The Canary Islands Regional Ministry of Economy, Industry, Trade and Knowledge’s Research, Innovation and Information Society Agency (ACIISI, as it is known in Spanish) is leading the RIS3Net Project aimed at forging a strategic Alliance in Macaronesia to facilitate co-operation and identify common synergies in areas of smart specialisation that include blue growth, tourism and the agro-industry.

Manuel Miranda, director of ACIISI, said at the RIS3Net kick-off meeting that “Smart Specialisation has become one of the keys to the economic and social development of European regions as it takes into consideration their specific characteristics, challenges and opportunities”.

The RIS3Net kick-off meeting was attended by the entities that form part of the consortium from the archipelagos of the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Azores. The encounter was opened by the head of the ACIISI area of R+D+i, Antonio López, who highlighted the importance of the project to drive research, technological development and innovation, enhance the competitiveness of SMEs, foster adaptation to climate change; conserve and protect the environment and promote resource efficiency and to enhance institutional capacity and the efficiency of the public administrations.

PLOCAN is taking part in the project, along with ACIISI, the Canary Island Institute of Technology, the Regional Agency for Research, Technology and Innovation, the Regional Foundation for Science and Technology, participants from Third Countries involved in the Programme: Cape Verde, Senegal, Mauritania; the Cape Verde Operational Node for Information Society and the Azores Regional Department of Science and Technology.

RIS3Net has a budget of over €600.000 that is co-funded by the Interreg MAC 2014-202 Programme and it will develop of strategy of institutional co-operation and a common system of governance aimed at institutions with responsibilities for planning, execution and monitoring smart specialisation strategies in the MAC regions, whilst at the same time, bearing in mind the potential expansion of the project to third countries..

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