Valencia is at the center of the debate: “Agricultural biotechnology is entering the European geopolitical arena at the same level as energy, chips and AI”
- The Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP-CSIC), BIOVEGEN and Cajamar are promoting a conference at the 'Blue Cube' of the Polytechnic City to prepare for the approval in a few months of the regulation of New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) and to analyze the geostrategic and regulatory change of the EU in this matter
- Leading European biotechnology researchers from IBMCP itself, representatives from MAPA, the Commission's own scientific service -the JRC- as well as leading Spanish and multinational companies will participate in this true scientific and business 'summit' for the agrobiotechnology sector
- During the meeting, which hundreds of researchers and businesspeople have confirmed their attendance at, the role of these revolutionary techniques in plant improvement, climate adaptation, and the promotion of upcoming regulatory changes in biofertilizers, biostimulants, and genetically modified microorganisms will be analyzed.
Valencia, May 25, 2026. In many parts of the world, New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) are the present of agriculture. In the EU, they represent the near future, and new EU regulations on this topic will be published this year, although they will not come into force until 2028. Laura Zacarés, Head of Technology Transfer at the Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP), affiliated with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), and recently recognized by the government as a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, outlines the strategic shift that is coming and goes beyond these regulations: ‘The instability of recent years and the challenges facing the agri-food sector have allowed biotechnology to enter the European geopolitical arena at the same level and with similar momentum as strategies to overcome dependence in defense and energy, the development of a domestic chip industry, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).’ In this context, and in collaboration with the biotechnology platform BIOVEGEN and the Cajamar Foundation, the 'III Science-Business Conference: Innovating the Future of Plant Biotechnology' will be held on May 28th at the Blue Cube of the Polytechnic City of Innovation. This event, a true summit of scientists and businesspeople linked to this sector, is expected to draw hundreds of professionals from across the country.
After more than a decade of turning its back on NGTs, the EU is preparing a shift in its strategy. Alongside the aforementioned new regulation, not only is a surge in genetically edited crops expected, but also a new generation of biofertilizers, biostimulants (to regenerate the soil), biopesticides (to combat pests without resorting to chemicals), and even genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs)—that is, bacteria, yeasts, microscopic fungi, microalgae, etc., genetically edited to perform a function such as producing a molecule, degrading waste, or being used as additives, flavorings, or to create new foods. “The European agenda is marked by the challenge of reducing technological dependence on third countries and developing our own capabilities, limiting the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and in this sense, biotechnology plays a key role. The so-called Biotech Act "In cross-cutting terms, the Omnibus food simplification package aims to accelerate the procedures for launching these biotechnological products," Zacarés explains.
This specific issue will be analyzed by one of the senior officials at the Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) who spearheaded the aforementioned legislative process of change in Europe at a technical level. This official is Ana Judith Martín de la Fuente, secretary of the MAPA's Interministerial Council on Genetically Modified Organisms. Taking advantage of Spain's EU presidency in 2023, she worked to present a compromise proposal to finalize a common Council position, break the deadlock in debates, and initiate the trilogue process that culminated in December with a preliminary European agreement on NGTs.
The day will be inaugurated shortly before by representatives of the three entities promoting the meeting: the director of the IBMCP, Pablo Vera; by Jesús García, territorial director of Cajamar in Valencia and by José M. Fontán, recently appointed president of BIOVEGEN, a platform that integrates almost 200 entities dedicated to biotechnology (the main research centers in the country and linked companies) whose efforts are focused on transforming basic research into concrete projects, into technological developments.
Market and climate change
Despite the delay in European regulation, next-generation technologies (NGTs) are already a reality that will soon burst onto the markets. One of the panels, led by David Lapuente, project manager at BIOVEGEN, will be dedicated to analyzing this issue. It will address the challenges of in vitro tissue regeneration, a critical phase for the effective transfer of gene editing to plants, which will be discussed by Alejandro Atarés, a leading researcher at the IBMCP. The impact of CRISPR on agriculture will be analyzed by Federico Grau, CEO of Madeinplant, a company... spin-off From this center and one of the few European companies capable of launching a new Cas protein with its own technology to edit crops; the advances for the launch of 'sentinel plants' to detect biological threats before the damage is visible will be discussed by another scientist linked to the IBMCP, Marta Vázquez; but the application of genomic editing in rice will also be addressed, thanks to the project that Luis Marqués, director of COPSEMAR, will present, or to obtain more nutritious and tasty tomatoes, a line of work directed by Antonio Granell, also from the CSIC-UPV center.
There will also be a session dedicated to 'Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change,' moderated by Carlos Baixauli, director of the Cajamar Experimental Center in Paiporta. This session will focus on biotechnological responses to drought and the reduction of inputs. Participants will include researchers from the IBMCP and representatives from leading national and international companies: Berta Rodríguez, from TIMAC AGRO, will review advances in microorganisms and volatile organic compounds for the comprehensive management of plant stress; Jorge Lozano (IBMCP) will present the Micropbiome project, focused on next-generation microbiological treatments; Juan Jesús Narváez, from Semillas Fitó, will explain how to reduce the ecological footprint through varietal selection; Javier Brumos (IBMCP) will detail the 'Listening to Plants' project; and Peter Visser, Global Head of Crops R&D at BASF, will address the role of genetic improvement in fruit and vegetable production.
Zacarés (IBMCP), Baixauli (Cajamar) and the director of BIOVEGEN, Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna, will emphasize the need to establish alliances to guarantee efficient technology transfer.
There will also be space to analyze the impact of plant biotechnology beyond agriculture: Diego Orzáez (IBMCP) will detail his research on geminiviruses produced in plants (taking advantage of the properties of viruses to convert plants into biofactories for vectors, viral components, or useful platforms for medicinal gene therapies); similarly, JA Darós (IBMCP) will talk about 'decorated' nanoparticles produced in plants with antibodies (modified plant viral particles coated with molecules of biomedical interest); Julia Marín-Navarro (IATA-CSIC) will address the development of customized enzymes for safe food and a sustainable industry; and Jesús Sánchez (IBMCP) will report on a new rapid test for the detection of viruses in poultry farms.
And with a broader perspective, the day will culminate with the block 'Biotechnology in a turbulent world: geopolitics, innovation and sovereignty', also moderated by Zacarés, with a top-notch lineup: Oriol Alcoba, Director of Innovation at ESADE; Roberto García, Director of Sustainable Development at Cajamar; Emilio Rodríguez-Cerezo, from the Joint Research Centre of the EC; and Purificación Lisón, Professor of Biotechnology at the UPV and member of the GMO Network Subgroup NGTs of EFSA.
The closing ceremony, which will take place later in the afternoon, will be led by Eduardo Pascual, Regional Secretary for Innovation of the Valencian Government, and Pilar González, Head of the Department of Institutional Promotion and Territorial Cooperation of the CDTI.
For more information, call Rafael Quilis at 661208696
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