Technology Park workers champion stratoport as a European landmark: “There’s nothing like it in Europe”

On La Voz de Fuerteventura’s discussion programme on Radio Insular, we speak to men and women working for leading companies at Fuerteventura Technology Park, where they are developing projects and processes that are pioneering worldwide.

We hear their perspective on the importance of this facility, which is a European first. Its workers, particularly those from the Canary Islands’ capital islands, say the stratoport is “a source of pride for the Canary Islands”, that it “boosts morale” and that it creates real opportunities for talent to stay in the archipelago.

They could build their careers in Madrid, Barcelona, London or any other technology hub in the world, but they have found an island base from which to take part in pioneering projects. They are local engineer Raúl Rodríguez, from Pegasus, operations manager and pilot; Javier Mejías, from A-techSYN, a pilot; Ana González García, from Magline Composites, business development manager and pilot; and David Afonso, also from Magline, an aeronautical mechanics specialist and pilot.

These professionals champion the stratoport where they work every day as a facility that gives the island a distinctive place on the European map. “There’s nothing like it in Europe. Literally, there’s nothing like it in Europe,” they stressed, explaining the true scale of a site that, despite its potential, remains unknown to much of Fuerteventura’s community.

The stratoport is more than a runway or a technical facility. For those who work there, it is a vast laboratory.

It is a place where large unmanned aircraft are tested, designs refined and safety systems trialled; where telecommunications work is carried out and progress is made towards integrating civil aviation with unmanned aviation.

That is precisely one of the things that makes Fuerteventura exceptional: the opportunity to operate alongside a commercial airport, with constant communication between technicians, air traffic control and companies, while benefiting from a low population density, less congested airspace and extensive maritime areas for safer testing.

It is not simply a matter of flying drones, they warn. It is about establishing the procedures that will allow civil operations using unmanned aircraft to be authorised in the future, defining air corridors, ensuring stable communications and automating permits that can currently take months, Ana González explains, making no secret of her passion for the work or her satisfaction at being able to do it in Fuerteventura.

“We are the first in Europe, certainly, and probably in the world, to be designing the certification processes,” she said, emphasising the scale of the challenge.

Projects already under way include work related to fire management, biodiversity and hospital logistics.

In healthcare, Pegasus and Magline are working on flights that could connect health centres with Fuerteventura General Hospital to transport blood samples or clinical materials, significantly reducing response times.

Tests have demonstrated that these routes are viable, including a connection between the stratoport, the hospital and health centres such as the one in Corralejo, with journey times of no more than 15 minutes.

The possibility of transporting organs for transplants in the future was also raised. In this field, time is critical, and the immediate authorisation of safe routes could make all the difference.

Work is also under way on software that could speed up flight permits and even adapt routes in real time. “That is absolutely pioneering worldwide; there is nothing like it,” they said.

The technology currently being tested in Fuerteventura could also have much wider applications in biodiversity, collecting data to help prevent and respond to the adverse effects of storms or droughts linked to climate change, monitoring maritime areas and detecting the arrival of small migrant boats, which could help save lives.

Airbus moves into the Technology Park

The work being done by companies already based at the Park is helping attract other major firms. Airbus is one such example, they say proudly. “For a company like Airbus, with its long-established reputation in commercial aviation, to come here and take an interest not only in the facilities but also in what we have achieved and in the companies based here — well, as a source of pride for the Canary Islands, we can say it really boosts morale.”

Ana, Javier, David and Raúl highlight the potential of Fuerteventura Technology Park, which is taking off and will continue to develop and create value in today’s global context. They also call for more training in this field. The goal was put forward by former Park manager Eduardo Pereira, and the Fuerteventura Island Council plans to make it a reality by building a higher education centre near the Park.

In this vein, local engineer Raúl Rodríguez argued for the need to create a training pathway that would enable talent to return and provide “decent work” in technology. Ana González made the same point: until that happens, young people studying engineering or technical subjects should know they can return to the island and find a first-rate centre where they can build a high-quality career beyond tourism.

The workers stress that the Technology Park and the stratoport offer a real opportunity to diversify an island that has almost always looked to tourism as its only option.

There is a good quality of life here, they say, but also laboratories, simulation rooms, European projects, specialist companies and professionals equipped to compete from Fuerteventura with any major technology hub.

Against the backdrop of limited awareness of, or distance from, the Technology Park among some people in Fuerteventura, its workers are calling for a different perspective.

They want to show an island that can be proud to help design processes and projects that could be exported to other territories in the future.

These projects could have an impact across a range of fields, including healthcare, and could not only diversify the economy but also improve the quality of life of Fuerteventura’s residents.