The Canary Islands Technological Institute (ITC), a public company attached to the Ministry of Universities, Science and Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, directed by Migdalia Machín, has received, at its facilities in Pozo Izquierdo, Gran Canaria, the institutional visit of a delegation from the Principality of Andorra.
The Andorran delegation was headed by the Secretary of State for Business, Economic Diversification and Innovation, Marc Saura, within the framework of the work agenda that the Andorran representation is holding this week in the Archipelago to promote the exchange of experiences on economic diversification, innovation, digital transition, sustainability and business development.
The delegation was received by the Minister of Universities, Science and Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Migdalia Machín, and by the CEO of the ITC, Guayarmina Peña, in a meeting aimed at exploring possible areas of collaboration between both territories.
Along with the Secretary of State, members of the President's Office and the Ambassador of Andorra in Spain, Eva Descarrega, participated in the visit. The institutional representation was accompanied by various representatives from the Andorran economic sector, including the director of Andorra Business, Judith Hidalgo; the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Andorra, Josep Maria Mas; the director of the Chamber, Sol Rossell; the director of the Andorran Business Confederation, Iago Andreu; Cristina Palmitjavila, member of the CEA Board; and the Vice President of Services of the Chamber of Commerce and CEO of Andorran Banking, Esther Puigcercós.
The presence of these profiles allowed the visit to be addressed from an institutional and business perspective, with special attention to the role of applied innovation, technological transfer and knowledge as levers to promote new economic activities and consolidate the development of the local productive fabric.
The strategic capabilities of the ITC
During the tour of the scientific-technological facilities of Pozo Izquierdo, the delegation was able to learn about the ITC's strategic capabilities in areas such as energy planning in isolated territories, biomedicine – with a special focus on the design and production of custom-made bone implants –, energy self-sufficiency, and biotechnology, as well as initiatives to support technology-based entrepreneurship in high-impact sectors.
Among the projects and areas of work presented, Biogreenfinery stood out, a demonstrative platform aimed at developing solutions linked to green hydrogen and renewable synthetic fuels, as well as the experimental area for the development of innovative projects, IAT BIOASIS. The visit allowed us to convey how the Canary Islands use their scientific-technological capabilities and unique infrastructures to advance in sectors with high growth potential, especially in the field of the blue economy.
The minister Migdalia Machín highlighted that this visit "feeds the scientific diplomacy strategy promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, based on opening spaces for cooperation with territories that share interests in key areas for economic and social development." In this regard, she stressed that the presence of the Andorran delegation in the Canary Islands "allows us to explore new avenues of collaboration in strategic areas for both territories, focusing on technological innovation, the circular economy, and the generation of knowledge applied to the productive fabric."
The meeting also served to highlight the role of the ITC as an instrument of the Government of the Canary Islands to contribute to the economic diversification of the Archipelago towards new productive sectors based on knowledge, sustainability, and technological innovation.
Ally of business innovation
In this regard, the center's role as a technological ally of local industry and the Canarian business fabric was highlighted, both in supporting the growth and consolidation of companies and in accompanying improvement processes, validation of solutions, knowledge transfer, and development of applied R&D projects. This orientation allows connecting public research and innovation capabilities with the real needs of the productive sectors, strengthening the competitiveness of the business ecosystem and fostering the generation of new economic opportunities.
The visit to the ITC is part of the institutional program developed by the Andorran delegation in the Canary Islands, which has included working meetings with different entities, with the objective of knowing the mechanisms aimed at the external promotion of the Canarian economy, the attraction of investments and the promotion of emerging sectors.
Likewise, this past Monday a bilateral meeting took place between the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, and the head of Government of Andorra, Xavier Espot. In that meeting, both territories expressed their interest in consolidating stable cooperation in strategic areas such as sustainable tourism, technological innovation, the digital economy, audiovisual production and economic diversification, based on shared challenges linked to competitiveness, internationalization and the generation of new opportunities.
This work agenda opens a space for dialogue between the Canary Islands and Andorra around development models that bet on innovation, public-private collaboration and the capacity to generate economic activity from emerging sectors. In this framework, the visit to the ITC contributes to bringing capabilities closer, identifying common interests and laying the groundwork for future institutional, technological and business alliances between both territories.
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