Baracaldo, Spain

Spain Foodtech Nation at Food 4 Future, Bilbao

In this year's Food 4 Future event, ICEX actively participated, emphasizing the importance of innovation along the entire food value chain, as well as addressing key industry concerns such as sustainability, traceability, and digitalization.

Spain, a major player in the food sector, recognizes the importance of innovation for its continued success. ICEX has been a strong and proud supporter of the F4F platform since the begining, promoting the involvement of notable speakers, investors, and leading companies worldwide.

The presence of Japan as the guest country in this year’s edition holds a significant value. Japan is known for its commitment to food industry innovation. Over the past year, ICEX has fostered collaboration with Japan's innovative ecosystem, showcasing opportunities for technological centers, universities, investment funds, and startups in both countries.

F4F serves as a platform to strengthen relations, in this case between Spain and Japan, in food innovation. ICEX's participation has facilitated meetings with Spanish corporations and investors, provided insights into high-potential startups, and facilitated interviews with technological centers across Spain. These interactions resulted valuable for both Spanish and Japanese entities seeking prototype development throughout the food chain.

Within the event, the DESAFIA FOODTECH NL program conducted a part of its pre-immersion phase. The Unknown Group team organized a pitch battle, following the Get in the Ring format, with Levprot, Real Deal Milk, Wevo, and Väcka, where Väcka and Real Deal Milk emerged as the winners.

Furthermore, DESAFIA-affiliated companies received recognition for their achievements. Bread Free won the AZTI Award - 'Healthy Food' for their patented technology producing gluten-free wheat flour suitable for individuals with celiac disease. NUCAPS was honored with the ICEX Award for the 'Spanish Startup with the Greatest International Projection' for their NextGen Functional Ingredients, offering microencapsulated bioactive proteins and probiotics with enhanced nutrition, cost-effectiveness, and health benefits.

Additionally, two other DESAFIA community companies, Bio2Coat and Ingredalia claimed the first and second prizes at the Food Tech Startup Forum, where startups present disruptive solutions with significant impact on the agri-food chain.

Address

Bilbao Exhibition Centre
Recinto ferial, Baracaldo
Baracaldo, Spain
Spain

Phone

944 04 00 00