SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, July 28. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, has led the signing ceremony of the Canary Islands to the pact for science, highlighting the “high vision”, as well as the “political and social maturity” of the society of the islands, since It is an agreement signed by the regional government, as well as by the political parties with representation in the regional Parliament, trade unions, businessmen and universities.
Specifically, the science pact has been signed by the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, as well as by representatives of CCOO, UGT, CCE, CEOE Tenerife, ULL, ULPGC, Cs, ASG, Sí Podemos, NC, PP, CC, PSOE, Canarian Federation of Municipalities and Canarian Federation of Islands.
“It is true a reason for satisfaction. Today a commitment has been signed for the future, for hope”, has pointed out the minister who, before delving into this pact, has also had a message of solidarity and affection with all the families that have been affected in the last week by the fire in Los Realejos, in Tenerife.
Taking advantage of his presence on the island, Morant was at the meeting where the Los Realejos fire was lowered to level 1 and with this he wanted to highlight the “role” of science in combating this type of incident, where it is “fundamental” because it provides the knowledge “most necessary to make the most appropriate decisions”.
In this sense, he has also referred to the crisis of the La Palma volcano or the coronavirus pandemic, moments in which he has clarified the citizens “were in danger of death, we all looked at the scientists, we expected answers and they have been the height of the circumstance”.
For this reason, he has considered that joining the pact implies that Canarian society is committed “to science as a lever for generation” to promote science and innovation, since he has stated that it is the “responsibility” of society, and “it is urgent” ; just as he has clarified that said agreement also allows guaranteeing that in Spain “there will be a future for scientists”.
Morant has defended the work to strengthen through R+D+i and to do so by investing in all territories. He also wanted to highlight that so far this legislature –from 2018 to 2021– the Ministry of Science has allocated 81 million euros to research and technological development projects in the Canary Islands, which he said is 25 percent more than the annual average of the same period of the previous central Executive.
He added that the Ministry he leads made extraordinary contributions for equipment at the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute (IAC) of 9 and 13 million euros in 2021 and 2022, respectively, as well as that it will launch the “greatest job offer” in the public sector of science in the last 15 years, what he has stated will also affect research centers in the archipelago.
During his speech, Morant highlighted the “wealth” that the islands have in unique scientific and technical infrastructures that “not only carry out international research, but are also open to the entire national and international scientific community”, for which he receives researchers.
These unique scientific and technical infrastructures found in the archipelago are the Gran Telescopio de Canarias, the Canarian Oceanic Platform (PLOCAN), the two observatories -one on Mount Teide (Tenerife) and the other on Roque de Los Muchachos (La Palma)–, the Red Iris –of dark fiber connections– and the Supercomputing NODE at the IAC.
Within the framework of this commitment of science to the Canary Islands, he has indicated that there is a new instrument for collaboration with the communities, which are the complementary research work plans, which will make it possible to establish work networks with scientists from all over Spain, with which the archipelago will mobilize 31 million euros for three plans, since it has indicated that renewable islands are pursued, protect the biodiversity of the marine environment and have more advanced technologies for the control of biodiversity.
For his part, the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, highlighted the importance of the firm because it is “the fruit of collective and consensual work” that shows that in the archipelago “when there are important aspects, there are no fissures”.
Torres has indicated that this signing of the present commits those who sign it for future years. Thus, he concluded by pointing out that the Government of the Canary Islands has increased the allocations dedicated to science by 87 percent, although he has admitted that it is “insufficient”.
THE PALM
Finally, the Minister of Science, Diana Morant, after being asked about the reconstruction of La Palma, pointed out that the central government is going to make “all the necessary effort” so that “science also plays a fundamental role” in this process. .
