As President of Fenorte with years of experience, how do you see the economic outlook of the region?
At the moment, there are many initiatives aimed at diversifying the economy of the Canary Islands, and there is increasing awareness that entrepreneurs must be more united than ever, regardless of the island they operate on. We already have projects with the islands of Fuerteventura, Tenerife, La Palma, Lanzarote, and we are trying to make business internationalization the great opportunity for economic activity in the Canary Islands. Tourism remains the cornerstone of our economy, but we must once again promote the primary sector from a different perspective that does not involve excessive water consumption and share other experiences, such as those of Israel and mainland areas with hydroponic agriculture. We are aiming to expand into the mainland, South America, and especially Europe.
What challenges do local companies face?
The first challenge is that some companies lack the capacity to see digitization as a great opportunity. Despite all the subsidies and efforts made by the central government, the Government of the Canary Islands, and the Next Generation projects, there are still companies resisting digitization. We need to raise awareness that being visible in digital media and having specialized management software is the basis for the future economy of the world. We need to play an important role in raising awareness among local companies, as tax authorities and the Canary Islands government are pressuring them to carry out digitization. Associations are emphasizing the importance of the digitization process.
What business development projects are currently underway?
The initial project proposed was to create, in each of the eleven municipalities in the north of the island, an association of entrepreneurs linked to the commerce and catering sector, which also engages with other sectors, working together with their city council to make a commercial revitalization effort through each of their managements. This connection between public institutions, associations, and Fenorte is key to carrying out various revitalizing actions throughout the year. Fenorte’s main objective is to carry out regional actions, working with the Mancomunidad and, above all, fostering the internationalization mindset of our companies.
The 10 presidents of associations. / La Provincia
What real growth opportunities are there for SMEs and entrepreneurs?
In general, each SME must find its niche market. There is a lot of competition in a small territory, so they need to generate a differentiating factor from competing companies, and it is important that the sectors unite. Fenorte, for example, establishes connections with other islands, like the agreement we have with the Business Circle of Tenerife, where four entrepreneurs have contacts with entrepreneurs from the north of Gran Canaria with whom they are currently doing business, and vice versa, two Gran Canarian entrepreneurs working with Tenerife. Collaboration efforts are being made to establish regional relationships, not just local ones, expanding companies from local to regional and insular levels.
What is your personal vision for the future of the business sector in northern Gran Canaria?
The main issue in the north is that some inland municipalities are losing part of their business fabric because business owners are retiring without replacements. We need to start working on a joint policy with mayors to promote all areas and new economic activities like holiday homes, rural hotels to encourage tourists not only to visit but to stay in the municipalities to enjoy more of what they offer.
Do you have any initiatives to promote sustainability and innovation?
Yes, we have been doing this in the north for many years. The cooperation between the Mancomunidad with the eleven municipalities plus the associations we represent is focused on innovating existing and future companies. The agreements we have with the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Confederation, with Proesca, allow us to provide assistance for companies to renew, improve, and above all, implement digital processes. We are now initiating the creation of a digital newspaper mainly for promotion and information so that all companies in the north can use it for advertising.
What strategy does FENORTE have to strengthen collaboration between companies?
The first strategy is to generate synergy among the associations themselves; that’s why Fenorte creates networks throughout the year. Networks encourage us to visit each municipality and entrepreneurs to establish partnerships with each other.
### Supporting Entrepreneurs and Startups in the Region
The first initiative stems from the vocational training institutes, with whom we have agreements such as the University of Las Palmas, and the University of Valencia, with whom we currently have two foreign trade scholarship holders. Our aim is to create awareness from the grassroots level regarding entrepreneurship based on corporate social responsibility and attitudes towards failures, turning them into continuous learning experiences based on real information and market studies to help define the business model in each municipality.
### Federation Strategies for Future Economic and Technological Changes
One of the main strategies is visibility. For over ten years, we have been attending tourism forums in the south of Gran Canaria where we were honoured and asked to participate due to the success we had achieved. We explained that we had learned from them and applied their teachings, especially the importance of visibility. For instance, if a tour operator wishes to operate in the north of the island, they can simply input the municipality’s name into the browser and find information about the town hall, the association, and the company itself. This makes it easy to create commercial, gastronomic, touristic, rural routes, among others.
### Associations within FENORTE
The level of associations varies depending on the stage, as many of them have been established for over twenty years. At FENORTE, we support the renewal of boards of directors and management to ensure the continuous initiative in each municipality and provide them with management tools.
### Objective of the Video featuring Presidents presented at ENORTE
The main objective is to showcase the collective effort we are all making and have each one speak about their initiative, their municipality, stressing the importance of being visible. We want everyone to see us united as the north of Gran Canaria, not just from the north but representing the whole island as a supportive and opportunistic Gran Canaria for all.
