This week a business mission is taking place in Brussels with a total of 27 Canary Islands companies, led by the Enterprise Europe Network Canarias consortium, to boost their expansion, supporting them in the search for funding sources and European projects that promote their R&D and foster international cooperation.
The Network in the Islands is composed of the Directorate General for Economic Promotion and Diversification of the Government of the Canary Islands, Proexca, the Canary Islands Technology Institute, and the Chambers of Commerce of Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote and La Graciosa, and Fuerteventura.
This consortium has promoted the participation in the mission of SMEs, self-employed individuals, business associations, clusters, and R&D centers (technology parks, universities, research institutes), with representatives from the agri-food sector, R&D, and technology-based organizations, among others, finally developing an extensive program of activities at the Delegation of the Government of the Canary Islands in Brussels.
The initiative offers them the strategic opportunity to connect with the resources and opportunities offered by the European Union to boost their businesses, with 31 international companies participating and a total of 104 confirmed meetings.
This second edition of the mission included a new 'matchmaking' space through which participating companies could meet with other Belgian and European organizations to promote business cooperation agreements, identify strategic partners, and establish new contacts in Europe. In total, more than 60 people registered for the activity, with 31 international companies and a total of 104 confirmed meetings. Likewise, more than 78 opportunities were exchanged through the platform, including products and services, business alliances, and cooperation projects.
The agenda of interventions and information sessions have been designed according to the participants' profiles and include representatives from the European Commission to introduce strategic opportunities and resources such as the European Competitiveness Fund, the Digital Services Act, the European Defence Fund, and the Access2Markets tool.
In parallel with the bilateral meetings of the first day, a meeting has been organized with representatives from the Directorate-General for Agriculture of the European Commission and the agri-food business sector of the Canary Islands to address the status of POSEI, within the framework of the current negotiations for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034).
A meeting has also taken place with representatives from the Directorate-General for Environment of the European Commission and the water business sector in the Canary Islands, to discuss various issues related to the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and the scope of the new European Water Initiative, recently announced by the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in the face of increasing scarcity, droughts, and losses due to leaks in the European Union's distribution networks.
The second day is being developed in collaboration with the Spanish Office for Science and Technology in Brussels (CDTI-SOST), focusing on the program to promote European R&D Horizon Europe and cascading funding as one of the most agile consolidated mechanisms to support innovative and technological start-ups.
The mission will conclude with an institutional visit to the European Parliament, where the delegation of Canary participants will be able to learn about the work carried out in the hemicycle to support European companies, especially SMEs, which represent the largest part of the EU's economic fabric, through regulations and agreements aimed at harmonizing opportunities, administrative simplification, free trade, and the development of financing and support mechanisms.
This second call continues an initiative that has been underway since 2025 with the aim of enabling Canary companies and organizations to discover and leverage the opportunities and resources offered by the EU. Compared to the previous mission, participation requests tripled on this occasion, exceeding 70 registrations.
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