The President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, visited the IACTEC facilities this Friday, the technological and business collaboration space of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), to gain first-hand knowledge of the projects being developed and to give his support to the work underway. During the visit, the President was accompanied by the Director of the Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información (ACIISI), Javier Franco.

During the event, Clavijo announced that research in astrophysics and astronomy will receive 7 million euros of funding in the budget next year, a similar amount to that allocated this year, although he has undertaken to try to increase this funding during the process of amendments to the draft regional budget. "We take this task with us," he said, pointing out that investment in knowledge "has an important return for the islands and is one of the things that is worth supporting".

The director of the IAC, Rafael Rebolo, thanked the President of the Canary Islands for his support for the work carried out by the centre and explained that among the "great challenges" currently facing the IAC is a research project, already in its final phase, to build the "most advanced optical systems in the world" in the Canary Islands, a project that will also be used in the private sector.

After visiting the facilities and gaining first-hand knowledge of the various lines of research and technological development promoted by the IACTEC, Fernando Clavijo held a private meeting with the IAC management, who informed the President of the Canary Islands of the issues to be discussed at the next Governing Council and the progress of the projects underway.

Afterwards, he took part in a meeting with the centre's research and engineering staff, as well as greeting the representatives of technology companies at the SECPHO conference being held in the building.