The Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and the Information Society (hereinafter: ACIISI) is the Government of the Canary Islands' body responsible for the design, management, and promotion of public policies and programs in the areas of research, technological development, business innovation, and the deployment of the information society within the Canary Islands Public Administration. It is also responsible for developing and implementing the Canary Islands Smart Specialisation Strategy 2014–2020 (RIS3), a planning document aimed at coordinating and strengthening the regional R&D&I system, ensuring more efficient use of public funds, and stimulating private investment in R&D&I. The recent renewal under the 2021–2027 operational program has led to the extended RIS3, which identified the most promising specialisation areas—among them, the Blue Economy Industry stands out as one of five sectoral priorities and one of the most relevant challenges for the Canary Islands. As part of its commitment to developing a knowledge-based economy that enables sustainable growth and creates quality employment, ACIISI promotes the Blue Economy as a key driver for diversifying the islands’ production model and enhancing their international competitiveness, in line with the EU’s sustainable development goals and European strategy.
ACIISI in ACUICONECTA: ACIISI is the entity responsible for the administrative coordination of the THINKINAZUL-Canarias project (Complementary R&D&I Plan in Marine Sciences, funded by Next Generation EU), which brings together, for the first time, the main actors of the marine scientific ecosystem in the Canary Islands. ACIISI will ensure the amplification and capitalization of its results within ACUICONECTA, supporting the coordination and integration of Canarian R&D&I entities with partners from the Azores and Madeira, leveraging its prior experience in developing R&D&I policies and programs, as well as coordinating transregional projects such as FORWARD or those under the MAC program (e.g., RIS3-Net and RIS3-Net2). ACIISI will contribute to the preparation of sectoral and impact reports on the priorities of the regional RIS3 strategy, through the generation of technical, economic, and regulatory studies, and to the development of a communication and dissemination plan that ensures the project's results are visible at various events organized by the ACUICONECTA consortium. Drawing on its expertise in promoting and accelerating knowledge transfer to the productive sector, it will assist the Lead Partner in engaging all aquaculture stakeholders and facilitating their access to the research outcomes. Finally, ACIISI will contribute to the creation of the SH.A.PL.A. (Sharing Aquaculture Platform in the eastern Atlantic) and its connection with the CIDE Network.