On May 28, 2026, the III IBMCP-ENTERPRISES Conference “Innovating the Future of Plant Biotechnology” will be held at the Auditorium of the Blue Cube of the Polytechnic City of Innovation (Valencia). The Conference is organized by the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants (IBMCP), the Cajamar Cooperative Group, and BIOVEGEN.
The event aims to make available the knowledge and capabilities of IBMCP to address the challenges of companies in the agri-food sector, disseminate the scientific-technological capabilities of the center, and promote science-business projects. The Conference will showcase the latest advances in genomic editing of crops, new nutrition and plant health treatments, more efficient and nutritious new varieties, and the implementation of sustainability in the production chain. Additionally, cross-cutting aspects of geopolitical context, legislation, open innovation, and technological transfer will be addressed.
The event is designed as a business development tool, so participating professionals will be able to hold bilateral meetings to foster collaborations and science-business projects. These meetings, which will be scheduled in advance, will take place throughout the day in designated networking spaces. The event currently has over 270 registered professionals from more than 100 entities in the sector.
Below, you can consult the technological offer of IBMCP and the list of participating entities in the event. If you are interested in holding B2B meetings with any research line from IBMCP and/or any participating entity, please send an email to dlapuente@invegen.org indicating which ones you are referring to. (These meetings will be attended on a first-come, first-served basis, prioritizing the members of BIOVEGEN. The list of participating entities will be updated weekly until the event takes place).
Program
9:30 AM Reception of attendees and welcome coffee
10:00 AM Opening of the event
- Pablo Vera. Director of IBMCP
- José Manuel Enríquez. Agri-food business manager of the Territorial Directorate of Valencia
- José María Fontán. President of BIOVEGEN
10:20 AM IBMCP: The transformative power of science and plant biotechnology
- Laura Zacarés. Head of Technology Transfer IBMCP and Innovation Agent
10:40 AM Situation in legislation and regulation of NGTs: beyond crops (microorganisms, viruses, cell cultures)
- Ana Judith Martín. Secretary of the Interministerial Council on Genetically Modified Organisms (CIOMG). Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
11:00 AM New biotechnological tools for crop improvement
Moderator: David Lapuente. Project Manager at BIOVEGEN
- Challenges and technologies for in vitro tissue regeneration. Alejandro Atarés. IBMCP
- How NGTs can impact the market. Federico Grau. CEO Madeinplant
- Sentinel Plants: towards a new generation of biosensors in crops. Marta Vázquez. IBMCP
- Genomic editing in rice. Application in traditional varieties in Spain. Luis Marqués. Director COPSEMAR
- More nutritious and flavorful tomatoes. Antonio Granell. IBMCP
12:00 PM. Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change
Moderator: Carlos Baixauli. CAJAMAR
- Natural Innovation: Microorganisms and VOCs for Comprehensive Plant Stress Management. Berta Rodríguez. Scientific Coordinator TIMAC AGRO ESPAÑA
- Microbiome – New generation of microbiological treatments to combat climate change in crops. Jorge Lozano. IBMCP
- Reducing the ecological footprint in horticultural productions through varietal selection. Juan Jesús Narváez. Operational Excellence & Sustainability SEMILLAS FITÓ
- Listening to Plants: Sound Atlas to (Re)Know Other Intelligences. Javier Brumos. IBMCP
- Innovating for resilience to climate change: The essential role of genetic improvement in future horticultural production systems. Peter Visser. Global Head of Crops R&D BASF
1:00 PM. Cocktail and networking
3:00 PM. Dialogue. The importance of not going alone to go far
Moderator: Laura Zacarés. Head of Technology Transfer IBMCP and Innovation Agent
- Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna. Director BIOVEGEN
- Carlos Baixauli. Director Centro Experiencias Cajamar
15:30 h. The impact of plant biotechnology beyond the agricultural sector
Moderated by: Jesús Agüero. Director Bioval
- Geminivirus produced in plants for use in gene therapies. Diego Orzáez. IBMCP
- Antibody-decorated nanoparticles produced in plants. J.A Darós. IBMCP
- Zymotopia: tailored enzymes for safe food supply and a sustainable industry. Julia Marín-Navarro. IATA-CSIC. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology UV
- AviaSens – Rapid test for the detection of viral epidemics in poultry farms. Jesús Sánchez. IBMCP. Jofre Ferrer. CEO Bioeclosión
16:15 h. Round Table. Biotechnology in a tumultuous world: geopolitics, innovation, and technological sovereignty
Moderated by: Laura Zacarés. Technology Transfer Manager IBMCP and Innovation Agent
- Oriol Alcoba. Director of Innovation and Technology Transfer at ESADE
- Roberto García. Director of Sustainable Development at GRUPO CAJAMAR
- Emilio Rodríguez-Cerezo. Active Senior Programme. Joint Research Centre. European Commission
- Purification Lisón. Professor in the Department of Biotechnology. Polytechnic University of Valencia. Member of the GMO Network Subgroup NGTs. EFSA
5:15 PM. Closing
- GENERALITAT VALENCIANA. Eduardo Pascual. Regional Secretary of Innovation
- CDTI. Pilar González. Head of the Department of Institutional Promotion and Territorial Cooperation