SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 18 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –

A delegation from the Government of the Canary Islands, led by the Deputy Minister of the Presidency, Octavio Caraballo, and the Director General for Relations with Africa, Luis Padilla, met on Thursday in Agadir with officials from the Souss Massa Innovation Centre (CISM) to explore new avenues for collaboration in entrepreneurship and innovation.

This meeting is part of the Canary Islands government’s institutional agenda in Morocco, aimed at reinforcing their “commitment” to enhancing cooperation with “a strategically important neighbouring country,” with whom they have sought to “reactivate” relations over the past two years. Notably, a further visit by Regional President Fernando Clavijo to Agadir is scheduled for January 2026, as noted by the regional government.

Caraballo emphasised that one of the “fundamental” pillars for the archipelago is innovation and science through scientific diplomacy, advocating for future cooperation opportunities to develop in this regard.

Furthermore, the Deputy Minister reminded attendees of the existing links between Canary and Moroccan institutions in higher education, highlighted by the collaboration between Canary universities and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UMP6P). Two months ago, the public higher education institutions from the archipelago and Morocco signed an agreement to facilitate collaboration in research.

He argued that both Moroccan and Canary youths should contribute their talents to address the real challenges faced by both societies, from sustainability to technological transformation. He also stressed the importance of promoting public-private partnership projects in areas that Morocco considers priorities for its development.

COMMON ROADMAP

For his part, Luis Padilla stated that entrepreneurship and innovation are key to the future of the Canary Islands, and that discussions with the innovation centre will create new opportunities, helping connect startups from both regions with a global and competitive environment. Meanwhile, CISM representatives assessed their mission to transform ideas into impactful projects and noted that the Canary Islands is a strategic partner for advancing the internationalisation and growth of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In conclusion, the meeting concluded with a commitment to develop a common roadmap that will enable the implementation of pilot projects, strengthen ties between universities and technological centres, and involve both investors and social agents in creating a shared innovation space between the Canary Islands and Morocco.

In addition to this meeting, the Canary delegation visited the seawater desalination plant in Greater Agadir. This facility spans an area of 20 hectares and is located on the Atlantic coast, approximately 40 kilometres south of Agadir, within the Souss-Massa National Park. The visit underscored the importance of collaborating on significant challenges for both regions, such as water management and distribution.