Tenerife is a priority destination for investment projects in excellence centres and R+D, which find on the island an exceptional geographical and natural environment for the development of their scientific, technological and research activity. It has world-renowned state-of-the-art infrastructures, such as the IAC, open to the international scientific community.
The IAC is an internationalised Spanish research centre selected by the Spanish Government as the ’’Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’’. The centre is in charge of to astrophysical research, the development of scientific instrumentation linked to astronomy and the training of research staff. The participation of institutions from different countries is done through an International Scientific Committee (ICC). The exceptional quality of the Canary Islands sky for astronomical observation is protected by law.
Due to its geographical location and relief, Tenerife is also an important field of study of volcanic activity. In fact, it houses the National Volcanology Centre or Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) which aims to contribute to the improvement of volcanic risk management and to the sustainable development of the Canary Islands and other volcanic regions.
In the field of Health Sciences and Biomedicine, an important activity is also carried out researcher with reference institutions such as the Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas de canarias (CIBICAN) and the University Institute of Tropical Diseases.