Catalonia's Fruit Business Association (Afrucat) and the Eurecat Lleida technology center have formalized a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of advanced technological solutions that respond to the fruit sector's main challenges. The agreement includes the contribution of new technological capabilities to the business network dedicated to this activity and specific training and talent development actions to strengthen the sector's professional skills.
In the words of the President of Afrucat, Montse Baró, "Innovation aimed at improving productivity is a key task in our fruit sector."
© Afrucat
To achieve this, the agreement will facilitate the conceptualization, experimentation, and validation of new technological solutions with a practical, scalable, and results-oriented approach. It will prioritize projects with a transformative capacity and with the potential to be efficiently implemented by companies.
"This agreement reinforces Eurecat's commitment to contribute to the transformation of the agri-food sector by combining technological and industrial capabilities to develop strategic projects with high added value," stressed the CEO of Eurecat, Xavier López.
"Taking advantage of the technological potential of robotics, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, we will help boost the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of companies in the fruit sector and position Catalonia as a European benchmark in agro-industrial innovation," he added.
Sectoral, territorial, and technological commitment
Within the framework of the agreement, Eurecat will promote, especially from its headquarters in Lleida, strategic projects focused on optimizing processes, improving efficiency in resource management, and moving towards a more sustainable and decarbonized production model.
The joint lines of work with Afrucat will include areas such as agricultural robotics, circular bioeconomy, artificial intelligence, and advanced sensor technology, with direct application in the production systems of the sweet fruit sector.
"This collaboration reinforces our mission to side with local companies, providing them with our technology and applied knowledge to face complex challenges and consolidate a more efficient and resilient agro-industrial model based on differential technological capabilities," said Gabriel Anzaldi, Eurecat's director of Ecosystems and manager of the Lleida headquarters.
"This alliance with Eurecat will be a catalyst that will accelerate changes in the fruit sector. The sustainability of Catalonia's fruit production system will depend, to a large extent, on our capacity to innovate in our product, processes, and business organization," stated Manel Simon, the general director of Afrucat.
© Afrucat
Strategic technology initiatives
The joint developments between Afrucat and Eurecat will be progressively articulated through technology and solution research, development, and demonstration projects. In the first phase, priority will be given to the robotization and automation of processes applied to farms, for the technological transformation of the sector.
The scope of action may be extended to other initiatives that are considered strategic or a priority, such as comprehensive predictive management based on artificial intelligence, intelligent water and energy management - including agrovoltaic solutions -, plant nutrition and health, the transition towards circular, sustainable, and decarbonized production models, as well as new emerging technologies.
This multi-year strategic partnership aims to strengthen the resilience of the fruit sector and optimize the efficiency, adaptability, and differentiation capacity of the companies operating in it.
"Afrucat and Eurecat are committed to a stable, strategic, and results-oriented collaboration, which aims to contribute to positioning Catalonia as a benchmark hub in agri-food innovation on an international scale," Xavier López stressed.
About Afrucat and Eurecat
Afrucat is one of Spain's most important business organizations for the production and marketing of sweet fruit (apples, pears, peaches, and nectarines) and one of the main players in the sector at the European level. It brings together fruit companies and cooperatives from all over Catalonia, with a strong presence in Lleida, Tarragona, and Girona. It operates in the production, quality, marketing, sales, and market monitoring fields.
The Eurecat technology center generates knowledge and technologies to provide solutions to strategic economic and social challenges. It applies transformative and cutting-edge technologies, establishing relationships and collaborations that allow it to scale technological solutions with companies from various industries, to contribute to the transformation of the productive fabric.
For more information:
Afrucat
C/ Corregidor Escofet, 64
25005 Lleida - Spain
Tel: +34 973 22 01 49
www.afrucat.com/ca/
