During the meeting, the CSIC delegate presented the structure of the institution in the Canary Islands, composed of three reference centers that work on the main challenges of the territory in the Canary Islands. These are the Institute of Natural Products and Agrobiology (IPNA-CSIC), specialized, among other areas, in volcanology, biodiversity, atmospheric sciences and sustainability; the Oceanographic Center of the Canary Islands (COC-IEO-CSIC), dedicated to the study of marine ecosystems and the sustainable management of the ocean; and the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), a reference in geological risks, water and energy resources and geological heritage. The three centres share a common objective: to put scientific knowledge at the service of public administrations and Canarian society.
The Commissioner highlighted the contribution that science is making in a territory that has experienced a volcanic emergency such as La Palma, stressing that research must play a leading role both in the prevention and management of natural risks and in the design of new development strategies. "Science allows us to anticipate, make better decisions and turn challenges into opportunities. La Palma has the possibility of consolidating itself as a reference territory for research linked to volcanism, biodiversity, sustainability and the observation of the natural environment," he said.