AINIA It closed the 2023 financial year with a growth in income close to 8% compared to the previous year, reaching 21,1 million euros, of which more than 60% corresponds to company income.
The technology center increased activity in its different business units, working with 1.745 companies coming from various sectors, mainly agri-food, chemical, cosmetics and packaging. It has also expanded the number of partners, reaching 792 companies.
Regarding activity indicators, they have been developed 286 R&D&i projects framed in 5 great challenges: foods of the future, food quality and safety, health and well-being, green transition and digital transformation. The laboratories have carried out 110.000 analytical services, being the first agri-food laboratory in Spain with 160 tests accredited by ENAC. 1.900 hours of training, 350 food law consultations and 154 studies with consumers have also been carried out, in addition to an extensive program of events and training activities, which registered more than 1.200 attendees.
El president of AINIA, Manuel García Portillo, pointed out, on the occasion of the celebration of the Governing Council of the center, that the excellent results obtained have been possible “thanks to the drive and dedication of a team made up of more than 270 professionals, the commitment of the Governing Council, the trust of the associates and clients and to the support of the different public organizations and administrations with which we collaborate, especially the Generalitat Valenciana.”
Regarding investments, the most important item has been that allocated to the construction of the new 4 building, a space that will serve to reinforce AINIA's commitment to cutting-edge equipment at the service of R&D&I, and whose completion is scheduled for mid-2024. New equipment has also been acquired for the pilot plants and laboratories, for a global amount greater than 3 million euros.
Featured projects
One of the milestones of the year has been the approval of the AccelerEAT project among the 13 initiatives supported by the agri-food PERTE, promoted by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and financed with Next Generation EU funds. A driving project in which 18 companies participate and which encompasses a total of 22 collaborative projects distributed in R&D&I, sustainability and energy efficiency actions, which will contribute to improving the competitiveness and productivity of the industry.
Another notable strategic initiative, in relation to new forms of collaboration with companies, is the StartBEC program, the result of a collaboration agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. A technological support program for emerging companies in the field of bioeconomy, equipped with the necessary resources to support the development of innovative projects in this field.
Furthermore, the constitution of the company Fibtray Solutions SL., owned by AINIA and REDIT Ventures, marks a milestone in the center's trajectory regarding the line of technology transfer to companies. The firm, which allows the valorization of a patent owned by AINIA, is focused on the development, manufacture and sale of sustainable packaging solutions, based on cardboard, for the food sector.
under the Sustainability Master Plan, various actions have been carried out such as the preparation of the Sustainability Report according to GRI standards or the measurement of the social impact of the investment, SROI, with a social impact of the activity carried out in 2022 that reached 443 million euros, which represents a return of €17,58 for each euro invested at AINIA. Certification of the ISO14001 Environmental Management System, and also the rating of AINIA as a Socially Responsible Valencian Entity, being one of the first entities to obtain registration in the newly created Registry of Valencian Socially Responsible Entities (SIR Registry).
Finally, AINIA has recent recognitions such as the Sepor de Oro 2023 award in the R&D&i category, for its commitment to technical and scientific excellence to promote quality, safety and sustainability in the agri-food industry. Likewise, at the beginning of this year, the center has received the “José Flores Award for Innovation” awarded by ANICE, the Association of Meat Industries of Spain, and the NOVA Award for Research in Industrial Processes, organized by the fairs international Exposolidos, Polusolidos and Expofluidos.
