Leitat has been recognised with the Innovation Capacity Award from the Vilanova del Camí City Council, granted within the framework of the 4th Night of Commerce and Business. This distinction highlights the innovation trajectory of the headquarters located at the Anoia Innovation Centre (Vilanova del Camí), where over the past ten years more than 80 national and international research projects have been carried out, with a clear focus on circular economy, sustainability, and new global food demands.
The award was collected by our Area Manager of Bioresources & Agrifood Technologies, Montse Jorba, who received this recognition on behalf of the entire team of the centre. The celebration took place at the Anoia Innovation Centre and also served to highlight the role of the region as a hub for agri-food innovation.
This award brings special value to the technological centre for several reasons:
- It reaffirms Leitat’s commitment to disruptive innovation in the agri-food sector, adding value from the laboratory to the market.
- It highlights the relationship between research, development, and industrial application, with infrastructures at our Vilanova del Camí centre and a multidisciplinary team working from the territory.
- It gives visibility to applied research focused on sustainability, digitalisation, future nutrition, and personalised food, key factors in transforming the global agri-food model.
The 3DFOOD-EVOLUTION project
This award specifically recognises progress in 3D printing technology within the framework of the 3DFOOD-EVOLUTION project, a public-private collaboration initiative (contract CPP2021-008939) aimed at developing personalised food through 3D printing (3DFP).
- To formulate and manufacture food adapted to three target population groups: children, elderly people, and high-level athletes.
- To incorporate cooking, cooling, and compression-texture control into the existing 3D printing technology.
- To take advantage of the versatility and precision of 3DFP technology to create foods with adapted shapes, tastes, and compositions — for example, making vegetables more appealing to children or easing intake for people with dysphagia.
- To incorporate functional ingredients (probiotics, plant extracts) and design food cartridges for 3D printers that allow the production of personalised food in B2B and pilot environments.
Our commitment to the future
At Leitat, we reaffirm our intention to continue driving projects that generate impact and transform research into concrete solutions. We work to keep collaborating with companies, entities, and public administrations to develop new functional ingredients, alternative proteins, and foods adapted to the emerging needs of society and the market.
This award motivates us to continue moving forward, grateful for the trust of the Vilanova del Camí City Council and all the partners and professionals who are part of tihs journey.
