The president of the Canary Islands highlights the importance of a thousand attendees, for now, including ministers, secretaries of State and high-level speakers, attending an event that will set the course and the global agenda on digitalization
Torres remembers that choosing the Canary Islands was not easy when competing with countries like Japan, and believes that it is an unbeatable showcase to spread the benefits of the islands for computerization and new employment niches.
The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, assured today that the Canary Islands will become a global benchmark for digitalization next week by hosting the OECD Ministerial Conference on the Digital Economy, which will be held at ExpoMeloneras (Maspalomas, San Bartolomé de Tirajana) and in the Alfredo Kraus auditorium, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The event will take place from December 13 to 16.
In a press conference called at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, together with the Minister of Economy, Knowledge and Employment, Elena Máñez, Torres highlighted the importance of the OECD choosing Spain and, specifically , Canary Islands for this celebration because this will focus on the islands regarding computerization that accelerated with the covid pandemic, which is gaining more global relevance every day and which represents a key niche for new jobs and economic diversification.
As an example of this capital role in the present and future, the president pointed out that this Conference will see a thousand people visit the archipelago, for the moment, including ministers of Economy or equivalent, secretaries of State from some 50 countries, high-ranking speakers level, company executives and media from the five continents. “It is difficult to find an equal precedent in the Canary Islands and this puts us at the forefront of the world“Torres stated.
After an introductory video about the contents that will be addressed at the Conference, the head of the regional Executive recalled that the choice of the Canary Islands “has not been easy, since countries like Japan and other Spanish communities aspired, which would have loved to host this event. ”.
According to Torres, after the editions of Ottawa (1998), Seoul (2008) and Cancún (2016), Europe aspired to this Conference, scheduled before the pandemic, but which is now of greater importance due to the intensification that the digital economy is experiencing. , so the fact that it is developed on the islands further enhances the advantages, attractions and opportunities of the archipelago to become one of the world leaders in digitalization and new employment niches. To these advantages are added other attractions, such as the natural areas, the accommodation offer, the tourist experience, security and other island singularities. “We are the perfect place due to our geographical location and our commitment to innovation and connectivity., included in the Canarian Agenda 2030.”
Torres: "Not tourists come, but leaders and businessmen to exchange talent"
Along these lines, after highlighting the support shown to the Canarian candidacy by the first vice president of the Spanish Government and Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño, Torres made special emphasis on the fact that the thousand people who are expected, for now, to attend the Conference (in a few weeks we have gone from 600 confirmations to more than 900) “they are not tourists, but more than 40 ministers and secretaries of state, businessmen and journalists from fifty delegations who come expressly to this event and who They will exchange information, talent and experiences at the highest level, surely with the broadest participation of all the conferences.”
President Ángel Víctor Torres and counselor Elena Máñez, during the presentation of the Ministerial Conference.
Torres indicated that, apart from the countries that are part of the OECD, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Peru, Romania and Ukraine will also attend. In addition, there will be representatives of relevant companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft or Telefónica, as well as Canarian companies linked to these productive activities.
The president of the Canary Islands stressed the importance of the final declaration that is expected to be made public around 16.00:15 p.m. on Thursday, December XNUMX, although he announced that the main points to be debated and agreed upon will deal with how governments can find a balance between the use of the benefits of digital transformation and the protection of people, society and the risks that these new economies can create, such as cyberattacks. Therefore, issues such as rights in the digital age, cybersecurity, connectivity and other digital divides, online disinformation, as well as ensuring that the digital transformation is coherent and supports the green transition and the objectives will be addressed. zero carbon emissions.
The head of the regional Cabinet assured that there are hundreds of digital projects born in the Canary Islands and believes it is feasible that the islands become benchmarks for, for example, the manufacturing of microchips. “We have companies and talents at the forefront, we encounter physical difficulties in traveling, since we are islands, but not with virtual connectivity.”
Along these lines, he stated that the strength that the Canary Islands are showing during the economic recovery, and which translated last November into a new reduction in unemployment and in which there has once again been a record of affiliation to Social Security, "should not be only to tourism, but to other employment niches, such as those related to the audiovisual industry, care services, education, health and communication and information technology.”
The king of Spain, at the inaugural gala dinner
Torres highlighted the presence of the King of Spain, Felipe VI, at the inaugural gala dinner of the Conference, which will take place on the night of Tuesday the 13th at the Pérez Galdós theater. In addition, he highlighted some of the planned forums, such as the meetings of the D9 + group and the B9 + (the nine most digitalized countries in Europe and the new business entities of the D9 +). Currently, D9+ is made up of Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Czech Republic and Sweden.
