Canary Islands technological and astronomical infrastructure

The Canary Islands are expanding their technological and astronomical infrastructure through significant EU-funded projects.

In July 2026, the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) completed a €23 million fibre-optic network project. Funded by the EU’s NextGenerationEU recovery plan, the infrastructure includes a €16.8 million submarine segment connecting the Teide Observatory on Tenerife with the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma. A complementary €5.8 million terrestrial upgrade provides high-speed links to the mainland, ensuring a minimum transmission capacity of 1.5 Tbps for at least 25 years to support advanced telescopes and local administration.

Following this, plans were advanced in August 2026 to establish a satellite communications teleport and control center in Tenerife. This €18.2 million initiative, supported by approximately €12 million from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility-Digital program, is being driven by the Cabildo de Tenerife through the Technological Institute of Renewable Energies (ITER) and CanarySat. Expected to be completed by November 2028, the facility aims to position Tenerife as a strategic technological node connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas by bridging terrestrial networks and satellites.