Fuerteventura Chamber of Commerce signs the Canary Islands’ first agreement with the INCYDE Foundation to promote business innovation

The Fuerteventura Chamber of Commerce and the INCYDE Foundation today, 15 October, signed a cooperation agreement to promote innovation, entrepreneurship and technological transformation among businesses on the Island. It is the first agreement of its kind to be signed in the Canary Islands, making Fuerteventura the starting point for this line of cooperation across the archipelago, according to the public-law corporation in a press release.

Juan Jesús Rodríguez Marichal, president of the Fuerteventura Chamber of Commerce, and Javier Collado, director general of the INCYDE Foundation, formalised the agreement. It will give the island’s small and medium-sized businesses, startups and entrepreneurs access to tools and resources to improve their competitiveness, develop innovative projects and explore new funding opportunities.

The cooperation forms part of the agreement signed on 6 May by the INCYDE Foundation and the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI). Its aim is to promote initiatives that contribute to business creation and consolidation, innovation and technological development, adapting them to the needs of each area.

Initiatives that could be developed in Fuerteventura include information sessions on innovation and entrepreneurship, practical workshops on technological transformation, and business acceleration programmes, particularly for startups and innovative companies. These programmes include diagnostic assessments, specialist mentoring and action plans to support the businesses’ consolidation and growth.

The agreement also paves the way for training programmes to strengthen business capabilities, encourage the creation of technology-based companies and support the development of new projects. Some of these initiatives may receive co-funding from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), through the EFESO Programme.

A key aspect of the agreement is its commitment to bringing CDTI funding instruments and programmes within reach of businesses in Fuerteventura. This will improve awareness of the support available for research, development and innovation projects, as well as businesses’ ability to access it.

By signing the agreement, the two organisations are strengthening their cooperation to bring public support for innovation and entrepreneurship to businesses in Fuerteventura. The aim is to encourage new business ventures, modernise existing businesses and reduce regional disparities in access to technological development opportunities.