1. A point of inflection: NIS 2 and Cybersecurity in the EU
The cybersecurity in Europe The European Union Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) has published its report on the European Union’s cyber security agency (ENISA) and the European Union’s European Union Cybersecurity Agency (ENISA) “NIS Investments 2024”, where it analyses the impact of the transition to NIS Directive 2, a regulation that strengthens companies’ obligations in the area of digital security. It is not a simple regulatory adjustment, but a profound change in the way companies must address cyber risks.
The study, based on a comprehensive survey of more than 1350 organisations in the 27 Member States, makes it clear that investment in cybersecurity has increased, reaching 9% of the IT budget in many companies, but also puts on the table a number of challenges that go far beyond money. The shortage of specialized talent is becoming a structural problem: Despite growing demand, the number of employees engaged in cybersecurity has fallen for the fourth consecutive year, which shows that the ability of companies to meet NIS 2 depends not only on their financial resources, but also on their ability to attract and retain qualified talent.
However, awareness of this regulation is high. Almost all the organisations surveyed know that they must comply with the directive, but the question remains whether they are really prepared to do so. And this is where the Canary Islands comes into play, because the challenges already facing the rest of Europe are magnified in an island context like that of the islands.
2. Canary Islands to NIS 2: A Challenge that Checks Your Competitiveness
Not all regions face digitization with the same tools, and in the case of the Canary Islands, adaptation to NIS 2 is accompanied by additional difficulties that make cybersecurity not only a technological issue, but also a reflection of the structural problems that the archipelago economy carries.
Digital talent on the islands remains scarce, not only because cybersecurity training is not yet widespread enough, but because some of the people who acquire these skills end up looking for opportunities outside.
The flight of talent, a recurring problem in the Canary Islands, becomes a real obstacle when we talk about digital security, because without trained professionals, local companies have little chance of meeting the requirements of the new regulation.
But beyond the lack of specialists, the real challenge is how the Canary Islands companies perceive cybersecurity. In a business fabric dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of which operate on tight margins, digital security continues to be seen as an additional cost rather than a strategic investment. The problem is that this mentality clashes head on with NIS 2, which makes cybersecurity an unavoidable legal obligation.
Another factor that complicates the transition is that digital infrastructure in the Canary Islands continues to depend heavily on external operators and connectivity that does not always meet current requirements. In a global economy where cyber attacks can put any company in check in a matter of minutes, not having a robust infrastructure can make it even more complicated for many local organizations to comply with NIS 2.
3. The Problem Is Not Just Cybersecurity: It’s the Economic Model
Cybersecurity is just one of the many pieces of the puzzle. NIS 2 puts on the table an even bigger problem: the lack of competitiveness of the Canary Islands in the digital environment. For decades, the archipelago has depended on an economic model based on tourism and traditional sectors that have resisted digital transformation. And although this strategy has worked to some extent, the world has changed, and the Canary Islands cannot afford to continue operating under a scheme that already shows clear signs of exhaustion.
The problem is not only the dependence on tourism, but the inability of companies to innovate and adapt to the new digital reality. While other regions have driven sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology or automation, in the Canary Islands the debate remains focused on the same problems as always: lack of economic diversification, bureaucracy that slows down business growth and difficulty in attracting high value-added investments.
And, of course, there is the issue of the labour market. The gap between what employers are asking and what workers are demanding continues to grow. On the one hand, companies claim that labour costs are too high to be competitive; on the other, employees insist that wages are not enough to cover the cost of living. Amid this clash of interests, productivity remains low and the perception that “no one wants to work” becomes a constant, although in many cases the problem is not a lack of will, but the absence of real incentives to improve performance and efficiency.
4. Reinventing the Canary Islands: The Need for Structural Change
If the Canary Islands wants not only to comply with NIS 2, but also to become a benchmark in the digital economy, it needs a clear strategy. The key is not to continue doing the same, waiting for different results, but to transform the productive and labor structure of the archipelago.
To this end, it is essential that companies and institutions begin to view the Canary Islands Economic and Fiscal Regime REF Canary Islands as more than just a tax reduction mechanism for traditional sectors. If strategically applied to the attraction of technology companies, the island could become a hub of innovation and cybersecurity in the Atlantic, taking advantage of its geographical location and its connection with Europe and Latin America.
But it is not enough to attract companies. It is also necessary to train local talent, because without cybersecurity and technology specialists, any attempt at digitization will be superficial. The creation of advanced digital security training centres and the implementation of hybrid work models can help more qualified professionals decide to stay on the islands rather than look for opportunities outside.
The labour market, for its part, needs urgent modernization, not to reduce wages or to charge more taxes on companies, but to adopt models that reward productivity and efficiency, rather than to remain anchored in a system that measures work in hours rather than results.
Finally, the public sector must play a key role. It is not enough to impose regulations like NIS 2; it is necessary to facilitate the digital transition with incentives, advice and an entrepreneurial ecosystem that favors investment in innovation. If the Canary Islands does not take this transformation seriously, it will continue to lose competitiveness in a world where the digital economy is no longer the future, but the present.
5. Conclusion: Adapt or Stay Back
The real challenge for NIS 2 is not only to comply with the regulations, but to understand that digitalization and cyber security are the basis of any modern economy. The Canary Islands has two paths: it can continue operating under a scheme that is already exhausted or it can take this opportunity to redesign its future.
The time for the diagnosis has passed. Now it is up to us to decide whether the archipelago wants to become a benchmark for innovation or to remain trapped in the inertia of its own problems. Because the future does not wait. We either adapt, or we are left behind.
