What are Canary Islands Living Labs Event?
PHAROS is hosting a really exciting 3-day event in January from the 29th until 31st in two different Living Labs: MarCoLab Gran Canaria and MarCoLab Lanzarote, about marine restoration and the blue economy in Canary Islands.
There are lots of ways to get involved, and there will be something for everyone!
Check the events’ descriptions below and sign up for the events that sound exciting to you.
The Living Labs in the Canary Islands bring together government, researchers, innovators, educational institutions, businesses, investors and local community to collaboratively address marine ecosystem restoration challenges.
Gran Canaria Living Lab Event
Let’s work together
The Gran Canaria Living Lab is hosting a fun three-day event from January 29 to 31, 2026. It will bring together all kinds of people with a commong goal: help make the ocean healthier and watch over its plants and animals.
Bringing People Together for Ocean Health
The Living Lab helps people talk and make decisions at every step of the project. This lets local groups join in to create simple ways to bring back ocean life using nature. By involving everyone: from leaders and businesses to schools and neighbors. The Gran Canaria Living Lab gets communities excited about caring for the environment. It also helps make lasting changes for people and the economy to better manage the whole ocean.
THREE-DAY PROGRAMME
Thursday, January 29, 2026
The event kicks off on Thursday with sharing ideas and getting everyone on the same page. You’ll enjoy a special talk for schools about the sea at PLOCAN, a roundtable discussion about getting permission for academic projects, and the start of a new program called Fisher Guardians. This program will launch recycling containers for fishers at San Cristóbal.
Friday, January 30, 2026
On Friday, the focus is on learning and growing skills through hands-on activities. It begins with a welcome party to open the Gran Canaria Living Lab. Then, join a workshop on great tips from other living labs and another session for people who look after protected sea areas. Both happen at the Canary Islands Marine Research Centre.
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Saturday is all about getting out and doing real activities at four different spots by the sea. Pick what you like: underwater trips at PLOCAN, special areas like Biotopo de Arguineguín, Parque de la Atlántida in Mogán, or the underwater museum in Lanzarote (a test site for our ideas). You’ll also take easy walks along the beach to take pictures and note down sea plants and creatures near the shore. Plus, get tips on using the MINKA app to share your finds and join in as everyday helpers for science.
WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, ROUNDTABLE
OPEN TO EVERYONE
Best Practices in Living Labs Workshop
This interactive training workshop empowers stakeholders to co-develop marine biodiversity solutions, shares effective engagement methods, citizen participation strategies, and governance approaches for Living Lab implementation.
Litter Entrepreneurs: 3rd Webinar – From Waste to Worth
This webinar introduces best practices for becoming ocean entrepreneurs. People will learn how to transform plastic litter into sustainable businesses through innovative solutions, training, and tools for circular economy ventures.
FISHER GUARDIANS – Launch of recycling containers with fishers
This programme engages fishers as ocean guardians through recycling containers for abandoned, lost fishing nets. It promotes circular economy and reduces marine litter and pollution, transforming fishing industry perception.
FOR SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES ONLY
Blue Schools Seminar
This educational training seminar expands Blue School Network across Atlantic and Arctic basins, promotes ocean literacy and citizen science engagement, and empowers the younger generation toward sustainable blue economy careers.
PHAROS MPA Managers Workshop
The session will focus on the co-creation and further development of the Blueprint Platform, a collection of tools designed to support MPA managers that is being developed under the Blue4All Project and will be further enhanced by PHAROS.
Round Table: Permitting Academia / Projects
The round table brings together key stakeholders including local authorities, marine spatial planners, regulators, academic institutions and project teams to discuss and resolve permitting barriers.
Citizen Science Marine BioBlitz (Saturday January 31, 2026, 09:00-13:00)
GRAN CANARIA LIVING LAB THREE-DAY PROGRAMME
Day 1
| Time | Activity | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Arrival at venue / Registration / Coffee | |
| 14:30 – 16:00 | Litter Entrepreneurs: 3rd Webinar – From Waste to Worth: Moderator + 2 guest speakers | at CMC) –REGISTER HERE |
| 16:00 | FISHER GUARDIANS – Launch of recycling containers with fishers (Gravity Wave) | San Cristóbal (Outdoor) — REGISTER HERE |
Day 2
| Time | Activity | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Arrival at venue / Registration / Coffee | — |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Gran Canaria Living Lab Opening Ceremony | — |
| 09:30 – 11:00 | PHAROS MPA Managers Workshop | CMC |
| 09:30 – 11:30 | Best Practices in Living Labs Workshop (Registration required) | CMC |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Blue Schools Seminar | PLOCAN |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Coffee Break | — |
| 11:30 – 13:30 | PHAROS MPA Managers Workshop (continued) | CMC |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Round Table: Permitting Academia / Projects | PLOCAN |
| 13:30 – 15:00 | Lunch | — |
DIVING SITE 1: PLOCAN – REGISTER HERE
| Time | Activity | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Orientation & participant sign-in | SITE PLOCAN (Register on arrival) |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | Dive briefing, meet-up & welcome; bus transfer to site; safety introduction | Meeting point → transfer to diving site |
| 10:00 – 13:00 | Diving Site 1 (PLOCAN or El Cabrón) – Shoreline walk & photographing algae and coastal bentonic communities | Field activity at chosen site |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch + Minka training & photo upload | On-site / Workshop space |
DIVING SITE 2: Biotopo de Arguineguín – REGISTER HERE
| Time | Activity | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Orientation & participant sign-in | Meet-up (LOCATION) and welcome / Safety introduction |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | Dive briefing, meet-up & welcome; Bus transfer to site; Safety introduction | Meeting point → Transfer to diving site |
| 10:00 – 13:00 | Diving Site 2 (Biotopo de Arguineguín) | Shoreline walk to photograph algae and coastal benthic communities (guided by TURCON) |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch + Minka training & Photo upload | On-site / Workshop space |
DIVING SITE 3: Parque de la Atlántida (Mogán) – REGISTER HERE
| Time | Activity | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Orientation & participant sign-in | Meet-up (LOCATION) and welcome / Safety introduction |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | Dive briefing, meet-up & welcome; Bus transfer to site; Safety introduction | Meeting point → Transfer to diving site |
| 10:00 – 13:00 | Diving Site 3 (Parque de la Atlántida, Mogán) | Shoreline walk to photograph algae and coastal benthic communities (guided by TURCON) |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch + Minka training & Photo upload | On-site / Workshop space |
DIVING SITE 4: Museo Atlántico, Lanzarote – REGISTER HERE
| Time | Activity | Location / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Orientation & participant sign-in | Meet-up (LOCATION) and welcome / Safety introduction |
| 09:00 – 10:00 | Dive briefing, meet-up & welcome; Bus transfer to site; Safety introduction | Meeting point → Transfer to diving site |
| 10:00 – 13:00 | Diving Site 4 (Museo Atlántico, Lanzarote, replication site) | Shoreline walk to photograph algae and coastal benthic communities |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch + Minka training & Photo upload | On-site / Workshop space |