The most innovative players in the Canary Islands — including businesses, universities, technology centres, clusters, and entrepreneurs — gathered in Tenerife to strengthen their ties with Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, led by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). The organisation presented a range of specific programmes designed for outermost regions such as the Canary Islands, highlighting several ongoing projects with Canarian participation. The aim is to further boost collaboration and innovation across the archipelago.
The ‘EIT Days Canarias: Driving Innovation in the Canary Islands’ events helped connect the region’s innovation stakeholders with the EIT. Companies, entrepreneurs, universities, technology centres, and clusters came together to explore the full potential offered by this EU body, which focuses on fostering innovation and enhancing regional cooperation.
The EIT has been active in Spain for several years, including in the Canary Islands, and operates across nine knowledge areas: climate change, energy, health, food, manufacturing, raw materials, digitalisation, urban mobility, and culture and creativity. Through these thematic areas, it delivers a variety of programmes, some specifically designed for outermost regions.
Between 2021 and 2024, the EIT channelled €285 million into Spain, supporting 913 companies and helping to launch 185 innovations. The event in Santa Cruz, hosted at the Fundación CajaCanarias, was opened by EIT Director Martin Kern, who stated: “The EIT is committed to unlocking the full potential of innovators in the Canary Islands. The archipelago has unique strengths that align perfectly with our Knowledge and Innovation Communities. Through targeted initiatives and our EIT Community Hub in Spain, we aim to harness this potential and help address the region’s challenges. We’ve already seen inspiring success stories from the Canary Islands, and we want to go further — by expanding activities, strengthening local ecosystems, and ensuring lasting impact.”
The event brought together nearly 80 representatives from European, national, and Canarian innovation communities. Kern also announced the establishment of EIT Community Hub Spain, created this year to connect local innovators across the country with the broader European EIT ecosystem and its KICs (Knowledge and Innovation Communities).
“The work of EIT Community Hub Spain and events like today’s are key to our mission of driving innovation nationwide — linking regions such as the Canary Islands with the resources, expertise, and opportunities of Europe’s largest innovation network,” he added.
EIT Community Hub Spain organised the two events in collaboration with the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI). Its Director, Javier Franco, highlighted the strategic importance of this partnership: “The Canary Islands have enormous potential to lead innovation among outermost regions. Our alliance with the EIT is essential to strengthening our capabilities. Accessing European programmes means not only funding but also knowledge, international networks, and the chance to turn ideas into projects with global impact. At ACIISI, we work to promote this integration, which is key to sustainable economic and social development in the Canary Islands.”
Speakers also included Germán Esteban, Deputy Head of the European Commission’s Outermost Regions Unit, and Alexis Oliva, Director of Economic Promotion and Diversification for the Government of the Canary Islands.
European funding: closer than you think
A key message throughout the event was that “European funding is closer than you think.” Representatives from several EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) — including EIT Culture & Creativity (Judit Bataye), EIT Digital (Eduardo Troche), EIT Food (Begoña Pérez Villarreal), EIT Health (Izabel Alfany), and EIT Raw Materials (Manuel Regueiro) and EIT Urban Mobility (Martí Massot) — discussed available opportunities during a panel moderated by Laura Ovies.
There was also a session on successful training initiatives in the Canary Islands, featuring José Francisco Gómez (Universidad de La Laguna), André Vieira (InnoEnergy Skills Institute), Marta Albújar (Deep Tech Talent Initiative), Natalia Calavita (Girls Go Circular), and Gerard Domínguez-Reig (EIT Campus).
About the EIT Community
The EIT Community is a collaborative network that brings together public and private partners through its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).
These KICs drive systemic change in Europe and beyond, focusing on key areas such as climate, energy, health, food, manufacturing, raw materials, digitalisation, urban mobility, culture, and creativity.
By leveraging the collective expertise of its communities, the EIT fosters innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity across Europe. Working together, we can build a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable European economy for future generations.
For more information about the EIT Community and its initiatives, contact EIT Community Hub Spain at spain@eitcommunity.eu, or follow EIT Community Hub Spain and EIT-RIS Spain on LinkedIn.
About the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS)
The EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) was launched in 2014 to strengthen innovation performance in countries and regions classified as ‘emerging’ or ‘modest’ innovators under the European Innovation Scoreboard.
EIT RIS is managed by the EIT and implemented through its KICs.
For more information, visit: www.eit-ris.eu
