The Gala de la Innovación en Canarias gathered institutional representatives, the scientific community, the business and investor fabric in a space aimed at boosting the connection between knowledge, business and investment and at advancing in the transfer of knowledge towards its practical application.
The Ministry of Universities, Science and Innovation and Culture, headed by Migdalia Machín, placed this meeting within its action to foster an innovative ecosystem more connected with the economic activity of the archipelago. The event took place last Friday, April 17, in San Cristóbal de La Laguna.
During the event, the Premio Canarias de Innovación y Tecnología Blas Cabrera was awarded, which recognized TENET Lightkey, a solution based on quantum properties that allows making practically unforgeable materials.
This initiative stood out for its ability to transform knowledge into real impact, aligning with the gala's objective of connecting science, business, and investment. The recognition highlights both the quality of the project and the potential of the Canarian innovative ecosystem to compete in national and international environments.
The finalist projects of the Canary Islands Innovation and Technology Blas Cabrera Award were AVissiOn, a disruptive technology based on antineutrinos that allows monitoring nuclear reactors from the outside in a non-invasive way, opening new possibilities in energy security and control. Alongside it, Circular-COMP is committed to transforming waste into sustainable materials with industrial applications, while DRAGO-Earth revolutionizes infrared imaging drastically reducing costs and consumption. Also presented was MEAPark, a device capable of detecting Parkinson in minutes through advanced analysis.
The gala began with the screening of an introductory video focused on the role of curiosity as the origin of science and its evolution towards real solutions capable of transforming society. Next, the institutional opening took place, in which the president of the Government of the Canary Islands intervened through a video message, in which he highlighted the strategic nature of innovation for the future of the archipelago.
Subsequently, the counselor focused on the moment Canarias is experiencing to consolidate its innovative ecosystem, highlighting the existing talent in the islands and the need to move towards its practical application. In this regard, she pointed out that “innovating is not just researching, it is also applying, connecting, investing, and scaling,” insisting on the importance of strengthening the bridges between science and the market, as well as between talent and funding.
Likewise, he stressed that this gala represented “a meeting point where private investment locates solid projects under public impulse”, and where ideas could transform into initiatives capable of generating opportunities and attracting investment to the archipelago.
During her intervention, Teresa Riesgo Alcaide, Secretary General for Innovation of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, highlighted the importance of strengthening the connection between science, business and investment in a context in which innovation becomes a strategic axis for development. In this regard, she underlined the need to give greater visibility to the knowledge that is generated, pointing out that “we need to know and make known that wonderful things are done in Canarias”, and added that it is fundamental for science to be part of everyday conversation, “we need more talk about science in our daily lives”.
After the opening, the event continued with the round table "Connecting science and business", in which participated Teresa Riesgo Alcaide, general secretary of Innovation of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities; Javier Franco Hormiga, director of the Canary Agency of Research, Innovation and Information Society; José Manuel Rodríguez Ramos, CEO of Wooptix; Asier Rufino Bengoechea, CEO of Tecnalia Ventures; and Félix de Moya Anegón, director of the Scimago Group. The table was moderated by Gerardo Morales Hierro, representative of the Canary Association of Startups EMERGE.
During the meeting, the challenges and opportunities to improve knowledge transfer and strengthen collaboration between the scientific and business spheres were addressed, in a European context in which innovation was configured as a strategic axis.
In conjunction, projects that demonstrated how the science generated in Canarias not only competes at an international level, but is prepared to become a real engine of innovation, industry, and economic growth.
The gala concluded with a networking space aimed at fostering collaboration among the different agents of the innovative ecosystem.