BIOPLAT joins the final Demoday of the second edition of the StartBEC Program

On Tuesday, September 23rd, BIOPLAT participated in the final Demoday of the second edition of the StartBEC Program, an initiative jointly created by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food and AINIA. Through a collaboration agreement, this program aims to promote the development of technology-based startups in the bioeconomy, as well as foster innovative value chains linked to the agri-food sector, support entrepreneurship, and foster talent.

The event, opened by Isabel Bombal, Director General of Rural Development, Innovation, and Agri-Food Training of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, and Cristina del Campo, Director General of AINIA, allowed the startups selected for the second edition of the program to present and share their progress. After the first edition in 2023 with ten startups, the second call featured seven emerging companies that presented the progress achieved during their time in the program.

The meeting also served to showcase the latest innovations and new technologies in the bioeconomy sector, generate spaces for debate on the challenges and opportunities offered by the bioeconomy in Spain and the EU, and create opportunities for connection and collaboration between the different stakeholders in the bioeconomy innovation ecosystem.

Margarita de Gregorio, Secretary General of BIOPLAT, participated as a speaker in the roundtable dedicated to “Innovation, Capital, and the Bioeconomy,” highlighting BIOPLAT’s role in promoting biocircular technologies, processes, and solutions through R&D and public-private collaboration. She highly praised the StartBEC program for its contribution to promoting technological innovation and biocircularity, and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“It is a great success for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food to launch a program of this nature and to count on AINIA for technological support,” she stated during her speech.

3rd Edition of the StartBEC Program

The meeting also served to announce the launch of the 3rd edition of the StartBEC program, with applications for the mentoring program remaining open until November 24th. This mentoring and technological support program provides selected startups with the necessary tools to identify, plan, and solve the technical challenges that arise throughout the process of developing and launching innovative products. AINIA provides participating startups with advice on trials, pilot studies, seminars, technological monitoring, and access to R&D funding opportunities.

Interested technology-based startups can register in the StartBEC Community through its platform and submit projects related to the following areas of the bioeconomy:

Sustainable production of new biomass sources (new varieties of terrestrial or aquatic plants, macro- and microalgae, insects, fungi, microorganisms) and their use as raw materials or ingredients for human or animal food, materials, chemicals, and energy.
Sustainable utilization of agri-food waste and by-products for new foods (upcycling) and other high-value-added products.
Obtaining and using new biofertilizers and biopesticides for efficient and sustainable crop production.
Obtaining and using biopolymers, bioplastics, and other biomaterials (biocomposites) for sustainable packaging or other applications.
Obtaining and using biobased chemicals (building blocks, chemical platforms such as carboxylic acids, biosurfactants, bioadhesives, biopaints, biosolvents).
Extraction and purification of high-value-added compounds from by-products for applications in food, pharmaceuticals, or cosmetics.
Innovative solutions to combat food loss and waste.
Production and use of biogas, biomethane, and other biofuels.
Innovative solutions for biomass transformation through biorefinery models.
Innovative solutions for capturing and transforming CO2 into bioproducts.
Other areas of the bioeconomy with a focus on the agri-food sector.