The Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) is entering a new stage of consolidation and growth following the approval today by its Governing Board of its 2026 Action Plan and its 2026–2028 Multiannual Action Plan, two instruments that reinforce its position as a leading scientific and technical infrastructure in the marine-maritime field and as a strategic asset for the Canary Islands and Spain.
The 2026–2028 Multiannual Plan defines this period as a stage of “institutional consolidation and maturity,” in which PLOCAN is steering its activity towards the optimization, specialization and enhancement of its infrastructures, services and management capacities.
The planning is structured around four major lines of action: consolidation and expansion of infrastructures; strengthening participation as a node in the distributed ICTS network (Unique Scientific and Technical Infrastructures); promoting research, innovation and projects; and strengthening governance and socioeconomic impact.
This new stage is supported by its management track record: PLOCAN closed the 2025 Action Plan with a 92.75% implementation rate, a figure that reflects its execution capacity, monitoring of objectives and commitment to results. In addition, the pending actions have not been dropped, but rather rescheduled or incorporated into the 2026 planning, reinforcing an image of continuity, responsibility and sustained work.
The figures further reinforce this image of solidity. The 2026–2028 Multiannual Action Plan has a structural budget of 9 million euros, financed equally by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Government of the Canary Islands. In addition, there is a portfolio of 53 active projects as of December 2025, with a total managed budget of 45 million euros, of which 28 million euros are allocated to the 2026–2028 period, and 11 million euros of that amount will already be mobilised in 2026. In addition, allocations from new project budgets arising during this period will also be added.
According to PLOCAN’s Managing Director, Carlos Medina, “the plans for the current year and for the 2026–2028 three-year period consolidate a model of mature, competitive and useful infrastructure for science, technology, business innovation and sustainable development. At a time when the ocean occupies a central place in the major scientific, energy and environmental challenges, PLOCAN is strengthening its condition as a strategic platform for generating knowledge, validating solutions and contributing to the progress of the Canary Islands, Spain and Europe.”
New resources in 2026
Growth also translates into a larger team, more activity and greater investment. PLOCAN expects to increase its total workforce from 59 employees in 2025 to 66 during this year, reaching 71 in 2028.
In addition, for the current financial year it aims to consolidate the use of autonomous systems and marine robotics through new VIMAS missions (autonomous underwater and surface vehicles), while moving forward with the renewal of these capacities through the tendering of new units.
This will be accompanied by investments in new autonomous systems capabilities and in the modernisation and adaptation of the land-based headquarters infrastructure, with further actions also planned for the offshore platform and the Tazacorte headquarters.
Ocean observation actions for 2026 include the expansion of openly available data from the ESTOC station, underwater imagery and underwater acoustics. New advanced capabilities will also be promoted through the tendering of a fibre-optic DAS system, the deployment of a pilot passive acoustic system for real-time cetacean detection, and the commissioning of a continuous ocean observation buoy in La Palma.
“With this planning, PLOCAN presents itself as a solid, specialised and ambitious entity: an infrastructure prepared to attract talent and projects, generate useful knowledge and contribute decisively to the sustainable development of the Canary Islands,” said Carlos Medina.
The annual plan will strengthen the sustainability and cybersecurity of its facilities through the calculation of its carbon footprint, a digital energy management model, and the actions required to obtain ISO/IEC 27001 certification.
At the same time, PLOCAN will continue reinforcing its role as a driver of the blue economy and as an agent of impact in its surrounding environment. The 2026 Action Plan includes the tendering of a technology watch platform for the marine-maritime sector in the MAC area (Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands), training actions aimed at blue economy companies in La Palma, a volunteer programme linked to environmental care, the celebration of the 16th edition of the Glider School, and activities in educational centres to foster STEAM vocations among children and young people across the islands.
