Pablo Flores, Director of the CTNC: “We transform waste from the field into a new generation of healthy food thanks to the support of the CDTI Innovation and the European funds MRR”

Today, the food sector faces a great challenge: feeding a constantly growing population in a sustainable and healthy way. In this scenario, the CTNC acts as a fundamental link between laboratory science and the real activity of the agri-food industry, transforming research into the products that reach our tables. “Our vocation has always been to promote the competitiveness and sustainability of the business fabric through applied research and knowledge transfer,” says Pablo Flores, director of the CTNC.

More than sixty years joining science and business

The center’s origins date back to 1962, when it was born as a strategic alliance between associations of manufacturers, the university environment and State researchers. Its initial goal was very clear: to help canning factories improve their products and optimize their production lines at a time of full economic growth. Over the years, the entity evolved to become a point of reference for the entire food sector, from beverages to vegetable products.

A key moment of this long trajectory was the construction in 1997 of its large current facilities in Molina de Segura, which allowed them to have spaces and infrastructures ready for large-scale testing. Today, the organization has become a fundamental piece for the business fabric of its environment: “The Center has acted as the Department of Quality, Innovation and Technological Development of thousands of agri-food SMEs, providing specialized technical support, analytical services, regulatory advice and support in the development of new products and processes,” says its director.

In recent years, the CTNC has opted to focus on emerging areas such as functional nutrition, sustainable extractive technologies and omics technologies applied to food. The aim is to contribute to the great challenges of tomorrow: producing safe, healthier food adapted to the real needs of consumers, while generating new opportunities for growth and competitiveness for companies in the agri-food sector.

The NUTRIALITEC project: a change of mentality in food

In this same vein, the main idea of the NUTRIALITEC project responds to a clear goal: to promote a new generation of ingredients and foods that are healthier, more sustainable and adapted to people’s nutritional needs. The strong point of the project is that these high-value components are obtained from raw materials or waste produced in the agri-food sector, giving them a second useful life and avoiding waste. “For example, from citrus skins, fruit or vegetable remains or vegetable by-products it is possible to recover functional fibers, antioxidant compounds, antimicrobials and other bioactive ingredients with potential application in numerous foods, such as peptides,” explains the director.

NUTRIALITEC promotes new R&D&I services to develop functional ingredients and healthier and more sustainable foods

To achieve this, NUTRIALITEC combines two cutting-edge technologies that are complementary in the scientific field. On the one hand, it uses sustainable extraction methods to efficiently recover high-value compounds such as fibers or proteins, minimizing the environmental impact. On the other hand, advanced omics technologies are used, capable of analyzing thousands of molecules simultaneously to understand with total precision how these ingredients interact with the body.

According to Flores, this combined approach represents a sectoral paradigm shift: “We went from developing ingredients based solely on their composition to designing and validating them based on a much deeper knowledge of their functionality and their interaction with the body.” This allows us to develop personalized foods focused on improving key aspects such as the balance of the intestinal microbiota, digestive health, protection against oxidative damage or well-being in aging. “NUTRIALITEC represents a commitment to the food of the future, where health, sustainability and innovation advance together to generate new opportunities for both companies and society,” he adds.

Real benefits for the environment and the rural environment

The environmental impacts of this project are evident within the framework of the green industry. By giving a second life to agricultural waste, the project reduces agricultural waste, makes better use of raw materials and moves decisively towards the circular economy. This decreases pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, creating industrial wealth from resources that were previously considered useless.

Likewise, NUTRIALITEC has an enormous economic and social potential for the rural environment, which is the natural origin of all these raw materials and by-products. “The development of new value chains based on obtaining functional ingredients allows to generate new economic opportunities from resources that have traditionally had limited use,” says the director. In his opinion, this industrial activity can contribute to the economic diversification of these territories and attract highly qualified professionals such as biologists, engineers or computer scientists to these areas, combating depopulation.

This initiative is also aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. By transforming field by-products into functional compounds that improve digestive health, the project has a direct impact on SDG number 3 on health and well-being. Likewise, the optimization of agricultural resources supports SDG 12 for responsible production and consumption, while the consortium’s interregional cooperation drives the strategic alliances of SDG 17.

A public-private partnership based on innovation ecosystems

The scope of this project is based on a solid alliance that is articulated under the formula of a coordinated innovation ecosystem. Led by the CTNC together with the National Agri-Food Technology Center of Extremadura (CTAEX), the consortium brings together a key multidisciplinary team to accelerate the transfer to the market. In the field of engineering and strategic technological innovation, Ártica Ingeniería e Innovación SL participates, while scientific excellence and high gastronomy applied to health come from the Basque Culinary Center Foundation and the San Antonio University Foundation in Cartagena. The alliance is completed with the specialized knowledge in biotechnology of Olobion SL.

Members of the NUTRIALITEC project consortium

This public-private structure ensures that research is quickly converted into new commercial products. As Pablo Flores explains, “in NUTRIALITEC each participant contributes complementary skills. The technology centres contribute with infrastructures, applied knowledge and experience in technology transfer; universities and foundations provide scientific excellence and advanced research capabilities; and companies ensure that developments respond to real market needs and can be transformed into solutions with economic impact.”

The public impulse of the CDTI Innovation and the European funds MRR

To develop a project of this strategic level, NUTRIALITEC has counted on the cofinancing of European funds through the Mechanism for Recovery and Resilience (MRR), channeled through the CDTI Innovation. Pablo Flores recognizes that this financial and institutional support has been the necessary engine to assume the technological risks inherent in an initiative of this magnitude. “Having this support has allowed us to strengthen emerging technological areas with enormous potential for impact for the agri-food sector,” the executive said.

For the center and consortium members, this public incentive leaves a legacy that strengthens the scientific and business ecosystem in the long term, consolidating stable networks that remain in time. “The support of CDTI Innovation allows us to continue advancing our mission of bringing innovation closer to the business fabric, accelerating technology transfer and contributing to the development of a more competitive, sustainable agri-food industry oriented to the challenges of the future,” he adds.

For the next few years, the plans of the CTNC go through deepening personalized nutrition to achieve a new generation of products adapted to the nutritional and well-being needs of people, combining biotechnology, artificial intelligence and data analysis. “We want to continue to be a driving force behind this transformation, helping companies incorporate innovation, generate new business models and take advantage of the opportunities offered by new technologies,” says Pablo Flores.

In addition, the entity’s roadmap plans to intensify projects dedicated to the valorisation of by-products and the development of energy-efficient production processes. “We are convinced that the food of the future will be healthier, more personalized, more sustainable and based on scientific knowledge, and our goal is to help Spanish companies lead that transformation,” he adds.

CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2025, within the framework of the Strategic Plan 2024-2027, the CDTI provided 2,423 million euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.

 
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