LEITAT

Leitat is a Technological Institute, recognized by the Generalitat of Catalonia (TECNIO) and by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, whose mission is to collaborate with companies and other entities to create economic, social and sustainable value, through R&D projects. and technological processes from innovation and creativity.

• ACTIVITY: Private non-profit Technology Center whose activity consists of managing technologies through R&D+2I to create and transfer sustainable Social, Environmental, Economic and Industrial value to companies and other entities. LEITAT promotes the implementation of industrial innovation by promoting the modernization of production structures and the development of new products at a multi-sector level. For more than 100 years, LEITAT has impacted companies and other entities through the management of proposals in research, development and industrial innovation, leading or participating in strategic projects and generating assets and knowledge.
• LOCATION: Calle Innovació 2 (08225) Terrassa (Barcelona).
• CONSTITUTION DATE: 15/02/1906.
• CATEGORY: Association.
• CONTACT: (+34) 937 882 300.

• NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 308 (Dec. 2018).
• INCOME: 24.000.000 €.
• DESCRIPTION: Leitat has an industrial cooperation management department. This mainly carries out commercial management, strategic alliances and the supervision/monitoring of some of the companies in which Leitat participates. A large part of Leitat's staff is involved in the commercial part, focusing on the relationship and business monitoring from the commercial department. This works in coordination with R+D, Project Management and STA. The objective is to sell, in a transversal way, the Center with all the capacities. The department is made up of 5 people and has the support of external people (consultants) with whom there are agreements to attract new clients. There is a person dedicated to opening the South American market. In the last four years he has gone from one client, mainly SMEs, to working with large multinational companies. Approximately 45% of visits correspond to large companies and the rest to SMEs. In the coming years, an increase in international clients is expected, contacted through subsidiaries of foreign companies based in Spain, as well as through the participation of the Center on European projects. Growth is also expected at the national level.

BUSINESS LINES: 

• 1. Areas of knowledge:
  • Energy & Engineering (E+E).
  • Applied Chemistry & Materials (ACM).
  • Health & Biomedicine (H&B).
• 2. Unique initiatives:
  • Human and Environmental Health & Safety center (HEHS).
  • Barcelona Institute of packaging (BIP).
• 3. Promoted projects:
  • Additive manufacturing and 3D printing (IAM3DHUB).
  • Center of Excellence in Nanotechnology (CEN). Chili.
• 4. Scientific-technical services:
  • Advanced Technological Solutions (STA).

• INFRASTRUCTURE: LEITAT's headquarters are located in Terrassa, 35 km northwest of Barcelona. The main facilities of the corporate building are governed by the principles of sustainability, technological innovation and integration into the environment. The characteristics of the place and the soil where it is implemented have conditioned a proposal that stands out for its harmonious and respectful adaptation, fully integrated into the pine forest that surrounds it, and promotes individual creative work within an optimal framework, with the fusion of technology and nature in the same environment. The more than 9,000 m² of the Center are distributed according to needs, to locate workshops, laboratories and open work areas, meeting rooms, offices, exhibition halls, auditorium and a whole set of technologically advanced equipment. In addition to its headquarters in Terrassa, LEITAT has with facilities located in the city of Barcelona: in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) where the Health & Biomedicine unit is located, in Igualada in the Anoia Innovation Center where the Environment unit is located, and in the 22@ district -Barcelona, building dedicated to R&D in the field of nanotechnology.
• DATA OF INTEREST: https://projects.leitat.org/

TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPLY/DEMAND: thematic areas related to the Agri-Food sector

• 1) Biostimulants, biofertilizers, biopesticides:Organic and microbial biofertilizers and biopesticides.
• Analysis of microbial biodiversity, plant-microbiome interaction studies.
• Development of antimicrobials and natural anti-pest agents.
• 2) Environmental quality evaluation:Analysis of biological indicators for water/soil monitoring.
• Ecotoxicological effect of chemical substances in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
• Kinetics and accumulation studies.
• Evaluation of effectiveness in the application of amendments and safe application doses.
• Biodegradability and effects on soil and water.
• 3) Agro-resources:Natural resources and organic by-products as a source of active ingredients.
• Biomass valorization.
• 4) Smart agriculture:Sensors and communication networks.
• Big data, systems to support decision making.
• Collaborative robotics.
• 5) Sustainable water and soil management:Groundwater treatment.
• Efficient water management for irrigation.
• Decontamination of sludge and sediments.
• Bioremediation, soil amendments.
• 6) Reduction of GHG emissions and C sequestration.
• 7) Environmental, economic and social analysis.

DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS:

• RUN4LIFE: Recovery and Utilization of Nutrients 4 Low Impact Fertilizer. H2020 / European Commission.
• PHYTOMATICS: Biotechnological production of volatile organic compounds and antimicrobials based on the use of endophytic microorganisms and metabolic engineering. Collaboration Challenges 2017 / MINECO.
• RECOVER: Comprehensive sustainable anti-pollution treatment for the creation of green railway corridors. Collaboration Challenges 2015 / MINECO.
• WECANN: Origin, genetic, chemical and morphological variability and traditional uses of Cannabis: bases for its new applications. Research Challenges 2017 / MINECO.
• Greneer: Integrated Systems for Effective ENvironmEntal Remediation. H2020 / European Commission.
• UrbanGreenUP: New Strategy for Re-Naturating Cities through Nature-Based Solutions. H2020 / European Commission.
• GrowGreen: Green Cities for Climate and Water Resilience, Sustainable Economic Growth, Healthy Citizens and Environments. H2020 / European Commission.
• FLEXJET: Sustainable Jet Fuel from Waste Biomass and Waste Vegetable Oil. H2020 / European Commission.
• INDIA-H20: Bio-mimetic and phyto-technologies designed for low-cost purification and recycling of water. H2020 / European Commission.

COMPLETED PROJECTS:

• BIO-XPLORE: Bio Exploration – Novel methodology for the Identification of Valuable Natural Products Derived from Mediterranean Flora. ENPI / European Commission.
• NOSHAN: Sustainable Production of Functional and Safe Feed from Food Waste. FP7 / European Commission.
• BIOALGAL: Biological compounds obtained by innovative microalgal extraction processes. ERANET Programme.
• BIOECOSIM: An innovative bio-economy solution to valorise livestock management into a range of stabilized soil improving materials for environmental sustainability and economic benefit for the European agriculture. FP7 / European Commission.
• REAGRITECH: Regeneration and reuse of runoff and drainage water in agricultural plots by combined natural water treatment systems. LIFE+ / European Commission