The Canary Islands and Morocco have taken a decisive step towards international cooperation with the signing of their first joint call for proposals in science and innovation. The initiative, promoted by the Canary Islands Government's Africa Canarias Challenge programme and implemented by the EMERGE association, marks a milestone in relations between the two regions by encouraging the development of scientific and technological projects in a coordinated manner.
The agreement was formalised this week in the presence of the President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, and the top academic representatives of the public universities of the archipelago - Francisco J. García for the University of La Laguna (ULL) and Lluis Serra Majem for the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) - as well as the President of the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) of Morocco, Hicham El Habti. The Councillor for Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture, Migdalia Machín, and the President of EMERGE, Manuel Ruiz, also took part in the event.
The call will promote joint projects in strategic areas such as water management, renewable energies, public health and food security. These themes have been selected because of their relevance in the current context and because they represent common challenges for both regions, which share similar concerns about climate change and sustainability.
The Moroccan university UM6P, considered one of the most advanced research centres on the African continent, will contribute its experience in applied innovation and technological development. For their part, the Canary Islands universities will contribute their research capacity in key areas of knowledge, consolidating a bridge of academic and scientific collaboration between Europe and Africa.
As Hicham El Habti explained, "the challenges we face - climate, water, food, energy - call for cross-border collaboration with a common purpose". In the same vein, EMERGE stressed that this agreement not only boosts the innovative ecosystem of the archipelago, but also strengthens ties with the African continent from a perspective of equality, cooperation and mutual benefit.
The call for grants is expected to be launched before the end of the year, with funding shared between the Canary Islands Government and the UM6P. The grants will be aimed at both research teams and innovative companies, promoting the transfer of knowledge and the development of technological solutions that respond to real needs in both territories. The alliance, in addition to being scientific, represents a step towards a diplomacy of knowledge that reinforces the role of the Canary Islands as a linking platform between Africa and Europe.
Source: gobiernodecanarias.org, ULL