The Secretary General for Research of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Eva Ortega Paíno, met with the scientific and technical staff of the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands following the meeting of the ICTS Strategic Council.
The Government of the Canary Islands and the State held the fifty-second meeting of the PLOCAN Strategic Council in order to continue to make progress in the construction, equipment and operations of its infrastructures for research in the field of marine sciences and technologies.
The meeting was attended by the Regional Minister for Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture, Migdalia Machín, the Secretary General for Research of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Eva Ortega Paíno, the Director of the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and the Information Society, Javier Franco, José Ignacio Doncel Morales, Deputy Director General of Large Scientific-Technical Facilities, the Deputy Minister of Economy and Internationalisation of the Canary Islands Government, Gustavo González de Vega, and José Joaquín Hernández, Director of the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands.
At the end of the meeting, the Secretary General for Research of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Eva Ortega Paíno, together with other members of the Strategic Council, met with the scientists and technicians of the Infrastructure.
PLOCAN is a Singular Scientific and Technical Infrastructure (ICTS) for research, development and innovation in the field of marine science and technologies. It is funded by the joint initiative of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Government of Spain through MINECO, being supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The purpose of PLOCAN is to help bring the best research, technological development and innovation to the market as quickly as possible to produce economic growth and employment, through efficient access to the ocean at increasing depths and in an environmentally sustainable way.
PLOCAN aims for a cost-effective combination of services, including housing, operations, data and access to the multi-purpose offshore platform, observatories and test site facilities, to address upcoming ocean science challenges and socio-economic needs.
In addition, it promotes the development of marine and maritime technologies and knowledge with the aim of becoming a world-class test site that contributes to accelerate the development of technologies and knowledge to conserve, regenerate and exploit renewable resources in an efficient and sustainable manner, providing equitable prosperity to users and efficient protection of the environment.
The ICTS offers services of unique and singular value, attracting excellent users of science and technology at national and international level, responding to the R&D&I challenges of the marine and maritime sector, and contributing to position the Canary Islands, Spain and the EU at the forefront of this sector.
On the occasion of the 3rd Conference of Presidents, the Autonomous Communities and the State, in the context of the need to promote science, research and new technologies in Spain, agreed in January 2007 on the Map of Singular Scientific and Technical Facilities (ICTS), including PLOCAN. In December 2007, the specific collaboration agreement was signed between the MEC and the Canary Islands Autonomous Community for the creation of the ‘Consortium for the design, construction, equipment and operation of the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN)’ and the first meeting of the Governing Council was held.
