EL ROSARIO (TENERIFE), 11 (EUROPA PRESS)
The Presidents of the Canary Islands and Euskadi, Fernando Clavijo and Imanol Pradales, highlighted on Thursday the commitment of both governments to strengthen ties with the Instituto Astrofísico de Canarias (IAC) and explore “new opportunities” in the scientific and space sector.
This statement came during a visit to the Teide Astronomical Observatory, where they reviewed its equipment and explored the historical relationship between the IAC and the Basque industry.
Pradales emphasised the need for both territories to collaborate “even more”, asserting that “an advanced country must have an advanced scientific and technological system.” He pointed out that, through the IAC, there is “an opportunity for growth in scientific terms, knowledge generation, and also in terms of national development” in the Canary Islands.
In this context, he highlighted the “close collaboration between researchers” from the DIPC (Donostia International Physics Center) and research teams from the EHU with scientists at the Gran Telescopio de Canarias.
He stated, “We have travelled an interesting path so far, but in the future, there is room to expand collaboration between Euskadi and the Canary Islands in the scientific field, particularly in astrophysics.”
“We have the capabilities, we have the positive experience from these years, and we have the collaboration protocol we have signed. We have all the ingredients to give it a boost, and now it’s time to do so,” he added, emphasising that “an advanced country needs an advanced scientific system.”
Thanks to the collaboration protocol signed by Euskadi and the Canary Islands, which will enable various research, development, and innovation policies, the Basque Government believes that “a great opportunity opens up for the Basque technological and industrial sector”. In this regard, the Lehendakari expressed confidence in the potential to generate new projects that would promote “innovation, competitiveness, and market positioning.”
“Euskadi has very important companies in the aerospace field, a booming sector in recent years, but we also have highly specialised precision machining companies that already play a significant role in these technological systems. Science opens doors to knowledge but also paths for development for Euskadi,” concluded the Lehendakari.
CLAVIJO: “VERY PROUD” OF THE IAC
Clavijo noted that the people of the Canary Islands and Spain are “very proud” of the IAC as it is a “world reference”, with technical and scientific developments that have “multiple applications”, historically involving many Basque companies and researchers.
He pointed out that a “world of collaboration and opportunities” is now opening up, especially if La Palma is ultimately chosen as the site for the Thirty Metre Telescope.
He also highlighted the potential role of the IAC in addressing “space debris” and the evolution of meteorological phenomena, indicating that astrophysics “has a very promising future” with a “real impact” on everyday life.
The director of the IAC, Valentín Martínez, stated that the visit of both presidents is a “unique opportunity” for greater collaboration in R&D+i, as there are Basque companies that “have built telescopes and will continue to build telescopes”, noting that Euskadi “has always been very competitive industrially.”
He also appreciated the “historic support” from the Government of the Canary Islands and hopes that this collaboration will help reinforce the La Palma observatory.
During the tour of the complex, the presidents visited some of the most notable telescopes and instruments, including the Gregor Solar Telescope, the largest of its kind in Europe, which facilitates the study of magnetic fields and plasma dynamics in the Sun’s photosphere.
They also learned about the OGS (Optical Ground Station) of the ESA, which plays a key role in optical communications with satellites and tracks space debris, as well as the QUIJOTE project, dedicated to the study of the polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background, a ‘relic’ of the light from the Big Bang that contains crucial information about the origin of the Universe.
The delegation also had the opportunity to observe solar activity with outreach telescopes and in the Solar Laboratory Telescope experiment (SolarLab).
