Tenerife Unveils Ambitious 'Space Horizon' Aerospace Plan
Tenerife Island Council President Rosa Dávila unveiled 'Tenerife Space Horizon,' an ambitious plan to establish the island as a global leader in aerospace and technology, aiming to create over 500 jobs and attract nearly 79 million euros in investment.
Rosa Dávila, President of the Tenerife Island Council, unveiled 'Tenerife Space Horizon' on Thursday. This is the most ambitious aerospace plan ever launched in the Canary Islands, aiming to make the island a world leader in space, technological innovation, and the knowledge-based economy.
The strategy plans to create over 500 direct jobs in the medium term and attract nearly 79 million euros in investment over the next five years. This will establish a new way to diversify the island's economy.
During her speech, Rosa Dávila highlighted that "Tenerife has a historic opportunity to significantly advance its development. The aerospace sector is happening now, not in the future, and the island has the ideal conditions to lead this field from the Canary Islands to the world."
'Tenerife Space Horizon' builds on years of scientific and technological work on the island. It is supported by the international reputation of the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute, the IACTEC ecosystem, and advanced facilities at ITER, such as its supercomputer and the D-ALiX platform.
The strategy aims to transform Tenerife into a major Atlantic aerospace hub. It seeks to attract talent, create skilled jobs, and encourage space-related technology companies to establish themselves on the island, according to a statement from the council.
"This is a real chance to diversify our economy, create good jobs, and offer our young people a professional future here, so they don't have to leave," emphasized Rosa Dávila.
Juan José Martínez, the Councillor for Technological Innovation, also spoke. He highlighted the strategy's importance as a way to change the island's economic model and move towards industries that offer higher value.
Martínez stated, "Tenerife Space Horizon is a clear commitment to economic diversification and a stronger production model, one based on knowledge, innovation, and skilled jobs."
The councillor also pointed out that "the aerospace sector will create stable, highly skilled job opportunities, attracting and keeping young talent who previously had to look for such opportunities elsewhere because they weren't available here."
He added that "this strategy shows that Tenerife can lead top-tier technology projects, compete globally, and develop a more modern, sustainable, and resilient economy."
Key goals of 'Tenerife Space Horizon' include: developing space-related technology infrastructure; boosting research, innovation, and sharing knowledge; strengthening businesses and tech startups; training and attracting specialized talent; and building national and international partnerships.
The strategy features projects such as the Canary Islands constellation, a teleport and satellite tracking station, innovation programs like DRAGO-Next and CELESTE, and support for ESA BIC Canarias, among others.
Rosa Dávila concluded by saying that 'Tenerife Space Horizon' represents "a strong commitment to the island's future, to sustainable growth, innovation, and a more competitive economic model."
"We want Tenerife to play a leading role in aerospace development, creating opportunities, jobs, and prosperity," Dávila finished. "This strategy is a clear statement of our intentions; Tenerife is ready to advance and lead the future through knowledge."