Representatives of public administrations, companies, entities from the maritime sector, the port system, universities, research centers and agents of the innovative ecosystem participated in Fuerteventura in a day of innovation and co-creation of projects linked to the blue economy promoted by the Canary Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI), the Maritime Cluster of the Canary Islands and the Port Authority of Las Palmas.
The initiative was developed within the framework of the A3MAtlantic project, a cooperation alliance aimed at strengthening innovation, sustainability and collaboration among the different agents linked to the blue economy in the Atlantic space. In the Canary Islands, this project contributes to promoting initiatives aligned with the expanded RIS3, the Smart Specialization Strategy that guides the Archipelago's innovation policies.
During the opening of the conference, the director of ACIISI, Javier Franco Hormiga, highlighted the importance of generating collaboration spaces capable of connecting knowledge, technological capabilities and economic development opportunities linked to the sea.
“The great challenges of our islands require solutions built through collaboration. This conference allows us to bring together those who generate knowledge, develop projects, drive economic activity and know firsthand the needs of the territory to move forward together in new opportunities for the Canary Islands,” he pointed out.
The meeting was held at the Fuerteventura Technology Park and positioned the island as a meeting point to reflect on the role of the blue economy as a driver of innovation, sustainability and economic diversification.
The conference began with a strategic contextualization of the A3MAtlantic project and its connection with the priorities of the expanded RIS3, as well as with the role that non-capital islands can play in the development of pilot experiences of territorial innovation.
Subsequently, participants worked in three thematic tables focused on sustainable blue tourism and innovative services linked to the sea; innovation in the blue agri-food value chain; and the energy transition and the resilience of coastal and port infrastructures.
Through a participatory methodology, administrations, companies, the fishing sector, port entities, knowledge centers, and territorial organizations shared proposals, identified needs, and analyzed potential projects capable of generating economic activity, innovation, and employment.
The debates allowed for the pooling of initiatives related to areas such as digitalization applied to tourism and the maritime sector, the valorization of marine resources, sustainable aquaculture, blue biotechnology, renewable energies linked to the coastal environment, water and energy efficiency, or the intelligent management of strategic infrastructures.
One of the highlighted aspects of the meeting was the identification of opportunities for collaboration between public and private entities, as well as the creation of new connections between territorial agents and organizations working in the field of innovation and the blue economy.
The day concluded with a session for sharing results in which the main conclusions of each working group were shared and possible lines of action were identified to continue advancing in the maturation of initiatives and in the search for alliances that allow proposals to be turned into concrete projects.
ACIISI also highlighted the value of these types of meetings for strengthening island innovation ecosystems and promoting the participation of non-capital islands in the development of strategic initiatives aligned with the expanded RIS3 of the Canary Islands.
The blue economy constitutes one of the priority areas of specialization identified by the regional innovation strategy and represents an opportunity to promote new economic activities linked to knowledge, sustainability, and the responsible use of marine resources, while contributing to the diversification of the Canarian productive model.
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