The Foundation strengthens its role in the internationalisation of sustainable solutions, with the presence of projects such as RESSKILL and LIFE NextFUMIGREEN
Juanma Revuelta, the Foundation’s CEO, stands out for his active participation in the startup evaluation committee and the moderation of sectoral debates.
Brussels, 6th October 2025. The Finnova Foundation successfully concluded its participation in Greencities 2025, Spain’s leading event on urban sustainability and smart cities, held on 1–2 October at the Trade Fair and Congress Center of Málaga (FYCMA).
Finnova combined institutional presence, international cooperation and visibility of European projects, consolidating its role as a bridge between innovation, public administrations and EU funding opportunities.
A key highlight was the presence at stand P25 of the RESSKILL and LIFE NextFUMIGREEN projects, which created networking opportunities with international actors. Within this framework, Finnova invited the institutional delegation of Ibagué and Tolima (Colombia), led by Milton Restrepo, to explore partnerships in areas such as water management, agricultural by-product valorisation and the green transition. The Colombian mission also presented the Glocal Summit on Circular Economy, to be held in Ibagué in April 2026.
Finnova’s CEO, Juan Manuel Revuelta, took part in two key moments of the official Greencities programme. First, he joined the startup evaluation committee in the “Elevator Pitch: Open Call for Start-ups” session at the S-Moving Arena. Later, he moderated the panel “DIH Agrotech Forum: Smart Territories” in the Sustainability Arena, addressing challenges faced by the agri-food sector in the digital and sustainable era.
Speakers shared innovative experiences:
- Ana Molina (Groditech) presented Vega, a robot that uses artificial intelligence to collect crop data and optimise production.
- Carlos Bernard (Arzagot SL) highlighted the company’s growth from cultivating 3 edible flower varieties to 75, exporting from New York to China and promoting inclusive employment programmes.
- Guillermo de Santiago (Agforest) discussed the potential of agricultural digital twins to support traceability and decision-making, while noting the gap between research and the labour market.
- Olga Beltrán (Brokaw Spain) showcased clonal avocado varieties more resilient and better adapted to efficient water use.
Revuelta encouraged SMEs and agri-food startups to make use of European funding opportunities:
“Programmes like LIFE, AL-INVEST Verde or Erasmus+ can help internationalise unique products, strengthen human capital training and give global visibility to agricultural innovation.”
He also stressed the importance of Euro-Latin American cooperation:
“Collaboration with regions such as Ibagué and Tolima is essential to share sustainable solutions and explore synergies in sectors such as coffee, tropical fruits and agrotourism.”
Finnova’s networking agenda was further enriched by the promotion of European projects such as RESSKILL —with a budget of €1.5 million, led by the University of Genoa— and LIFE NextFUMIGREEN, with a budget of €2.7 million, coordinated by FumiHogar. In the latter case, Greencities welcomed the visit of Carlos Ramos, operations manager of the leading consortium company.
Through its participation, Finnova reaffirms its commitment to building innovative ecosystems that accelerate the transition towards more sustainable, intelligent and cohesive cities, while strengthening international cooperation between Europe and Latin America.
About Finnova Foundation
The Finnova Foundation is a European foundation based in Brussels, dedicated to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and EU funding as key tools to address major social, environmental and economic challenges.
Finnova supports public and private entities in accessing European programmes such as Horizon Europe, LIFE, Interreg and Erasmus+, facilitating consortium creation, project development and best practice transfer.
With extensive experience in EU project communication, startup acceleration and training on EU funds, Finnova acts as a bridge between innovative ideas and European funding opportunities.