We are promoting a hub comprising more than 60 start-ups to bring together talent, research and business, and to accelerate innovation in the agri-food sector
This morning we kicked off a new edition of Alimentaria+Hostelco, the leading international event for the food industry and the HORECA sector, which is being held at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue until 26 March.
IRTA is playing a leading role by spearheading the Food & Hospitality Startups (F&HS) initiative, a key hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in the food and hospitality sector. Around 60 start-ups are taking part in this initiative, which we are running in partnership with ACCIÓ.
Our goal is clear: to bring together entrepreneurial talent, applied research and business to accelerate the transfer of innovation. Throughout the week, participating companies have access to networking events, B2B meetings and opportunities to present their projects to investors and key industry players.
Furthermore, we run this space with the support of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Catalonia and the backing of CaixaBank, in a space of over 600 m² dedicated entirely to innovation.
As our Director General, Josep Usall, points out, ‘events such as Food & Hospitality Startups exemplify the value of open innovation, bringing together entrepreneurial talent, research and business to address the major challenges facing the agri-food sector. At IRTA, we work to foster these partnerships and accelerate the transfer of knowledge to the wider industry’.
We have put together a packed programme of events taking place over the coming days, focusing on some of the key challenges and opportunities facing the agri-food sector.
This Monday, we launched the programme with the presentation of the report “The State of the Alternative Protein Ecosystem in Spain”, featuring Carlos Campillos (The Good Food Institute), who moderated a panel discussion with leading companies such as Zyrcular, Novameat and Poseidona, and Anna Carabús, director of the Centre for Innovation in Alternative Proteins (CiPA) at IRTA.
Another highlight will take place on Tuesday afternoon with Pitching Day and the presentation of the Food & Hospitality Startups Awards, an opportunity to see first-hand the most innovative and promising proposals, with Josep Usall serving as chair of the judging panel.
Finally, on Wednesday at 11 am, we will be hosting the event “The Price of Animal Health: Opportunities and Threats to Competitiveness”, a round-table discussion moderated by IRTA which will bring together leading representatives from the sector, including Grupo Vall Companys, bonÀrea, Grupo Costa and Grupo Viñas, as well as Natàlia Majó, Director of the Animal Health Programme.
By taking part in Alimentaria+Hostelco 2026, we are reaffirming our commitment to innovation, knowledge transfer and supporting a more competitive and sustainable agri-food sector.
Durante la primera jornada, se ha dado la bienvenida institucional con la llegada de las autoridades y la sesión inaugural en el Pabellón Cataluña, con la participación de Josep Usall, director general del IRTA, que nos destaca: “Alimentaria+Hostelco es un espacio que conecta la investigación con el tejido empresarial para avanzar hacia un sistema agroalimentario más competitivo y sostenible. facilitar que el conocimiento llegue al sector y tenga un impacto real.” y Joan Romero, director ejecutivo de ACCIÓ, reforzando el papel de la feria como espacio estratégico para el sector agroalimentario.
On the first day, the event kicked off with an official welcome as the authorities arrived and the opening session took place in the Catalonia Pavilion, featuring Josep Usall, Director General of IRTA, who emphasised: “Alimentaria+Hostelco is a platform that connects research with the business community to move towards a more competitive and sustainable agri-food system. “It helps ensure that knowledge reaches the sector and has a real impact.” Joan Romero, Executive Director of ACCIÓ, also spoke, reinforcing the fair’s role as a strategic platform for the agri-food sector.
La mañana ha estado especialmente marcada por la inauguración del espacio Food & Hospitality Startups Arena 2026, con la participación de representantes de la Generalitat, el IRTA, ACCIÓ y Alimentaria Exhibitions, consolidando este espacio como epicentro de la innovación y el emprendimiento. Paralelamente, se ha presentado el informe “El estado del ecosistema de la proteína alternativa en España”, en una sesión de mesa redonda que ha reunido a los principales representantes de las empresas del sector y con Anna Carabús, directora de CiPA y miembro de Protein.cat, que ha reunido empresas y expertos para analizar el presente y futuro de este sector emergente.
The morning was marked in particular by the opening of the Food & Hospitality Startups Arena 2026, attended by representatives from the Catalan Government, IRTA, ACCIÓ and Alimentaria Exhibitions, cementing this space as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. At the same time, the report “The state of the alternative protein ecosystem in Spain” was presented during a round-table session that brought together leading representatives from companies in the sector, alongside Anna Carabús, director of CiPA and member of Protein.cat, who gathered companies and experts to analyse the present and future of this emerging sector.
Throughout the day, a number of technical sessions were held, featuring researchers from IRTA, including those focusing on food technologies and product development, such as the session with Ingrid Aguiló, an IRTA researcher specialising in vegetable processing, who spoke about product development and culinary applications at the Espai Catalunya Hub.
This afternoon, the first startup pitch session took place at the F&H venue, organised around three main themes:
The event concluded with the presentation of the Innoval Awards, attended by Josep Usall, who highlighted the sector’s capacity for innovation.
