Analysis of over 400 patents reveals the main agri-food innovation tendencies in Catalonia
The UAB's Office of Knowledge Transfer and Research Valorisation has presented the results of the PATENT-CAT project, an initiative that has allowed the analysis and visualisation of agri-food patents generated in Catalonia in recent years. The study reveals that Catalan agri-food innovation is not limited to new foods, but that almost half of the patents are related to mechanical engineering, especially machinery and industrial processes, while another large part is concentrated in chemistry applied to food, probiotics and functional ingredients.
Catalonia's agri-food innovation is experiencing a moment of technological acceleration and diversification. This is revealed in the PATENT-CAT project, launched by the UAB's Office of Knowledge Transfer and Research Valorisation, which analyses the agri-food patents registered in Catalonia in the past ten years. The project has identified the most important emerging technologies, most active agents, and the tendencies with the most transfer and economic impact potential.
To conduct the study, 410 patent families linked to the agri-food sector were analysed using international patent databases and technology classification criteria. The results show a very diversified innovative ecosystem, in which technologies related to machinery and industrial automation, functional food, innovative ingredients, biotechnology and sustainability stand out in particular. Almost half of the patents identified are related to mechanical engineering, especially machinery and industrial processes linked to food treatment and transformation, while another large part focuses on applied chemistry, probiotics, functional ingredients and alternative proteins.
The study also highlights the strong innovative momentum of recent years: almost half of the patents identified were generated between 2020 and 2024, and 76% are still active or waiting to be processed, demonstrating the validity and technological potential of the sector.
According to the data analysed, Catalonia leads patent applications in Spain and concentrates 31.4% of state patents. Barcelona is the leading province (with 278 patents), followed by Girona (49), Lleida (32) and Tarragona (19).
The PATENT-CAT report also highlights the prominent role of companies, research centres and universities in generating innovation. Among the most active players are companies specialised in machinery and industrial technology such as Metalquimia, Rotecna or Arcusin, as well as emerging companies linked to functional food and alternative proteins, such as Farm Robotics and Automation, or AB-Biotics. In terms of the scientific field, the Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA) and the Centre for Research in Agrigenomics (CRAG) have a relevant presence in areas such as biotechnology, food health, and agricultural sustainability.
UAB technologies rich in transformative potential
In addition to sectoral mapping, the project selected several success cases of patents developed at the UAB to exemplify the innovative potential of the Catalan research system.
One of these successful cases is Biopesticide, a pesticide based on the enzymatic activity of a naturally occurring chitinase with insecticidal and antifungal activity. The solution, developed by the team of Soledad Martos, researcher at the Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology of the UAB, in collaboration with IRTA and CRAG, allows agricultural pests to be controlled in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way than conventional pesticides. The first trials have shown promising results in the control of agricultural nematodes, one of the most difficult pests to manage.
Another project that stands out is Nanopellets, a new oral vaccine platform for fish developed by Nerea Roher, Patricia Aceituno, Mauricio Rojas and Borja Ordoñez, from the BIOAQUA group at the UAB. The technology uses nanoparticles with viral antigens capable of resisting industrial and digestive processes, which facilitates the oral administration of vaccines in aquaculture and reduces stress and mortality in animals. The studies that have been carried out show a very significant reduction in mortality in vaccinated fish.
PATENT-CAT is a practical demonstration of knowledge-transfer featured in the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027, co-financed by the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the European Union, and the Government of Catalonia.