Innovation, Collaboration, and Knowledge & Technology Transfer in the MAC Area: Towards a Dynamic Ecosystem for Innovation

The European project InnoVamos, funded by the INTERREG MAC 2021–2027 Programme, will hold its public launch event on June 17, 2025, on the island of Gran Canaria. The event will bring together representatives from the academic, business, institutional, and innovation ecosystems of the participating regions in the MAC Area (Madeira, Azores, and Canary Islands), as well as from West African countries such as Ghana, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe.

InnoVamos is a strategic initiative coordinated by the Canary Islands Science and Technology Park Foundation of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (FCPCT-ULPGC), aiming to strengthen collaboration between universities, technology centers, companies, and institutional stakeholders. The project promotes more inclusive and connected innovation, with a direct impact on the economic and social development of the involved regions.

During the event, the main objectives and lines of action of the project will be presented, along with the collaboration opportunities that will be available throughout its implementation. The program will include informative sessions, dialogue panels, and networking spaces, fostering exchange among key players in the MAC cooperation area’s innovation ecosystem.

Key speakers and confirmed participants include:

• Sebastián López Suárez, Vice-Rector for Research, Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship, ULPGC
• Richard Yeboah, Director of Ghana Innovation Hub and Founder of the Centre for Enterprise Learning (CEL)
• Marco M. Alemán, Deputy Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• Pilar Moreno, Director of the “Invest in the Canary Islands” Department (PROEXCA)
• Braulio Quintana Sánchez, General Manager of EMERGE Association
• Glenn Cauwenberghs, Senior Innovation Specialist, United Nations Tourism

The event will take place at the FCPCT-ULPGC facilities, located on the Tafira Campus of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC). It will follow a hybrid format, allowing both on-site attendance and online participation via streaming. Simultaneous interpretation will be available in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.

Registration is open to all innovation ecosystem stakeholders: universities, technology centers, SMEs, start-ups, spin-offs, public institutions, investors, entrepreneurs, and social actors. Coffee and lunch breaks will provide additional opportunities for interaction and cooperation among attendees.

Registration link – INNOVAMOS Launch Event

Event Booklet – Spanish version

Event Booklet – English version

InnoVamos aims to build a resilient transnational innovation ecosystem, bridging knowledge with territorial needs and supporting the transition toward a more competitive, sustainable, and inclusive development model.