“The business sector is strengthened if we are united and row together”, said the president of the Lanzarote Business Circle, José Valle. “We fully share the liberal foundations of economic and social growth for our land” assured, on the other hand, the president of the Gran Canaria Business Circle, Agustín Manrique de Lara. Both leaders presided last Friday the I Joint Reflection Day of these two business groups.
The Gran Canaria Business Circle was, on this occasion, the host of this first meeting with the Lanzarote Business Circle, which was held at the Satocan facilities in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The meeting was attended by about 40 businessmen from the two islands and from different economic sectors of the archipelago.
A day of reflection that served to address aspects such as improving connectivity, the lack of qualified personnel, the attraction of talent, the promotion of innovation and, especially, the necessary improvement of education and training at all levels.
Promote public-private collaborations
Both institutions agreed to work, from now on, on regional agendas that defend and promote the work of entrepreneurs and to establish friendly relations between the public and private sectors.
“The public-private collaboration, which we defend today in this meeting, should be the model to follow”, said the president of the Lanzarote Circle, “not only because Europe asks for it, but because if we agree, economic progress is accelerated and, especially, social development”. In this regard, José Valle added that “if the business sector is serious, professional and trained, the public part will have more confidence in reaching this type of collaboration”.
“We have been reflecting individually in Gran Canaria for 38 years. That is why today we are experiencing a historic day, Lanzarote is joining and I believe that Tenerife and Fuerteventura will soon be able to join”, said Agustín Manrique de Lara. “We firmly believe in competition and that the Circles extend throughout the rest of the islands. We also share the idea of freedom and we know that the regions that have that freedom go further”, he added.
This intense day of work also included three speakers, chosen not only for their indisputable leadership in their sectors, but also for the importance that the Circles give to the subjects they addressed. First, Alfonso Vegara, founder and president of the Metropoli Foundation, an international center dedicated to research, design and innovation in cities around the world, and which is currently developing an urban transformation project for the island of Lanzarote, which focuses on innovation and sustainability.
Next, the businessmen were able to enjoy a talk of marked liberal character by Gabriel Calzada, recently arrived from Guatemala where he was rector of the Francisco Marroquín University. Calzada, who is also president of the Mont Pelerin Society, has returned to his homeland to launch the University of the Hespérides.
José Carlos Francisco, president of the Economic and Social Council, was in charge of closing the round of presentations and offered an analysis of the economic evolution of the Canary Islands and its current situation.
The II Joint Reflection Day between the Lanzarote Business Circle and the Gran Canaria Business Circle is scheduled to be held in the month of May on the island of Lanzarote.
