The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is once again taking part in the 2025 Canary Islands Science and Innovation Weeks, promoted by the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and the Information Society (ACIISI) of the Government of the Canary Islands. This year’s participation combines open-day activities at its onshore headquarters in Taliarte with travelling outreach actions in educational centres across Gran Canaria.
Over the course of two weeks, PLOCAN is running the activity “Sea-Flavoured Science: get to know PLOCAN”, a programme of guided visits that brings marine research, ocean technologies and marine renewable energies closer to school students in the Canary Islands. The sessions take place from 3 to 13 November at PLOCAN’s onshore site in Taliarte.
Each day, a school group of up to 35 students takes part in an interactive tour of the facilities and equipment, aimed at Primary, Secondary, Baccalaureate and Vocational Training students.
“This is an outreach activity that invites educational centres in Gran Canaria to discover, in a hands-on and engaging way, how the ocean is researched from the Canary Islands and what role marine renewable energies play in the transition towards a cleaner future,” explained José Gil, the programme coordinator at PLOCAN.
Throughout the visit, students are introduced to tools used to study marine life, they learn about the challenges involved in its conservation and, through examples and accessible language, explore the potential of ocean energies as a driver of change. The aim is to bring marine research and its technologies into the classroom, foster interest and awareness around energy sustainability, promote scientific vocations and encourage support for the conservation of the marine environment.
In addition to the visits to Taliarte, PLOCAN is participating in the Science Weeks with the outreach activity “Artificial Brains: when data speak”, a travelling workshop that introduces students to the fascinating world of artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data. Through dynamic talks and practical examples, the PLOCAN team explains how artificial neural networks work, how algorithms learn from large volumes of data and how these technologies are transforming everyday life, from online recommendation systems to autonomous systems.
In this year’s edition, the “Artificial Brains: when data speak” sessions are being delivered in various educational centres across the island of Gran Canaria. The activity is mainly aimed at Baccalaureate and Higher Vocational Training students and “its goal is to demystify how artificial intelligence works, showing in a simple way how machine learning models are trained, fine-tuned and ‘learn’ from their errors in order to improve their predictions,” said programme coordinator Nayra Pumar.
By jointly running “Sea-Flavoured Science: get to know PLOCAN” and “Artificial Brains: when data speak”, PLOCAN strengthens its commitment to scientific and technological outreach, fostering critical thinking and interest in STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) among young people. The combination of activities at its own facilities and in educational centres helps bring both marine research and the data-driven digital revolution closer to the entire educational community in the Canary Islands.
PLOCAN’s participation in the 2025 Science and Innovation Weeks in the Canary Islands is carried out within the framework of the EDUROVs project, funded by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria and with the collaboration of the STEAM programme of the Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands.
