• The International Sea Fair marks its 15th edition at Muelle Sanapú in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 22 to 24 May, with talks and informative content focused on career opportunities in the port environment
• The programme once again includes boat trips and a family-friendly leisure plan, with a children’s area, water activities and live music
• The organisers have confirmed the participation of around fifty companies in an event that will feature Martinique as the guest territory and will this year focus on the Outermost Regions

The International Sea Fair will hold its 15th edition at Muelle Sanapú in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 22 to 24 May, as a key platform for promoting career opportunities in the blue economy and in the marine, maritime and port environment. Pedro Quevedo, Councillor for Ciudad de Mar of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Beatriz Calzada, President of the Port Authority of Las Palmas; Natalia Santana, Managing Director of Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria; and Daura Vega, Director of Degree Promotion at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), presented this new edition of Fimar on the morning of 12 May at the Tourist Information Point at the city’s cruise pier, underlining the event’s importance as a driver of economic development.

The International Sea Fair will feature around fifty companies represented at Sanapú with their own stands, alongside public institutions and academic and training organisations. The fair is promoted by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council and Puertos de Las Palmas, and organised by Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, together with the City Council’s Ciudad de Mar Department.

Fifteen years of history

During the presentation, Pedro Quevedo, Councillor for Ciudad de Mar of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, stressed that “fifteen years is no small thing”, highlighting the event’s long-standing trajectory. He also took the opportunity to “thank the Port and the Cabildo, together with Infecar, for the work that has been done here. Also the university, because its outreach work is important, especially in times like these”.

Quevedo noted that “for the city, it is essential that events like this continue to take place. This is the kind of promotion we are interested in. In this case, it expresses our relationship with the sea, especially in a context in which our relationship with the Port Authority is fundamental to our urban development”.

He also described it as “absolutely the right decision” to dedicate the main theme of Fimar 2026 to the Outermost Regions, because “the term outermost is important: it acknowledges the challenges that come with the singular nature of our territory”.

A professional future in the Port

Earlier, Beatriz Calzada, President of the Port Authority of Las Palmas, had expressed her satisfaction at “once again hosting this fair and working closely with Infecar, the city, and all the institutions and companies taking part”.

Calzada stressed that “this is who we are: an outermost region. It is what defines us, what makes us different within the European Union: the way we are connected to the sea and how we develop that blue economy, in which we are pioneers in many areas. And we want to remain so”.

She also announced that this year the Port Authority’s stand “will be dedicated to something we believe is extremely important: professions linked to the port environment. We want to explain, especially to younger people, what opportunities exist to work in the Port and how things operate on the dock”. In this regard, she underlined that “we are trying to ensure that the qualified professionals we need come from here, from our own people. That is what we are working on, and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is also doing very important work in this area”.

The importance of the blue economy

In her speech, Natalia Santana, Managing Director of Infecar, Feria de Gran Canaria, highlighted that among the objectives of Fimar 2026 are continuing to promote the blue economy and “raising awareness among the public about the importance of being a city of the sea, while also highlighting the need for sustainable action in the marine environment”.

Santana also announced that the fair will place special emphasis on Gran Canaria as a Starlight Destination, promoting the island as a privileged location for stargazing. This is being strengthened through the European project Twinned by Stars, led by the TIDES Institute at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, whose aim is to boost marine ecotourism by combining stargazing with sailing. In addition to the Canary Islands, the initiative also involves the Azores, Madeira and Martinique.

Martinique, precisely, will be the guest territory at this edition of Fimar, which for the first time will include participation from the other side of the Atlantic. On this point, Santana stated that “with Martinique, we share a close relationship with the sea. And we want to develop joint projects between both territories”.

Parallel event

For this reason, on the day before the opening of Fimar 2026, 21 May, a parallel event will be held at the Port’s high-tech marine-maritime incubator, with the participation of a delegation from Martinique. This initiative is being developed in collaboration with the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Economic Promotion Society of Gran Canaria (SPEGC). Its objective is to accelerate the development of new marine ecotourism in both regions.

The role of ULPGC

Daura Vega, Director of Degree Promotion at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), also used the event to “thank the organisers for the opportunity, once again, for ULPGC to be here”. She announced that “the university will bring 26 outreach talks, while also giving a prominent role to young researchers currently in their predoctoral stage, because they will help us transfer knowledge in language that is more accessible to younger audiences as well”.

Vega stressed that “from the classroom, we do not always have the opportunity to show our students the full potential of the port environment and its companies. Fimar is a fantastic opportunity for us to do exactly that with our students”.

Boat trips, exhibitors and leisure programme

During the presentation of the 15th edition of Fimar 2026, the Port Authority confirmed that boat trips through the Port waters will once again be available to the public. Fair attendees will be able to access these trips on a first come, first served basis, with a capacity of between 120 and 130 people per trip.

The trips are scheduled for Friday 22 May at 4:00 pm; Saturday 23 May at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm; and Sunday 24 May at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm.

Infecar also confirmed the presence of around 50 companies from the marine, maritime and port sectors, as well as from nautical activities and fashion, in the area that Fimar 2026 will occupy at Sanapú. These companies will be joined by public institutions, the university and other organisations that will also be represented at the event.

Once again, FIMAR will be the great celebration of the sea, with an extensive leisure programme, a children’s area, a food zone and live concerts throughout the three-day event, offering the perfect setting for families to enjoy an event that is free of charge for the public.