The Parque Científico de Alicante (PCA), part of the University of Alicante, is set to host a new innotransfer event tomorrow, focusing on the application of innovative technologies and solutions to create a more efficient, sustainable, and circular food supply chain.
This initiative is part of the open innovation programme of the Valencian Scientific Parks Network (REPCV), which aims to connect the needs of businesses with the scientific and technological knowledge generated in universities and scientific parks across the Valencian Community.
Event details
Under the title “Sustainable food: technologies and solutions for a more efficient and circular food supply chain,” the event will gather businesses, startups, research groups, and other stakeholders from the Valencian Innovation System (SVI) to identify collaboration opportunities and provide the agri-food sector with solutions to its main sustainability challenges, resource utilisation, and waste management.
The day will commence at 9:15 am with participant registration. The institutional opening will feature María Jesús Pastor, Vice-Rector for Transfer, Entrepreneurship, and Scientific Dissemination at the University of Alicante; Lidia López, Councillor for Commerce, Hospitality, Consumption, and Markets from the Alicante City Council and Vice-President of the Mercalicante board; and Francisco Javier Sogorb, Deputy Director-General for Digital Society Advancement of the Generalitat Valenciana.
Challenges and presentations
Following the opening, Mercalicante and the company FRUKLAS will present some of the key challenges facing the agri-food sector, both in terms of sustainable transformation and the various links in the fresh product value chain. The programme will then showcase technologies, projects, and innovative proposals developed by companies, startups, and research groups addressing these challenges.
Notable participants include Fernando Alfaya, CEO of Omix Circular Technologies; José Luis Todolí, Professor of Analytical Chemistry and member of the Analytical and Circular Chemistry Research Group (bioCir) at the University of Alicante; Cristina Verdú, CEO of Nest Biocontrol; and Esperanza Mancebo, Innovation Agent at the Institute of Agri-food and Agro-environmental Research and Innovation of the Miguel Hernández University (CIAGRO-UMH).
The European project MixMatters will also be presented, featuring AINIA, alongside insights from Vicen Máñez, Environmental Management and General Services Manager at Mercavalència. Additionally, the programme will introduce the “DatXia Circular Economy Data Space” tool, driven by Inferia and the Circular Economy Observatory of the Province of Alicante.
Networking opportunities
The event will conclude with a networking session to facilitate experience sharing and connections among attendees, followed by a guided tour of the Mercalicante wholesale market facilities.
Esteban Pelayo, manager of the Parque Científico de Alicante, emphasised the importance of such gatherings in translating innovation into concrete business needs. “Innotransfer allows us to bring real challenges faced by businesses together with technology companies and research groups working on potential solutions. In a sector like agri-food, where issues such as resource utilisation, waste, and efficiency directly impact competitiveness, creating these connection spaces can lead to collaborations and concrete projects,” he stated. Pelayo also highlighted the value of addressing these challenges through collaboration among members of the Valencian Scientific Parks Network. “The five parks have different and complementary companies, researchers, and capabilities. Working as a network allows us to expand the possibilities of finding the technology or knowledge a company needs, regardless of which university or park it is located in,” he added.
