IV Agrobiotec Collaboration Forum

May 13, 2025. Valencia

The next May 13, 2025, the Bioval Cluster will celebrate in The Ships the Fourth edition of the Agrobiotec Collaboration Forum, a day dedicated to sharing innovations, lines of work, and challenges in the field of agricultural biotechnology to strengthen connections and collaboration in R&D, thus promoting the transition to a better adapted, resilient, and innovative sector.

Throughout the event, topics such as biotechnology strategies for biocontrol, detection tools, diagnosis, and the use of omics, the use of microorganisms, the production of biostimulants, biofertilizers, and biopesticides, as well as crop genetic improvement and new genomic techniques (NGTs) will be addressed. In addition, the event will offer an app for scheduling B2B meetings throughout the day.

In this context, BIOVEGEN will participate in the round table "Biotechnology Innovation: New Horizons for the Agricultural Sector", which will take place at 10:30 a.m. in the Multipurpose Room.

Program

9:30 Attendee registration

10:00 Opening of the day

Angela Perez. President of Bioval.
Gonzalo Belenguer. General Manager of REDIT.
Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism.

10:15 The role of Bioval in promoting agricultural biotechnology in the Valencian Community.

Jesus Aguero, director and innovation agent, Bioval.

10:30 AM Panel "Biotechnological Innovation: New Horizons for the Agricultural Sector"

Moderate: Laura Zacares, Innovation agent, IBMCP.

Kristell Santander, CEO, NEVAL.
Pepe Castro, innovation agent, The LLauradora and Ramadera Union.
Raquel del Val, director of biosolutions, Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence.
David Lapuente, project manager, BIOVEGEN.

11:30 Coffee

12:00 Presentations of biotechnology capabilities

12:00 Image analysis and AI

Neuromorphic vision and artificial intelligence for tiger mosquito pest control. María Antolín Fernández, Director of the Strategic Projects Promotion Area, ITI.
Drones in Agriculture 4.0 and ROVs for aquatic environments. Vanesa Tognetti, Project Manager. Vortex App.

12:20 Biosolutions,

Sustainable bioproduction of insect pheromones and their precursors. Paloma Juárez Ortega, European Project Leader, AINIA.
Bioprospecting for microorganisms and their delivery in plasticulture products. Controlled release. Chelo Escrig Rondán, Leader of the Agriculture and Aquatic Environment Cluster, AIMPLAS.
Drug discovery to improve drought tolerance in agriculture. Jorge Lozano Juste, Researcher, IBMCP.
Biocontrol of postharvest pathogenic fungi and mycotoxin producers. Ana-Rosa Ballester, Senior Scientist – Department of Food Biotechnology, IATA-CSIC.

13:00 Genetic improvement and NGTs

Biofortified plants with vitamins and antioxidants: a golden opportunity. Manuel RODRIGUEZ-CONCEPCION, Research Professor at the CSIC. IBMCP.
Breeding Species of Interest in Food and Pharma: Capabilities and Partner Search. José Tomás Matus, Coordinator of the Systems Biotechnology Program. I2SysBio-CSIC-UV.

13:20 Plant stress

Portable sensors for early, cost-effective, and accurate detection of stress-related damage in crops. Maria Carmen Marques Romero, Researcher, MOMENTUM Program, CSIC, I2SysBio-CSIC-UV.
Wearable biosensor for real-time measurement of plant stress in sap. Success story for indirect detection of water stress and air quality. Laura García, Head of Biosensors and Biobatteries Line, ITE.

13:40 Valorization of by-products and waste

Circular biotechnology for agriculture: converting natural byproducts into sustainable, high-value-added solutions. Henoc Pérez Aguilar, Advanced Materials Department, INESCOP.
Development and implementation of processes for the recovery of organic waste and by-products: advanced bioethanol, bioproducts, and bioenergy. Marcos Latorre, Head of Innovation. PERSEO Biotechnology SL

2:00 PM Lunch

3:00 PM Collaborative R&D projects in agrobiotechnology.

Collaboration in R&D projects in the citrus sector. José Cuenca, technical director, AVASA and Pablo Aleza, Researcher and Head of the Tissue Culture Unit, IVIA
Development of new gene editing tools for crop improvement. Federico Grau, CEO, Madeinplant.
"A dialogue for growth: innovation in agricultural R&D". Bernardo Cuenca, Rijck Zwaan And Daniel Ramón, Darwin Bioprospecting Excellence.

16:00 Support for innovation and financing. LEYTON.

Miguel Ángel Granda Experience, Senior Business Developer for R&D Dynamisation.
Enrique López, R&D Finance Manager.

4:30 PM Closing