- Almost 50% of public research in the Canary Islands is related to biotechnology
- The Canary Islands can be considered a macro-laboratory with enormous reserves of natural resources and one of the richest biodiversities in the world
- The cultivation of seaweed is another realm considered as a potential area for investment
In the field of biomedical research, there are R&D groups working in many areas including: molecular genetics, genetic and clinical epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases, emerging and tropical infectious diseases, diabetes, genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria, and environmental and drug-induced allergies. The biomedical research of the islands emphasizes the integration of clinical, academic, and market elements ? different institutions in the islands develop interdisciplinary collaborations, giving the Canaries a proactive role in the Spanish sector.
Research in aquaculture includes studies on digestion, absorption, transport, and utilization of different nutrients while also incorporating different approaches such as histology, enzymology, genetics, and immunology among other things. Studies in nutritional requirements are also conducted. These nutritional studies have allowed us to patent different formulas in larvae studies and develop micro-diets that substitute the high-cost processes associated with live foodstuff in larval nutrition.
The cultivation of seaweeds, whose potential applications can be used in cosmetics, nutrition, health care, personal care, manufacturing, and agriculture, is another sector to be considered as an investment opportunity. This activity is supported by the experience of university groups and the arrival of private investments. The Canaries has one of the largest micro-algae cultivation and processing plants in Europe, building an ideal platform for R&D activities and the production of these organisms.
Further information about this area rd@canary-tech.org