Innovation, collaboration and Knowledge and Technology Transfer towards a more dynamic and resilient ecosystem
On 17 June, the European project InnoVamos, co-funded by the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 Programme, held its public launch event on the island of Gran Canaria, bringing together representatives from the academic, business, institutional and innovation ecosystem sectors of the MAC region (Madeira, Azores and Canary Islands) and West African countries such as Ghana, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Organised by the Canary Islands Science and Technology Park Foundation of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (FCPCT-ULPGC), which coordinates the project, the event offered an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen academia-business collaboration, consolidate strategic partnerships, and move forward with the activities foreseen in the project.
Throughout the day, participants were introduced to the main objectives, action lines and collaboration opportunities of InnoVamos, highlighting its commitment to inclusive, connected innovation aimed at regional development. The hybrid format —in person and online via live streaming— allowed broad and diverse participation, including universities, technology centres, SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, public institutions, investors, entrepreneurs and social actors.
The programme combined informative sessions, discussion panels and networking spaces, fostering knowledge and technology transfer, transnational collaboration, and the creation of synergies among key regional innovation stakeholders.
Among the most prominent speakers at the event were:
- Richard Yeboah, Director of the Ghana Innovation Hub and founder of the Centre for Enterprise Learning (CEL)
- Marco M. Alemán, Deputy Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
- Pilar Moreno, Director of the “Invest in the Canary Islands” area (PROEXCA)
- Braulio Quintana Sánchez, General Manager of the EMERGE Association
- Roberto Pangallo, Programme Management Officer at WOOPTIX
- Miguel Pombo, Representative of IGNAE – Azores Life Science
- Duarte Toubarro, Biochemist, researcher and Assistant Professor at the University of the Azores (UAc)
- Mayte Tames, Head of Environmental Procedures and Ecosystems at Elittoral, PhD in Oceanography and Global Change
The event was held at the FCPCT-ULPGC facilities, located at the Tafira Campus of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, English and Portuguese.
In a collaborative and inspiring atmosphere, the InnoVamos launch event laid the foundations for a more competitive, sustainable and inclusive innovation ecosystem, connecting knowledge to the real needs of the territories and strengthening their international projection.
You can now watch the summary video of the InnoVamos project launch event on YouTube.