The technical mission strengthens EU-Chile cooperation in sustainability, digitalization, and innovation for the fruit sector, within the framework of the AL-INVEST Verde programme funded by the European Union
Almería, 14 May 2025. On Monday, 12 May, representatives of the Chilean Fruit Producers Federation (FEDEFRUTA) and the Finnova Foundation carried out a technical mission to three key research and agricultural innovation centers in Almería, Spain, as part of the AL-INVEST Fruta Chile project. This initiative, funded by the European Union’s AL-INVEST Verde programme, aims to promote a sustainable and circular business culture in the Chilean fruit sector.
The day began at the Tecnova Technology Centre, located in the Almería Technology Park (PITA), where Tamara López, communications officer, guided the delegation through the R&D&I facilities. Tecnova features modern infrastructure such as pilot plants for robotics and fresh-cut processing (IV Gama), as well as microbiology, postharvest, and entomology laboratories, and a dedicated area for gastronomic innovation. The delegation then visited the Tecnova Experimental Centre in Viator, a benchmark for agronomic trials, which spans 12 hectares of greenhouses, irrigation ponds, and innovation zones. There, technological initiatives for sustainable crops and projects such as LIFE NextFUMIGREEN were presented, aligning with the AL-INVEST Fruta Chile project’s vision on sustainability and applied innovation.
Representing FEDEFRUTA were Mario Alejandro Marín, National Project Manager, and Juan Pablo Morán, Coordinator of the AL-INVEST Verde Sustainable Fruit Project. They were accompanied by Yolanda Durán, member of the marketing and communication team at the Finnova Foundation.
The second stop took place at the Cajamar Experimental Station, a pioneer center in Mediterranean intensive agriculture since 1975. The visit began with an institutional presentation by Ramón Gil Pérez, director of the center, who highlighted Cajamar’s commitment to knowledge transfer, innovation, and agricultural sustainability.
The second part of the visit was led by Juan José Hueso Martín, research coordinator, who guided the delegation through the greenhouses, showcasing advances in protected tropical fruit cultivation. Crops such as dragon fruit (pitaya), passion fruit, white grapes, and papaya were addressed, discussing management challenges, pollination, and climate adaptation. The visit also included the “Plataforma Tierra”, a collaborative digital environment for agricultural innovation aimed at providing access to the center’s knowledge and experimental results.
The day concluded with a visit to Cajamar Innova, a high-tech business incubator focused on water use and management, where the delegation was welcomed by Deputy Director Juan Carlos Gázquez Garrido. The visit presented opportunities for innovation and collaboration in the water sector, a crucial area for climate change adaptation in agriculture.
These visits strengthen cooperation between Europe and Latin America in agricultural innovation, aligned with the objectives of the AL-INVEST Fruta Chile project, which seeks to support over 150 Chilean fruit sector MSMEs in transitioning toward sustainable business models aligned with the European Union’s environmental standards.
About the Finnova Foundation
Finnova is a Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation that works to promote and develop innovation and entrepreneurship at the EU level. Based in Brussels, with offices in Spain and Chile, it operates through collaborations and partnerships across all EU member states. Finnova combines its leadership in communication and dissemination activities for EU projects with solid experience in business creation and support programs, including accelerators, incubators, and award events.
About FEDEFRUTA
The Chilean Fruit Producers Federation (FEDEFRUTA) is a non-profit trade association whose mission is to represent and support over 28,000 fruit producers from Region III to Region XI. It advocates for their interests before authorities and raises public awareness about the importance of agriculture and the need for its development in Chile—a sector that employs around 450,000 people per season and generates USD 3.9 billion in export revenue alone.
FEDEFRUTA promotes concepts such as the mechanization and conversion of fruit production to make it more competitive and profitable. It urges fruit growers to produce healthy, high-quality fruit in terms of flavor, color, size, and phytosanitary conditions, enabling access to all markets where Chile can position itself as a global food power.
All efforts of the federation are focused on enabling fruit producers to grow and export under the best possible conditions. These efforts materialize each year in the International Business Roundtable FRUITTRADE, the largest fruit and vegetable event in the Southern Hemisphere. Recognized by the Chilean government, it has become a key international forum contributing positively to Chilean agriculture.
About AL-INVEST Verde
AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and more circular economy. Through Component 1, the programme manages funds to implement innovative projects by small business associations, fostering sustainable practices in the private sector. Component 1 is led by sequa, a German non-profit organization that operates worldwide with the goal of promoting the private sector.