CSIC and Cabildo of Tenerife: Real Opportunities for Blue Economy Companies in the Canary Islands

Key data

Canary Islands companies linked to the sea now have an institutional channel to access scientific innovation financed with public funds. The agreement formalized between the CSIC —through the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO)— and the Island Council of Tenerife, published in the BOE on November 2, 2026, establishes a stable framework for co-financing and executing R&D&i projects in the marine-coastal field with productive vocation.

This is not basic research without application: the agreement explicitly focuses on transfer to the Canary Islands productive sector and on the valorization of research results financed with public funds. This means that advances generated must reach companies.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement creates a collaboration framework between two institutions with complementary resources: the CSIC provides scientific capacity and infrastructure; the Cabildo of Tenerife provides financing and knowledge of the local productive sector. The key elements of the agreement are:

• Joint financing of R&D&i projects in the marine-coastal field of Tenerife.
• Main execution by the Oceanographic Center of the Canary Islands of the IEO-CSIC, which acts as the operational scientific arm of the agreement.
• Triple impact objective: economic, social and environmental in the territory of Tenerife.
• Knowledge transfer as the central axis: research results must reach the productive sector, not remain in academic publications.
• Valorization of research results financed with public funds, in line with the Science Law.
• Utilization of existing scientific infrastructure and the links of the IEO-CSIC with the local productive sector.

The agreement is supported by the Science Law and the Legal Regime Law of the Public Sector, which gives it a solid legal framework and establishes accountability obligations regarding the results generated.

Economic and operational impact

For companies in the sector, the agreement represents a concrete opportunity, not a statement of intent. The knowledge transfer mechanism implies that scientific results —new aquaculture techniques, oceanographic data, innovations in fisheries resource management, marine technologies— must be made available to the Canary Islands productive sector.

From an operational perspective, this can translate into:

• Access to applied research results without assuming the full cost of R&D.
• Possibility of participating in collaborative projects with the IEO-CSIC, leveraging its scientific infrastructure.
• Improvement of sectoral competitiveness thanks to the incorporation of innovation generated with public funds.
• Potential access to additional financing through calls associated with the agreement.

The agreement does not specify concrete economic amounts in the published information, but as it is co-financed by the Cabildo of Tenerife and the CSIC, R&D costs are absorbed partially or totally by public funds, reducing the entry barrier for companies that want to innovate.

Who does it affect?

The agreement directly affects the sectors of the Canary Islands productive sector linked to the blue economy and the marine environment:

• Fishing companies with activity in Canary Islands waters or linked to the Tenerife port.
• Marine aquaculture companies in Tenerife and the Canary Islands archipelago.
• Processing and commercialization industry of sea products.
• Marine technology companies (equipment, monitoring, blue biotechnology).
• Marine tourism sector that may benefit from innovation in coastal management.
• Startups and spin-offs in the marine-coastal field based in the Canary Islands.
• Sectoral associations of fishing and aquaculture in Tenerife.

Indirectly, it also affects consulting firms, law offices and advisors that work with companies in these sectors in the Canary Islands, as they can anticipate financing or collaboration opportunities for their clients.

Practical example

A marine aquaculture company with facilities on the coast of Tenerife wants to improve its larval survival rates by incorporating new feeding techniques based on native phytoplankton. Developing that research internally would cost years and a significant investment in equipment and scientific personnel.

With the CSIC-Cabildo of Tenerife agreement active, that company can approach the Oceanographic Center of the Canary Islands of the IEO-CSIC and explore whether there is an ongoing R&D&i project or if it can participate as a collaborating company. The results of the research —financed with public funds from the Cabildo and the CSIC— must be transferred to the productive sector, which means that the company can access those advances without assuming the full cost of scientific development. The direct impact: reduction of innovation costs and improved competitiveness against competitors from other regions.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your activity fits into the blue economy: fishing, aquaculture, marine biotechnology, coastal technology or marine tourism are the priority areas of the agreement.
2. Contact the Oceanographic Center of the Canary Islands of the IEO-CSIC: it is the main executor of the agreement and the entry point for companies that want to collaborate or access research results.
3. Consult the Island Council of Tenerife about calls or mechanisms for business participation that may derive from the agreement.
4. Review your R&D&i strategy: if you have pending innovation projects in the marine field, this agreement can significantly reduce development costs.
5. Involve your advisor or consultant to monitor the calls and collaboration opportunities that will be published under this agreement.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is merely informative in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-23002