Las Palmas de Gran Canariaruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Port, bunkering & ship repair
Autoridad Portuaria de Las Palmas, Astican, Zamakona Yards, Repsol, Boluda
The port is the main mid-Atlantic servicing hub between Europe, Africa and the Americas, handling bunkering, repair and transhipment as well as being the base for much of the West African fishing fleet.
Tourism & hospitality
Lopesan, Grupo Santana Cazorla, Barceló, Riu, Binter
Tourism is the Canarian economy's foundation, though Las Palmas city itself is far less tourist-dependent than the resorts in the south of the island — it is a working port capital first.
Public administration
Gobierno de Canarias, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Ayuntamiento, ULPGC
Las Palmas is co-capital of the autonomous community with Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the regional and island administrations plus the university are among the largest employers in the city.
Remote work, coworking & digital services
Nomad City, The Roof, Restation, Sky Coworking, Repeople
One of the longest-established remote-work ecosystems in Europe, with an annual conference running since 2016 and a dense cluster of coworking and coliving around Las Canteras.
Blue economy, marine science & offshore energy
PLOCAN, ULPGC marine sciences, Siemens Gamesa, Ecoener
The Plataforma Oceánica de Canarias offshore test platform, the university's marine sciences faculty and the islands' offshore-wind ambitions form a small but genuinely specialised cluster.
Audiovisual production
Canary Islands Film, Gran Canaria Film Commission, international production services firms
The Canaries offer an audiovisual production tax credit materially more generous than the mainland's, which combined with year-round light and varied landscapes brings a steady flow of international shoots.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.