findme in gran canaria
DESCRIPTION
A special investment feature published in the inflight magazine of Qatar Airways, Oryx. Explore the investment opportunities in the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, a solid tourist destination with almost 4 million visitors per year and a geo-strategic location for businesses between Europe, America and Africa.TRANSCRIPT
When Demi Moore, Shirley
McLane and Jessica Lange
arrived in Gran Canaria last
-XO\�WR�ÀOP�¶:LOG�2DWV·��SHR-
ple in the island weren´t sur-
prised. Ridley Scott, Christian
Bale or Sigourney Weaver and
a large list of celebrities befo-
re them had previously visited
the small Spanish archipelago.
Suddenly the islands became
trendy and known as a natural
movie set but also as a very
c o n v e -
QLHQW� ÀVFDO�l o c a t i o n ,
the lowest
within the
E u r o p e a n
U n i o n .
Even S·3, a Swiss Aerospace
Company, has chosen Gran
Canaria as a strategic place to
ODXQFK� LWV� VSDFH� ÁLJKWV�� ´:H�are in Europe but with tax be-
QHÀWV�� D� JUHDW� FOLPDWH� DQG� D�strategic location for a possi-
ble expansion into Africa. We
are in a good position, therefore,
to place ourselves in the global
market. All we need is more
promotion, understanding and
YLVXDOL]DWLRQ´��VD\V�-RVH�0LJXHO�Bravo de Laguna, the president
of Gran Canaria´s government.
Located in the middle of the
Atlantic and much closer to
Africa than to Europe, the Ca-
nary Islands are said to have
the best climate in the world,
never too hot and never too
cold. In very short distances
you can walk from a 2,000
metre mountain peak to a long
sandy beach, with temperatu-
res changing with every step.
43% of the island has been
GHFODUHG�D�81(6&2�%LRVSKH-re Reserve
and is in-
deed like a
min ia tu re
continent.
´7KLV� LV� D�very unique
feature that should become an as-
set”, says Bravo de Laguna. And
it surely has, because for the past
50 years it has been the favouri-
te European holiday destination,
with 12 million holiday-makers
a year. Almost 4 million of them
come to Gran Canaria, which
normally has a population of less
than a million. Some of them
even stay half of the year to
avoid cold winters at home.
The island has become the
foremost international invest-
ment recipient in the region
and both professionals and
multinationals have chosen it
as the perfect location to work
in. Good weather, a low cost
of living -well below Euro-
pean average- and low taxes
are some of the reasons. Com-
panies are also increasingly
choosing the island for its lo-
cation as a gateway to emer-
ging markets in West Africa
and a distribution platform
between Africa, Europe and
$PHULFD�� ´7KHUH� DUH� LQYHVW-ment opportunities in tourism
and transport. We are expan-
ding our airport which alre-
ady has 12 million passengers
yearly and is connected to 275
destinations. There are exci-
ting opportunities in strategic
lines of marine research due
to the geographical location
of Gran Canaria as well as in
clean energy and water treat-
ment. Gran Canaria is globa-
lly recognized as a pioneer in
GHVDOLQDWLRQ� DQG� SXULÀFDWLRQ�of water. But in my opinion,
the greatest potential is yet to
EH� IXOÀOOHG� DQG� WKDW� LV� LWV� UH-lations with Africa”, says the
President. Gran Canaria falls
under the Special Tax Regime
of Canary Islands (REF), one
RI� WKH� PRVW� DWWUDFWLYH� ÀVFDO�schemes in Europe which has
stimulated international atten-
tion and includes the Special
Economic Zone (ZEC) that
offers only 4% corporate tax
and incentives as the Special
Investment Reserve (RIC) that
aims to reinvest dividends in
WKH� LVODQG�� ´%H\RQG� WRXULVP��
the economic engine of the is-
land is our port”, says the pre-
VLGHQW��´1RUZHJLDQV��*HUPDQV�and Americans are locating
their oil-related businesses in
Las Palmas Port to service the
oil rich region of West Africa,
while companies like Kin ross
is managing its mining busi-
ness in Mauritania from Gran
Canaria”. In November 2014
Repsol, the largest Spanish oil
company, started exploring the
subsea of the Canaries hoping
WR�ÀQG�WKH�VDPH�EODFN�WUHDVXUH�that is found in West African
waters. In the meantime, rigs
and cranes from West Africa
sail to Las Palmas Port, the
third biggest port in Spain, for
their mandatory check-ups.
The World Food Program has
recently established its logis-
tics base in Gran Canaria and
the Red Cross has also located
there to cover the African con-
WLQHQW��´*UDQ�&DQDULD��DGGLWLR-
nally, offers European legal
VHFXULW\�DQG�1$72�FRYHUDJHµ��explains Bravo de Laguna.
FindeMe in Gran CanariaAn investment trendy island
Produced by Global Gulf ConsultingManaging director and editor: Nayra Delgado
Design: Jose MedinaProduction: María José Mujica & Franck Pérez
“A logistic
platform between 3 continents
and a strong private sector”
“The European door
to West Africa”
Gran Canaria
José Miguel Bravo de Laguna, president of Gran Canaria Goverment
Download the full report at www.globalgulfconsulting.es
Transformed into a centre of
oceanographic investigation,
the University of Las Palmas
de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)
has merged all experimental
sciences into the Faculty of
0DULQH� 6FLHQFHV�� ´:H� VWXG\�marine movement and trans-
SRUW�� 2XU� HQJLQHHUV� VWXG\�subsea robotics, or develop
communication satellites that
analyse data from the ocean.
We are a leading manufactu-
rer of underwater technolo-
gy, such as gliders developed
ZLWK� 3/2&$1� DQG� VRPH� RI�our geomantic technology
has even been acquired by
Google Earth. We run one of
the largest marine technolo-
gical research centres in Ta-
liarte, and more recently we
have been studying algae and
cyanobacteria, as the Bank
of Algae is located in Gran
Canaria. We capture and
identify algae, we study their
genetic material, and then we
SXULI\� DQG� VWRUH� WKHP�� ´:H�are developing proto-drugs
with laboratories from cya-
nobacteria”, explains Mr.
José Regidor, President of
U L P G C .
Some of
the Uni-
v e r s i t y
s p e c i a l -
ties and
r e s e a r c h
programs
are orien-
tated to aquaculture and sea
pollution prevention, control
DQG� SXULILFDWLRQ�� ´:H� DUH� LQ�WKH� $WODQWLF� 2FHDQ�� ZKHUH�we visualize a tri-continental
bridge with America, Africa
and Europe. We have strong
relations with European and
American Universities and
researches, and increasin-
JO\� ZLWK� $IULFDµ�� ´:H� ZDQW�to expand to other regions”,
explains Regidor as part of
the University internationa-
lization process. Under the
auspice of the EU, the Uni-
versity leads social programs
in Senegal and international
alliances with international
respected universities, where
transfer of technology is the
key aspect. As the sea is also
the base for the tourism suc-
cess of the island, the Uni-
versity has captured 50 years
of local
expertise
that have
transfor-
med the
i s l a n d
into a
t o u r i s m
magne t ,
and has created some very re-
puted graduate and postgra-
GXDWH�SURJUDPV��´:H�UHFHLYH�many students from abroad
in our exchange programs
and we want to encourage
more to join us for a mutual
benefit of sharing knowledge
and cultures”.
Blue economy in a tourism destination FOTO
ULPGC
Moving towards
better opportunities?
Join us
www.english.ulpgc.es
UNIVERSITY OF
LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA
/ CANARY ISLANDS
CAMPUS DE EXCELENCIA INTERNACIONAL DE ÁMBITO REGIONAL
“Europe #1
tourist destination
(number of nights)”
José Regidor, Dean of Las Palmas University
Download the full report at www.globalgulfconsulting.es
With an enviable clean blue
sky and surrounded by some
of the deepest sea waters of the
world very close to the shore,
Gran Canaria offers the scien-
ce community unique charac-
teristics for two things: Mari-
ne technology and astronomy.
That´s maybe why the biggest
telescope in the world is loca-
Around 50 years ago, Mr. Emi-
liano Arencibia started a small
but international business: he
exported coffee
from the Cana-
ries to the West
Coast of Africa
where Spanish
troops were lo-
cated. Today
Emicela is one
of the world´s
largest ameni-
ties manufactu-
rers with businesses in Ame-
rica, Africa and Europe and
exports to more than 35 des-
tinations. It is also the largest
candy manufacturer in Europe
and although it still produces
coffee, it now offers a wide
portfolio of food and beverages.
Emiliano´s sons and daughters
DJUHH� WRGD\�RQ� WKH� EHQHÀWV� RI�
WKH�LVODQG��´*UDQ�&DQDULD�KDV�D�privileged location as a natural
international hub. That´s why
our HQ is still in the island.
However, the company´s suc-
cess lays in our staff, hard work
DQG�ORZ�SURÀOHµ��%HWWLQJ�RQ�UH-newables, in 2011 a ¤6 million
PV plant was installed over the
roof of its facilities, being the
largest of the Islands and the
10th largest in Spain. The 1.75
MWp project has over 15 km
of solar structu-
res and can pro-
duce 2.6 GWh
annually, enou-
gh to power
796 homes and
avoid green-
house gases.
´$� NH\� IDFWRU�to our develop-
ment is innova-
WLRQ��2XU�IDFLOLWLHV�DUH�HTXLSSHG�with the latest technologies and
we develop new products, pac-
kaging and cosmetic formulas;
we register new patents and uti-
lity models, many of them dev-
YHORS�IRU�H[SRUW��:H�DUH�FHUWLÀHG�LQ�4XDOLW\� 6\VWHPV� �,62�������and Food Safety (according to
WKH�,)6��´�
ted in La Palma, a nearby is-
land, or on the Bank of Algae,
one of the most renowned ins-
titutions of the world for this
subject, is examining the deep
waters of the island, looking
for the magic ingredients of
eternal youth and health or the
ultimate gasoline. New tech-
nologies applied to renewables
are developed in the archipe-
lago due to its unique weather
conditions with strong winds,
long daylight hours and even
its volcanos .The largest wind
turbine in Spain, developed by
Gamesa, is in Gran Canaria.
Local researchers have combi-
ned renewables with water des-
alination techniques and have
achieved the unachievable: To
transform El Hierro, an island
West of Gran Canaria, into
WKH�ÀUVW� LVODQG� LQ� WKH�ZRUOG� WR�EHFRPH� HQHUJ\� VHOI�VXIÀFLHQW�through a multi-million euro
project that combines a wind
farm with two hydroelectric
projects and three water desali-
nation plans. The islands are, in
fact, a world reference point in
GHVDOLQDWLRQ�WHFKQRORJLHV��´:H�have a research centre orien-
ted to marine technologies and
renewables in Gran Canaria;
a centre specializing in as-
tronomy and the development
of associated technologies as
surgery in Tenerife and a cen-
tre dedicated to sustainability
and technologies designed for
arid climates in Fuerteventu-
ra”, explains Juan Ruiz Alzola,
Director of ACIISI, the local
authority behind science pro-
PRWLRQ�DQG�LQYHVWPHQWV��´7KH-re are investment opportunities
in biodiversity, sustainability
and astronomy in the islands
that simply can´t be located in
any other part of the world and
in fact we have entire scienti-
ÀF�FRPPXQLWLHV�VSHFLDOL]LQJ�LQ�WKHVH�ÀHOGV�HVWDEOLVKHG�SHUPD-nently here”.
Sea &
Sky innovation
app business
in the island at the reach PG�ZPVS�mOHFSUJQT
Local expertise
International knowledge
ACIISI
EMICELA“4% corporate
tax, lowest
in EU”
Juan
Rui
z Alz
ola,
Dir
ecto
r of
the
loca
l Age
ncy
of
Investi
gati
on, Innovati
on a
nd I
nform
ati
on S
ocie
ty
Download the full report at www.globalgulfconsulting.es