Industrial property in the agri-food sector: a lever for competitiveness in a leading sector in Europe

Madrid, October 30, 2025.– PONS IP, a global consultancy in industrial and intellectual property, together with BIOVEGEN, the Technological Platform for Plant Biotechnology, held the conference “The strategic value of IP in technological transactions in the agri-food sector”The event, which brought together more than 70 professionals from the agricultural ecosystem, investment, and innovation, was held at the PONS Foundation headquarters in Madrid. Its objective was to highlight the value and leadership of Spain as one of the world's most innovative countries in the agri-food sector, positioning Spain at the forefront of Europe in both production and the transfer of knowledge and technology applied to the sector.

The CEO of PONS IP, Nuria MarcosHe opened the meeting by emphasizing that “the sector must decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Adequate protection of research and development results through patents, utility models, plant varieties, or trade secrets can be key to ensuring a competitive position in the commercial exploitation of innovations, facilitating technology transfer, and attracting investment for new projects. Only in this way can the agri-food sector consolidate its leadership and move towards a more innovative and sustainable economy in a sector so important to our country.”

Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna, manager of BIOVEGENThe report offered a positive overview of the sector based on the “Spanish Agri-food Observatory 2024” and “Mapping the Spanish Agrotech Ecosystem 2024” reports. The data shows that the agri-food sector already represents 8.61% of the national GDP and 11.51% of employment, with more than 2.5 million workers. In 2024, gross value added reached €125.16 billion, 3.91% more than the previous year, and exports set a record high of €76.356 billion, 5.91% more than in 2023. Spain is thus now the fourth largest contributor to agri-food GVA in Europe and a leader in the production of citrus fruits, olive oil, and fresh fruit.

“The plant production sector is cross-cutting, strategic for Spain and internationally competitive, but it faces challenges of production pressure, climate change and generational renewal that can only be overcome with technology, innovation, attracting talent and protecting knowledge,” Ruiz de Gauna summarized.

Next, the round table “IP management as a key business tool in agriculture”, moderated by Rafael Lopez, Director of Technology Transfer and of PONS IP in Valencia, had Xana Belastegui Macadam, General Partner at Swanlaab Venture Factory; Pedro Álvarez, Co-founder & CEO of IVORO; José María Fontán, Director of Innovation at EUROSEMILLAS; and Unai Castañón, partner and head of food&beverage at ARCANO PARTNERS.

The speakers agreed that a sound innovation protection strategy in the sector and a long-term perspective are crucial for attracting investment and facilitating technology transfer. They noted that startups that register their intellectual property are more likely to secure funding. The discussion focused on the consolidation and maturity of the Spanish agrifoodtech ecosystem, which received €179 million in investment in 2024, with a 4.81% increase in employment and a strong female presence on founding teams, now reaching 57% of the total.

Innovation and talent: the showcase of disruptive startups

The showcase of disruptive companies in the agri-food sector, presented by César Marcos, journalist and coordinator of ATIt showcased the diversity and innovative potential of the sector. Spain now boasts a network of over 850 agritech startups, concentrated in Andalusia, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and Madrid, supported by 50 specialized universities, 20 technology parks and centers, 24 sectoral clusters, and 7 technology platforms such as BIOVEGEN. Innovation hubs and incubators foster the creation and growth of companies from their initial patents or plant varieties.

Among the six participating startups, initiatives such as the following stood out: TRICOPHARMING, which applies plant biotechnology to optimize crops through the use of microRNAs and trichome stimulation, enhancing the sustainable production of high-value compounds; EKONOKE, a pioneer in vertical farming and indoor hop production, which guarantees climate resilience and a reduction in environmental impact; ID FOREST, a leader in forest biotechnology and applied mycology, developing innovative solutions in biofertilizers, biomaterials and technological truffle cultivation; BISARI, which promotes the digitalization and smart pollination of crops with IoT, AI and biotechnology, improving agricultural performance; and BIOCEANICSA university spin-off that researches and produces sustainable functional ingredients, such as Omega-3 oils from microalgae, offering efficient vegan alternatives for the food and nutraceutical industries. These companies exemplify the dynamism and innovative capacity of the Spanish agritech ecosystem, contributing to a more competitive, sustainable, and future-oriented agriculture. With this shared objective, the startup's case stood out. PHOENIX It caught the audience's attention with a technology that uses living organisms to transform organic waste into high value-added ingredients, such as protein for animal feed and natural fertilizers, based on the efficient bioconversion of food waste and contributing to a real circular economy and the reduction of the environmental impact of waste management.

The day concluded with a call to strengthen public-private collaboration, promote digitalization, and consolidate a culture of protecting industrial and intellectual property and plant varieties as a lever for internationalization and competitiveness in the global market. Thus, both Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna as Rafael Lopez They agreed that the sector The Spanish agricultural sector “is in a phase of maturity after a period of rapid growth, it already attracts investment with a medium and long-term perspective and, with the right approach, we are in a position to leverage our capacity for generating innovation to boost our growth through the export of agricultural technology, although we still need to truly commit to a culture of industrial property that will unleash our full potential as a country in the agri-food sector.”.