Fruit Attraction LIVEConnect hosted the first session of the BIOTECH ATTRACTION series last Thursday: “Potential of Agrobiology for the New Agriculture”.
The BIOTECH ATTRACTION cycle aims to highlight the technological trends that will shape the future of agriculture, as well as examples of companies and innovative projects working in these areas. From BIOVEGEN, as a public-private association focused on supporting innovation in the sector and collaborator of FRUIT ATTRACTION, we aim with this cycle to showcase the technological and financing opportunities that arise for the sector through technological innovation, which offers new products, varieties, new applications of crops, new tools, greater production efficiency, and lower environmental impact… In short, to demonstrate how technological innovation in the sector, driven by tools that emerge from a deep understanding of plant biology, provides business and competitiveness opportunities for the entire agri-food value chain.
The first session, held on Thursday, October 8 and titled “New tools for the development of varieties and plant material”, featured the inauguration by Raúl Calleja, director of Fruit Attraction, and Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna, manager of BIOVEGEN. During this session, well-known speakers participated from the companies section, including Gabino Sánchez, Business Development Director of Hudson River Biotechnology; Francisco Javier Puyo, breeder from Unigen; and José Cuenca, director of Avasa. As for the presentation of science-business projects, Manuel Talón from the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA) explained the Gocitrus project; Mónica Pradillo from Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) talked about the MEICOM project; and Cristina Ferrándiz from the Molecular and Cellular Biology Institute of Plants – IBMCP (CSIC) explained the work of SUS-CROP RICE.
Recording of SESSION I
Program and presentations of the Day
11:00 AM Welcome and introduction
- IFEMA. Raúl Calleja. Director FRUIT ATTRACTION
- BIOVEGEN. Gonzaga Ruiz de Gauna. Manager
11.10 h. COMPANIES
- Creating Tomorrow’s Crops: Unique Challenges & Opportunities in Applying CRISPR in Plants. HUDSON RIVER BIOTECHNOLOGY. Gabino Sánchez. Director Business Development
- UNITED GENETICS. Implementation of New Biotechnological Tools. UNIGEN. Francisco Javier Puyo. Sweet Pepper Plant Breeder
- Varietal Innovation in Citrus. AVASA. José Cuenca. Technical Director
11:40 a.m. SCIENCE-BUSINESS PROJECTS
- GOCITRUS: Innovation for the identification and management of citrus varieties. Manuel Talón. Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA)
- MEICOM Project, crossing borders in agriculture. Mónica Pradillo. Complutense University of Madrid (UCM)
- HybRice: new biotechnological strategies for obtaining rice hybrids. Cristina Ferrándiz. Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology of Plants – IBMCP (CSIC-UPV)
12:10 p.m. Colloquium and questions
12:30 p.m. Conclusions and closure