BIOVEGEN promotes plant innovation at its 2025 Assembly

The reference association in agri-biotechnology celebrates its annual Assembly with a meeting that positions innovation as a key tool for competitiveness in a context increasingly demanding sustainable biosolutions.
More than 100 professionals from the agri-biotechnology sector from national and international reference entities participated in the event.
The day allowed for scheduling more than 80 bilateral meetings to promote science-business contact and the development of public-private collaborations.

On April 3, 2025, the session “Driving Plant Innovation” organized by BIOVEGEN – Technological Platform for Plant Biotechnology was successfully held at the CEOE headquarters in Madrid. The event, already well-established and a reference in the sector, brought together more than 100 professionals from agribusinesses, biotech companies, researchers, and institutions of reference at both national and international levels. The day, held in-person and open to the entire sector, aimed to showcase the potential of plant biotechnology to address the current challenges faced by the agri-food sector.

During the event, the focus was placed on various emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, genetic improvement, and genomic editing, highlighting the key role these tools play in achieving more efficient, sustainable, resilient, and competitive agriculture. Specifically, in this line, during the opening ceremony led by José Pellicer, president of BIOVEGEN; Raúl Natividad, vice president of the R&D+i Commission of CEOE; and Isabel Allona, director of CBGP (UPM-INIA-CSIC), the strategic role of plant biotechnology in addressing current challenges in the sector was emphasized, agreeing on the need to generate an environment that facilitates technological development and the implementation of these technologies in the market.

The session began with the intervention of David Posé, a tenured professor at the University of Málaga, who presented his work on the regulation of ripening and defense against pathogens in strawberry fruits. During his talk, Posé showcased various molecular tools that can be used to improve the post-harvest quality of the fruit and increase resistance to diseases, such as those caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, a key factor in reducing losses in cultivation and extending its shelf life.

Raquel Sánchez, a researcher at CEBAS-CSIC, continued with the academic project block, presenting various improvement strategies they have implemented to increase the productivity of different fruit trees by studying physiological behavior under water stress and other limiting factors, combined with selection techniques and genetic improvement.

Federico Grau, CEO of Madeinplant, presented his work on the development of new functional proteins applied to genetic improvement of strategic crops. In line with this, the CEO of Madeinplant presented the project titled “Characterization, optimization, and validation of new Cas proteins for the genetic improvement of strategic crops in the Valencian Community,” which he is leading in cooperation with other key players in the Valencian Community.

Enrique Niza, founder of NAPLATEC and NANOLIFE, addressed the enormous potential of nanotechnology as a transformative tool for agriculture, highlighting its use in the development of nanoparticles that allow for a more efficient release of compounds of interest, offering a nanoagriculture alternative to reduce the use of pesticides. This disruptive technology, he explained, not only enhances the effectiveness of treatments but also reduces environmental impact and aligns with the regulatory trend to decrease the use of phytosanitary products.

The session continued with a segment focused on business development and financing of agbiotechnology initiatives through the services offered by the international firm Arcano Partners and the acceleration program of Cajamar Innova, which has recently published the II Call for Agrotech Startups. In this regard, both speakers highlighted the need to continue supporting projects, start-ups, spin-offs, and technology-based companies seeking to scale in innovation and technology transfer.

As a closing to the session, the director of FRUIT ATTRACTION, María José Sánchez, presented the news and strategic lines for the upcoming edition of FRUIT ATTRACTION 2025, the international fair of the horticultural sector that will take place in Madrid on September 30, and October 1 and 2, 2025, where agrobiotechnology innovation will be represented in the Innova & Tech area.

In this context, the closure of the day was led by Carlos de la Cruz, director of Technology and Internationalization at CDTI, who emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum for R&D through solid public policies and tools that promote the generation of collaborative innovation projects.

Additionally, the BIOVEGEN Session: “Driving Plant Innovation” offered attendees the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings between technology providers and seekers in designated areas for these meetings, managing to schedule over 80 meetings to promote the development of potential collaborations.

Program and presentations

10:00 h. BIOVEGEN General Assembly (HYBRID Session. Exclusive for BIOVEGEN members)

11:30 a.m. Networking

12:00 p.m. BIOVEGEN session “Driving plant innovation” (IN-PERSON session. Open to the entire sector. Priority attendance for BIOVEGEN members)

CEOE. Raúl Natividad. Vice President of the R&D&i Commission of CEOE and President of the R&D&i and digitization Commission of CEIM
INIA-CSIC. Isabel Allona. Director of CBGP (UPM-INIA-CSIC)
BIOVEGEN. José Pellicer. President of BIOVEGEN

12:10 p.m. Regulating ripening and defense against pathogens in strawberry fruits