Development and acceleration of economic sectors

The future of food lies in a new wave of innovation that is already underway and is here to stay. It has spawned thousands of foodtech startups that are causing a revolution in the food and beverage industry, a key pillar of the global economy. According to the annual study by accelerator Eatable Adventures entitled The State of Foodtech in Spain 2022, the segment has attracted 268 million euros in investment in 2022.

For its part, the blue economy – which relates to the sea and its resources – represents a great opportunity for economic growth and development in Europe.

A significant number of innovation projects are being carried out to generate new understanding, new products and new services in areas such as ocean protection, sustainable fisheries management, new food preservation technologies, healthy and convenience foods, of which more specific examples will be given in this document. The economic and social impact of this investment in R&D for both public administrations and companies is highly significant in terms of generating economic activity and new jobs.

In order to accelerate innovation in the foodtech and blue economy sectors, in 2022 we launched the following technology initiatives:

• Maintaining the transfer and entrepreneurship activity in the field of EIT FOOD by continuing the incubation and acceleration programmes for start-ups, with the participation of 10 new start-ups in the Bilbao operations centre.
• We have supported the Basque-French cheese company Agour in the creation of Agour Hazitegia, an entrepreneurship hub that aims to connect start-ups and entrepreneurs to promote new innovative ideas in the FoodTech sector in the Basque Country and The French Basque Country. This new form of entrepreneurship will allow companies to capture talent, new business models and technology by connecting with entrepreneurs and startups. Through this alliance with Agour, initially signed for 4 years, the aim is to transform knowledge into business opportunities and then transfer the results to the industrial fabric.
• We are working to extend and diversify the activities arising from the development of the so-called Blue Economy, as well as to attract start-ups with disruptive innovations for the challenges of this sector of the economy. In this regard, within the framework of the Preferential Action Zones (ZAPS) plan, approved by the Basque Government in the Oarsoaldea area (Gipuzkoa), we have worked to collaborate in the creation of a competitive technological space, defining products and target markets, particularly those aimed at tackling climate change, as well as the challenges and opportunities of a more circular economy, which promotes the protection and greater knowledge of our seas through an economy linked to their sustainable exploitation.

  Thus, we have proposed, and it has been included in this plan, the development of a blue economy pole in the Bay of Pasaia, this will be based on the companies in the area, but will also have a view to other companies in the Basque Country that may see, in this initiative and in the space generated, an opportunity to extend and diversify their activity in view of the opportunities that are opening up in the development of the blue economy, as well as attracting the entrepreneurial world (start-ups,…) with disruptive innovations for the challenges of this sector of the economy.

  In 2022, 8 industrial projects were initiated in the development of monitoring technologies that facilitate the sustainable exploitation of oceans and marine ecosystems, development of marine aquaculture, electrification of vessels, development of autonomous vessels, as well as the application of state-of-the-art gene technologies and biotechnologies for obtaining ingredients of marine origin and their application in food, cosmetics, biomaterials and health.