The event brought together 250 participants from 22 countries to promote cooperation between the blue economy communities of the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean.
The DESAL+ Living Lab and the IDIWATER project played a prominent role in the Atlantic-WestMED Conference 2026, held on 15 and 16 September at the institutional headquarters of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC).
Under the theme “Building Synergies for a Sustainable Ocean”, the conference brought together representatives from public administrations, universities, research centres, companies and other blue economy stakeholders to address challenges related to maritime innovation, the sustainable use of marine resources, renewable energy and decarbonisation.
In this context, Gonzalo Piernavieja, Director of R&D&I at ITC, participated on 15 September in the session “Building Synergies amongst Interreg Programs”, where he presented DESAL+ Living Lab and the European IDIWATER project as one of the four success stories selected by the organisers, representing the Interreg MAC 2021–2027 Programme.
The participation highlighted the important role of R&D&I in the water sector, both through the Living Lab and, more specifically, through the IDIWATER project. The presentation also showcased the significant efforts being made by ULPGC, ULL, ACIISI, SPEGC and ITC in the development, testing and validation of innovative water solutions and their contribution to the blue economy, as well as the R&D&I capabilities developed in the Canary Islands.
That same day, representatives of the European Commission and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation visited ITC’s facilities in Pozo Izquierdo, as part of an activity coordinated by ACIISI.
During the visit, they had the opportunity to learn first-hand about some of ITC’s scientific and technological capabilities related to the blue economy, including the DESAL+ Living Lab test beds and the DESALRO 2.0® plant, dedicated to the development and validation of innovative water technologies.
Participation in the Atlantic-WestMED Conference 2026 therefore helped strengthen the international visibility of DESAL+ Living Lab and IDIWATER, showcasing to European institutions, research stakeholders and companies the potential of the Canary Islands as a real-world environment for the development, testing and validation of technologies supporting a sustainable blue economy.
The IDIWATER Project is co-financed at 85% by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Interreg MAC 2021–2027 Programme, and is integrated into the DESAL+ Living Lab Platform.
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