The Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy, Industry, Trade and Self-Employed, Manuel Domínguez González, and the Vice Minister of Economy and Internationalization and Vice President of Proexca, Gustavo González de Vega; sign an agreement with the BCIE – Central American Bank for Economic Integration, through the head of representation in Spain and Europe, Mauricio Chacón, and the representative executive, Alberto Cabezón, with which the Canary Islands will become an Atlantic Hub, reinforcing its strategic role and leading sustainability and blue economy projects.
The agreement addresses the execution of technical assistance between Proexca and the BCIE, with the aim of establishing a financial framework to promote the internationalization of Canary Islands companies through co-financing of consultancies and technical assistance in Latin American countries.
«We export Canarian knowledge, we don't just sell sun and beach; we export top-tier know-how, engineering, and tourism consulting to Latin America. This is real internationalization for our companies,» stated Domínguez. This agreement opens a direct door for Canarian SMEs and self-employed individuals to bid on multilateral projects guaranteed by the CABEI.
The BCIE is a multilateral financial institution that allows for working with payment guarantees and legal certainty, something that is sometimes difficult for companies in individual foreign tenders. Although the Government of Spain has already signed agreements with the BCIE, the Canary Islands are the first Spanish Autonomous Community to sign an agreement that will allow Canary Islands companies to position themselves in countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia.
Priority for the sectors of tourism, environment, blue economy, urban planning, and infrastructure
The Canary Islands Government contributes 204,001 euros (50% + 1 euro of the funding for assistance) to said plan for this fiscal year. The BCIE contributes the rest of the funding (up to 50% – 1 euro). The funds finance feasibility studies and technical projects carried out by Canary Islands companies and experts in priority sectors: tourism, environment, blue economy, urban planning, and infrastructure.
Two projects are already on the table. The first is in Honduras, related to the blue economy, and it involves Coral Restoration in the Bay Islands. The objective is to install coral nurseries, clean the reef environment, and train local fishermen. This presents an opportunity for Canarian biologists, active tourism companies, and environmental consultants from the islands who can lead this project, with a budget of $100,000.
The second project is in **Belize** and concerns sustainable tourism. It involves **environmental management at border crossings**, and for this purpose, borders will be modernized with **energy efficiency** (LED, water), waste management, and digitalization to improve the tourist experience. It is an opportunity for engineering and technology companies from the Canary Islands, Smart Cities, who can apply their experience in managing tourist flows. The budget for this project is $250,000.
The agreement establishes a framework until 2026 with the possibility of extension depending on the results obtained, which represents "an excellent internationalization opportunity for Canary Islands companies that want to continue growing," accompanied by Proexca's External Promotion area.
