•  The event will take place next Friday 7th October at Infecar, starting at 10.00 a.m., with free admission after registration.

The challenges and opportunities of the wave and surf industry will be the central themes of the fourth edition of the Gran Canaria Blue Economy Forum, which will return to Infecar on Friday 7 October. Promoted and financed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, this space will delve into the potential of this sector of the blue economy, beyond being a tourist destination, with a focus on diversification, sustainability, the use of local resources and talent.

As a novelty, this Gran Canaria Blue Economy Forum will feature two practical workshops on shaping and glassing, with specialised shapers from the islands and a coastal carpenter from France, who will detail the process of creating and repairing surfboards.

The Forum will also discuss blue growth, business development opportunities, new sources of employment, engineering at the service of the waves, wave protection, diversity and inclusion, sporting events, communication, fashion and sustainability linked to surfing.

In short, waves and sliding sports as a boost to the competitiveness of Canary Islands companies and the positioning of the island as a destination for companies and future professionals, through presentations, talks and round table discussions.

Free admission

This fourth edition of the Gran Canaria Blue Economy Forum will have free admission, with prior registration, through the website www.fgceconomiaazul.es. Those attending can choose between attending in person at Infecar, where they can enjoy the presentations and round table discussions, as well as exchange impressions with the rest of the attendees, or follow the programme in streaming via virtual access.

On this occasion, there will also be space for two practical workshops in which to see, with real examples, how surfboards are manufactured and repaired. These spaces, which have a reduced capacity, are aimed at people over 14 years of age.

In this way, the Gran Canaria Blue Economy Forum is aimed at young talent, in training or recent graduates, who can find a professional outlet in the surf industry due to the opportunities it offers. But also for surf and wave companies and professionals, who can open up to other sub-sectors or opportunities not yet exploited; as well as innovation or digital companies or public administrations, who become aware of the relevance of this sector through examples such as the Basque Country.

A sector on the rise

According to the data provided by the General Technical Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Spanish Government in May 2022, the number of surfing federates has risen from 38,500 in 2017 to 68,505, demonstrating the growing interest in this sport in our country. But, in addition, the Canary Islands is the region with the second highest number of members, only surpassed by Galicia.

As far as the island of Gran Canaria is concerned, according to data collected by Promotur in 2021, 53.1% of visitors who choose the island as a destination do so by sea; 6.7% of them hire services linked to sporting activities and, specifically, 3.6% linked to surfing.

In this way, increased accessibility and affordability has attracted a significant number of surf lovers, turning this sport into a trend, a lifestyle or a fashion that is closely linked to an interest in wellbeing and health.

With all this, the Gran Canaria Blue Economy Forum aims to be a space in which to highlight the potential of this industry as one of the emerging sectors within the blue economy and to promote the potential of Gran Canaria as a marine-maritime hub.

The Gran Canaria Blue Economy Forum is promoted and financed by the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, with the organisation of Infecar, and has the collaboration of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, through the Department of Ciudad de Mar, the SPEGC, Best in Gran Canaria, the Maritime Cluster of the Canary Islands, the Association of Surf Schools of Gran Canaria, the Canarian Surfing Federation and Cajasiete, as official collaborator.