There are two public universities, 45,000 students, 40% of the student body studies science and technical degrees, and about 3,000 faculty members. In the Canaries there are also other Institutions and R&D centers that we describe briefly.
University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)
Created in 1989, it now has an enrollment of 25,000 students and a rotation of 1,500 faculty members spread across 35 departments (12 technical, 11 natural sciences and health, 6 social sciences, and another 6 humanities). Currently, there are 4 university research Institutes, 4 research and development centers and 132 reseach groups.
- University Institute of Applied Microelectronics: Microelectronic Technology, Integrated Systems Design, Industrial Product and Equipment Design, CAD, Communications Systems, and Industrial Information.
- University Institute of Intelligent Systems and Numerical Applications: Discretization and Applications, Artificial Intelligences and Systems, Evolutionary Computations and Applications, Dynamics of Continuous Media and Structures, Advanced and Numeric Algebra.
- University Institute of Animal Health and Safet: Animal Reproduction, Aquaculture and Marine Genetics, Pathological Histology and Anatomy, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Animal Infections and Ictiopatology (mix of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology).
- University Institute of Cybernetics Science and Technology: Science and technology of computers and computation, Systems Theory, Cognitive Science, Artificial Perception, Computational Biomedicine, Computational Neuroscience, Computational Economics, Information and Robotic Technology.
University of La Laguna (ULL)
Founded 200 years ago, there are currently almost 25,000 students and around 1,700 professors/researchers. Its degree catalog covers 56 courses of study in the first and second cycles, divided into 28 Bachelor´s degrees, 16 degrees, one in tecnical architecture, 6 in technical engineering, and 5 in engineering. Currently, there are 8 university research institutes, of which three are most related with technological research and development:
- Antonio González University Institute of Bio-organics: Bio-organic Chemistry, Chemistry of Bioactive Substance from Natural or Synthetic Procedents, Selective Production of Bioactive Metabolites and Understanding of Biogenetic Processes, Ecological Chemistry, Organic Contaminants of the Environment.
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canaries: Parasitology, Clinical Microbiology, Mycology and Virology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Epidemiology, Diagnostics and the Treatment of Tropical Diseases, and Methodology and Intervention in Public Safety.
- University Institute of Biomedical Technologies: Biodegenerative Processes.
Canary Islands Institute of Technology (ITC)
The Technological Institute of the Canaries, (ITC) is a company owned by the Government of the Canary Islands created in 1992. The mission of the ITC is to lead in technological innovation and transfer in strategic sectors in the Canaries and its geographical and cultural surroundings. Its human capital is composed of 172 researchers and administrative officers, the majority with degrees and high qualifications. There are 180 projects and services in progress, divided into three functional divisions: Research and Development Technology; Technological Innovation, and Central Services. The first of the three is responsible for implementing R&D activities in the distinct areas of Institute´s work, mainly in the fields of Renewable Energy, Water Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Biotechnolgy, and Bioengineering.
Canary Islands Space Center
The Canary Islands Space Center, dependent of the National Aerospace Technical Institute (Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aerospacial ? INTA), undertakes the intensive task of supporting a great number of international space missions through its tracking operations, telemetry and telecommand (TTC), monitoring and control, Ranging measures and calibration, in addition to reception, process, and distribution of acquired images and facts from observation satellites on the ground from different space agencies like NASA, ESA, and JAXA as well as entities like EUMETSAT. Moreover, it is responsible for the reception and retransmission of alert messages coming from emergency beacons within the international mission COSPAS-SARSAT.
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
The Institute of Astrophysics of the Canaries was created in 1975 and currently consists of two observatories: the observatory at Roque de los Muchachos, on the island of La Palma, and the observatory at Teide, on the island of Tenerife. Today, telescopes and other instrumentation from more than 60 institutes in 19 countries are concentrated here, creating the largest astronomical complex in Europe. The Great Telescope of the Canaries (Gran Telescopio de Canarias), which is forecast to come into service in the year 2007, is one of the best examples illustrating the technological development in the Canaries since it will be the largest and most advanced instrument in the world in its generation with a main mirror 10.4 meters in diameter.
Canarian Institute for Cancer Research (ICIC)
The Canarian Institute for Cancer Research was created in the year 2004 as an autonomous entity to conduct biomedical research, basic and clinical, regarding related proceses with cancer assisting to the posible application on the diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment levels. In addition, the ICIC develops an intense activity of scientific exchange with researchers and national and foreign profesional societies ?promoting new researchers in the field of cancer.
Canarian Foundation of Health and Research (FUNCIS)
The Canarian Foundation of Health and Research is a foundation of the Government of the Canary Islands, created in 1990 with the objective of fostering research activities in the field of health sciences, above all, in public hospitals in the Canaries. FUNCIS promotes and participates in scientific activities in the medical field, with the goal of stimulating the promotion of the knowledge and advancement of the health sciences. FUNCIS finances, or helps in the search for financing, research projects, educational activities in elite centers, education and training in medical centers in the Canaries, and assisting with the advancement of the administration of research in health.
Canarian Institute of Marine Sciences (ICCM)
The Canarian Institute of Marine Sciences was created by the Government of the Canary Islands at the beginning of the 70s as a research center with the main role of supporting the fishing industry and stimulating university courses in marine science. Now the ICCM has actually promoted and conducted technological research and development in the field of marine sciences. The basic areas of research and development of the ICCM are: aquaculture, fishing biology, sustainable development, coastal intervention, oceanography, and fishing resources.
Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy (ITER)
The Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy is a company owned by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and was created in 1990 with the objective of endorsing R&D works regarding renewable energy. Presently, the ITER has a multidisciplinary team with more than 70 professionals distributed in three large areas of R&D: renewable energies (divided into its own different departments of eolic energy, photovoltaic solar energy, and thermal solar energy), environmental energy, and engineering (divided into the electronic and information departments).
Canarian Institute of Agrarian Research (ICIA)
The Canarian Institute of Agrarian Research was created in 1995 by the Government of the Canary Islands with the goal of programming and performing R&D activities in agrarian technology. Currently, the ICIA has a foundation of 50 researchers and agrarian technicians and 100 supporting persons for technological investigation and transfer. It has three large, basic research fields: vegetable production, animal production, and applied botanics.