Canarias y Marruecos lanzan su primera convocatoria conjunta en ciencia e innovación

The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, announced on Wednesday the launch of the first joint call for research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) between the archipelago and Morocco.

Clavijo made this announcement during the event where the rectors of the two public universities in the Canary Islands, Francisco García and Luis Serra Majem, and the president of the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Hicahm El Habti, signed a collaboration agreement that also included the participation of the Minister of Universities, Science, and Innovation and Culture, Migdalia Machín, and representatives from Emerge, the association of Startups in the Canary Islands.

The call to finance projects in the Canary Islands and Morocco, co-financed by the regional government and UM6P, will be launched at the end of this year.

This funding line will provide financial support to scientific and technological innovation initiatives developed jointly by researchers, entrepreneurs, and companies from both territories and will be managed by the Ministry of Universities, as reported by the Government.

According to President Clavijo, this joint work will help strengthen ties with the neighboring country and elevate the Canary Islands-Morocco relationship to the level it deserves.

"Africa is a priority for the Canary Islands, and undoubtedly, our good neighborly relationship with Morocco is a fundamental element to create a space of shared prosperity in this region and, in particular, in the Atlantic area that surrounds us," he pointed out.

The head of the regional government emphasized that this call represents "the first initiative of its kind launched between a Spanish regional government and an African country," beyond those promoted by the State through the Center for Technological Development and Innovation or the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.

"We are not only creating a mechanism to support cross-border cooperation in science and innovation; we are creating a community of agents and individuals involved in giving hope in this world of rapid and intense changes," he emphasized during the event.

Clavijo stressed the need to "move towards the creation of a center of excellence cooperation in priority sectors of common interest," such as energy, water, food security, or health, "because the challenges are complex and have a direct impact on the stability of both countries."

Through this joint call between the Canary Islands and Morocco, the regional government continues to prioritize the inclusion of new public and private actors in the relations between the Autonomous Community and the African continent.

In the same line, Minister Migdalia Machín highlighted the government’s strong commitment to strengthening ties with African countries to advance together in scientific responses to shared challenges.

"Connecting talent, working together in knowledge transfer is essential for the Canary Islands and for all our neighbors," she said, hoping that the agreement signed on Wednesday and the joint call for science and innovation will be the beginning of this collaboration.

STRENGTHENING COOPERATION WITH AFRICA

During the event, the rectors of the ULL, the ULPGC, and the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University, together with representatives from Emerge, signed a memorandum of understanding that lays the groundwork for the technical and operational design of the call.

The president of the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Hicahm El Habti, highlighted the importance of the agreement signed as it will allow working together on shared challenges with the public universities in the Canary Islands such as water, energy, climate change, and agriculture, among others.

He also pointed out the exchange of students and the call for joint projects as an example of the path to be taken, relying on "diplomacy through science."

For the rector of the University of La Laguna, the signed agreement enhances the commitment to the internationalization of the ULL with nearly fifty agreements with African universities.

Francisco García believed that these agreements will help solve common challenges, especially thanks to the collaboration with the UM6P as a leading academic center in research and innovation.

The rector of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria also considered this agreement as a further step in the archipelago’s commitment to strengthening scientific ties with Africa.

"The Canary Islands universities are on islands, but we are not isolated," said Luis Serra, referring to the agreement as a "great opportunity to collaborate in areas of mutual interest with joint seed projects."

The aim is for this agreement between the two public universities in the Canary Islands and UM6P to also facilitate access for Canarian and Moroccan researchers to other funding instruments made available by the Spanish Government, such as the CDTI programs in North Africa, and to strengthen the role of universities and research centers in the shared development of innovative solutions.

The call will allow the continuation of the results obtained from the ‘Africa Canarias Challenge’ program, promoted by the General Directorate for Relations with Africa.

The last edition saw the participation of over 50 researchers and entrepreneurs from the Canary Islands and Morocco.

The winning project, based on artificial intelligence for automated estimation of bone age, was developed by Miguel Martín Pérez (ULL) and Sofía Bourhim (NSIAS, Mohamed V University).

INVESTING IN YOUNG TALENT

Clavijo took the opportunity to congratulate all those involved in the process: "I want to thank Emerge, the two public universities in the Canary Islands, and UM6P for their efforts so that today we can announce this new commitment that strengthens academic, scientific, and innovative cooperation between our regions."

During the event held at the Government Headquarters, the start of an exchange program between the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands (ITC) and UM6P was also announced, through which four Moroccan students will carry out professional internships in entities in the Archipelago this summer.

"These are the decisions that bring about change and bring us closer," said Clavijo, who also thanked the proposal received from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands to establish new avenues of collaboration with Morocco in astronomical matters.

The president also expressed his confidence that joint work will continue to bear fruit: "The Canary Islands and Morocco must work hand in hand to create added value, attract investment, generate quality employment, and build a future for the next generations."