The “Technology Attraction” Conference brings together 300 actors from the agri-food sector

The 'Technology Attraction' Conference, led by INIA and BIOVEGEN, filled the room and attracted 300 researchers, center managers and agricultural entrepreneurs.

Eight directors of the main agricultural research centers that INIA coordinates presented their main lines of action, adapted to the needs of their autonomous community.

The presence of BIOVEGEN at Fruit Attraction - where it maintained its own stand, organized a conference with the INIA (National Institute of Agricultural and Food Research and Technology) and arranged more than 200 contacts between researchers and companies interested in its projects - has served to observe a growing “effervescence and interest” of the fruit and vegetable sector for R&D&I projects. This is stated by the president of this platform dedicated to building bridges between suppliers and demanders of agricultural technology, José Pellicer, who also values “the important global offer but adapted to the needs of each region”exposed during the aforementioned day. Throughout the morning of last October 23, the directors or senior executives of eight of the regional centers of the R&D&I network that the INIA coordinates (the CBGP of Madrid; the IFAPA of Andalusia; the CITA of Aragon; INAGEA of the Balearic Islands; the IRIAF of Castilla La Mancha; the IRTA of Catalonia; the IVIA of the Valencian Community and NEIKER of the Basque Country) presented their main strategic and research lines. More than 300 businessmen, private researchers or representatives of centers from all over Spain filled the Fruit Forum 4 hall. The director of the fair, Raúl Calleja – who participated in the opening of the meeting – stated that these BIOVEGEN conferences are all "a proud"for this fair"because R&D is the added value that we seek to offer to the business activity that we bring together here«

*Group photo of the speakers of the INIA-BIOVEGEN Conference*

BIOVEGEN's own evolution in recent years also reflects this positive inertia. In 2014, the platform had 43 member entities but five years later it has more than doubled those figures and today 82 companies, six associations or foundations use its mediation services, technological advice or find out about R&D offers and demands. private and 15 research centers. Among its 103 partners, 49 companies dedicated to plant breeding are also represented in an associated manner; 91 agri-food companies or cooperatives and 10 nurseries with an accumulated production of more than 4 million plants per year.

*Left-right: Rosa Arroyo-García (CBGP). José Pellicer (BIOVEGEN). Raúl Calleja (FRUIT ATTRACTION). Antonio Leyva (BIOVEGEN)*

The 'TECHNOLOGY ATTRACTION: INIA at the service of agriculture' Conference, held on October 23, brought together up to eight top officials from some of the country's main agricultural research centers in a session with companies. Autonomous institutes, coordinated by the INIA, that maintain lines of research and projects that are often complementary or shared but that are fundamentally adjusted to the needs and agricultural potential of each region. Rosa Arroyo García, deputy director of Biotech CBGP (UPM-INIA), explained how this framework is articulated and gave an account of the facilities where the 800 employees of this national organization work, as well as the main areas in which it works (Water and soils; sustainable management of forest and agricultural systems; adaptation to climate change; conservation of genetic resources; development of new technologies applicable to the agricultural and forestry sector; integrated control of pests, diseases and weeds; increase in the useful life and quality of fruits and vegetables and biotechnology and plant genetic improvement).