LEITAT

Leitat is a Technological Institute, recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya (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 based on innovation and creativity.

• General Characteristics

  • ACTIVITY: Private technology center without profit 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 fostering the modernization of production structures and the development of new products at a multisectoral level. For over 100 years, LEITAT has impacted companies and other entities through managing 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).
  • DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT: 15/02/1906.
  • CATEGORY: Association.
  • CONTACT: (+34) 937 882 300.

• R&D Activities/Interests

  • NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 308 (Dec. 2018).
  • REVENUE: 24,000,000 €.
  • DESCRIPTION: Leitat has an Industrial Cooperation Management department. This department primarily handles commercial management, strategic alliances, and the supervision/monitoring of some of the companies in which Leitat is involved. A large part of Leitat’s staff is engaged in the commercial aspect, focusing on business relationships and monitoring from the commercial department. This department works in coordination with R&D, Project Management, and STA. The objective is to sell the Center with all its capabilities in a cross-cutting manner. The department consists of 5 people and is supported by external individuals (consultants) with whom agreements exist to attract new clients. One person is dedicated to opening the South American market. In the last four years, the focus has shifted from working with a single client, mainly SMEs, to collaborating with large multinational companies. Approximately 45% of visits correspond to large companies, while the rest are 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 Center’s participation in European projects. National growth is also anticipated.

BUSINESS LINES: 

  • 1. Knowledge Areas:
    • 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). Chile.
  • 4. Scientific-Technical Services:
    • Advanced Technological Solutions (STA).
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: the LEITAT headquarters is 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 site and the soil where it is built have conditioned a proposal that stands out for its harmonious and respectful adaptation, fully integrated into the surrounding pine forest, and promoting individual creative work within an optimal framework, blending technology and nature in the same environment. The more than 9,000 m2 of the Center are distributed according to needs, to accommodate workshops, laboratories, open work areas, meeting rooms, offices, exhibition halls, an auditorium, and a whole range of technologically advanced equipment. In addition to its headquarters in Terrassa, LEITAT has facilities located in the city of Barcelona: at the Barcelona Scientific Park (PCB) where the Health & Biomedicine unit is located, in Igualada at the Anoia Innovation Center where the Environmental unit is found, and in the 22@-Barcelona district, a building dedicated to R&D in the field of nanotechnology.
  • RELEVANT DATA: https://projects.leitat.org/

TECHNOLOGICAL OFFER/DEMAND: thematic areas related to the agri-food sector

  • 1) Bio-stimulants, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides: Organic and microbial bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides.
  • Analysis of microbial biodiversity, plant-microbiome interaction studies.
  • Development of antimicrobial and natural pest control agents.
  • 2) Environmental quality assessment: Analysis of biological indicators for water/soil monitoring.
  • Ecotoxicological effects of chemical substances in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
  • Kinetics and accumulation studies.
  • Assessment of effectiveness in the application of amendments and safe application doses.
  • Biodegradability and effects on soils and waters.
  • 3) Agro-resources: Natural resources and organic by-products as sources of active ingredients.
  • Valorization of biomass.
  • 4) Smart agriculture: Sensors and communication networks.
  • Big data, systems for decision support.
  • Collaborative robotics.
  • 5) Sustainable management of water and soil: Treatment of groundwater.
  • Efficient water management for irrigation.
  • Decontamination of sludge and sediments.
  • Bioremediation, soil amendments.
  • 6) Reduction of GHG emissions and carbon sequestration.
  • 7) Environmental, economic, and social analysis.

• Participation in projects

PROJECTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT:

  • RUN4LIFE: Recovery and Utilisation of Nutrients for Low Impact Fertiliser. H2020 / European Commission.
  • FITOMATICS: Biotechnological production of volatile organic compounds and antimicrobial agents based on the use of endophytic microorganisms and metabolic engineering. Collaboration Challenges 2017 / MINECO.
  • RECOVER: Sustainable integrated 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-Naturing 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 microalgal innovative extraction processes. ERANET Programme.
  • BIOECOSIM: An innovative bio-economy solution to valorise livestock manure into a range of stabilised soil improving materials for environmental sustainability and economic benefit for 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