the President of the Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, and the Vice President of the Azores, Artur Manuel Leal, will also participate.
Unique ecosystem
Thanks to Interreg Mac 2021-2027, financed 85% by the EU, several projects related to the protection of the natural ecosystem of Macaronesia will be launched in the next three years. Specifically, the so-called 'Redcentros' will create a transnational network for the recovery of wild fauna, while 'Hope' seeks to create a sanctuary for marine species in the mid-Atlantic.
Also noteworthy are the projects that promote the blue economy in the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde. Under the acronym 'Idiwater', the four archipelagos promote the transfer of public-private knowledge in the industrial water sector. In addition, the 'Sanifish' program will improve the production and marketing of fishing and aquaculture in the Macaronesia region, while 'RedBeam' promotes the application of new ocean research technologies.
Taking advantage of its geostrategic situation in the mid-Atlantic, two initiatives related to key economic sectors for the four archipelagos are included for the EU's 2021-2027 budget period. 'Innovablue' promotes the sustainable digital growth of blue tourism, while 'Sotavento' aims to improve cooperation between Atlantic ports to make them more innovative, sustainable and competitive.
The Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde have added to the current Interreg Mac numerous projects that include in their execution countries in West Africa with which Macaronesia historically maintains strong ties of neighborhood such as Mauritania and Senegal. As a novelty, the program extends the geographical area to four new countries on the African continent: Ghana, Gambia, Ivory Coast and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Bridge with West Africa
This is the case with initiatives aimed at improving the competitiveness of Canarian and African SMEs such as 'Africantech', and also with the two aimed at combating climate change called 'Microcli-mac' and 'Waccid'.
The program that the four archipelagos will develop in the coming years also directs its efforts to financing circular economy projects throughout the Macaronesian area and the closest African countries. Ecological sustainability is the objective of the so-called 'Natur-Ext' which focuses on the industrial sector, while 'Alsemac' is based on guaranteeing food sovereignty.
Finally, Interreg Mac 2021-2027 includes three projects related to addressing the migratory phenomenon that have been promoted as a priority by the Government of the Canary Islands. With European funding, 'Compass' will launch an observatory of human mobility between Africa and the Canary archipelago, 'SEIMLab' will activate a laboratory for the mobility of working people and socio-economic inclusion of migrants in the islands, and 'Agamenon' will monitor migration and the mafias that traffic people on the neighboring continent with unmanned aircraft.