D. Antonio García Marichal is Island Councillor of the Tenerife 2030 Area: Innovation, Education, Culture and Sports. Vice-Chairman of the Board of Intech Tenerife.
What are the main differences between Intech Tenerife and other Science and Technology Parks? What competitive advantages does it offer?
We offer very competitive advantages. One of them is the location and geostrategic location that Tenerife has and the link with the traditional and historical South America and close to the African coast. As far as competitive differences are concerned, we must point out that Tenerife is an ideal place to work due to its climate and has innovative profiles and personnel trained in order to satisfy the needs of companies that see the possibilities of working on the island. On the other hand, we have tax incentives. The Canary Islands have the Canary Islands Special Zone and this means a tax on economic activities set at 4% to improve the competitiveness of companies.
What does the Tenerife 2030 strategy consist of?
It is a clear commitment and it decides for young people, that from an early age we should be training so that I enter 12 years old, when they have to go out to the labour market, they are qualified for it. We talk about promoting scientific-technical vocations, training them in mental calculation and in creative methodologies based on "desing-thinking" to teach them how to solve challenges. We want the children and young people of Tenerife to be more prepared in the future and to be able to defend and deal with the challenges they face.
Does Intech Tenerife specialize in certain sectors? Which ones?
We bet on four sectors. Tourism is one of them and from Intech Tenerife we want to focus and improve this sector from the point of innovation, so we achieve a destination differentiated from other competitors. Another point that we are concerned about is research, especially linked to the Astrophysics and Space sector, and we have the University of La Laguna, as well as research institutes of international reference, such as the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), the Instituto de Productos Naturales del Centro Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPNA-CSIC), or the Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER). We also work for Renewable Energies, due to the climatic conditions we have. Another sector in which we specialise is Information and Communication Technology. In Tenerife we can develop these strategies without remoteness influencing. This is due to the infrastructures that the Cabildo de Tenerife has deployed abroad in recent years, such as high-speed networks that allow activities related to information technology, which is strong in these sectors, a DataCenter and the Supercomputer "Teide", which is the second most powerful in Spain, to be developed on the island without any problem.
Is Intech Tenerife ready for the installation of local, national and international technology companies?
Yes, we are prepared and we are improving the infrastructures on the island to respond to those companies that have opted for Tenerife to make their investments. The most important thing is what is related to the training of potential employees of these companies that settle in Tenerife. We are making an effort to satisfy those activities that are being demanded. In addition, we encourage entrepreneurship and self-employment activities within strategic sectors, through the Tenerife 2030 and Intech Tenerife programmes.
