Navarra has been recognized as an Entrepreneurial Region 2026 “for having one of the most innovative agri-food ecosystems in Europe”

Navarra was recognized as the 2026 Entrepreneurial Region at the Food 4 Future trade show for having one of the most innovative agri-food and foodtech ecosystems in Europe, where innovation, sustainability, and collaboration have established themselves as strategic pillars for the development and transformation of its food industry.

Mikel Irujo, the Regional Minister of Industry and Ecological and Digital Business Transition, has received the award, which highlights the region’s commitment to transforming the food industry, its dedication to innovation, and its contribution to the development of the European foodtech ecosystem. 

“In Navarre, we launch slightly fewer startups than the European average, but when we do, we do it better. Our consolidated business activity rate stands at 9.3%, above the national average of 7.2%, a figure that reflects the strength of our entrepreneurial ecosystem and the ability of our companies to grow and endure over time. This result is the fruit of a model based on a strong industrial tradition, a robust innovation system, and the continuous support of the Government of Navarra through entities such as CEIN and SODENA,” explains Minister Irujo.

As Regional Minister Irujo noted, the award recognizes the "ability to transform tradition into innovation." "Navarra now boasts one of the most robust and innovative agri-food sectors in southern Europe. The agri-food industry accounts for around 5% of the regional GDP and nearly 14% of industrial employment, encompassing more than 1,200 companies across the entire value chain, from primary production to processing, logistics, and distribution,” emphasized Minister Irujo. 

The institutional delegation at Food 4 Future also included Agurtzane Martínez, Director General of Science, Technology, and Innovation, who participated in one of the panel discussions to discuss the Regulatory Sandbox launched in Navarre, referring to the testing environment available to agri-food companies. 

According to Martínez, among the tools that the Government of Navarre makes available to the agri-food sector to promote innovation, the most important is reducing barriers to innovation in such a highly regulated environment. "This is precisely what led us to propose this regulatory sandbox together with the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, and the government of La Rioja," said Martínez, who believes that this tool "is an opportunity both to foster innovation in the agri-food industry and to attract investment" to the region.

The National Center for Agri-Food Technology (CNTA) manages this agri-tech sandbox with a national focus, and we are currently in the second call for projects.

With a strong agri-food tradition and a clear vision for the future, Navarre has fostered an environment that brings together leading companies, startups, technology centers, universities, and public administrations, promoting the development of new solutions across the entire food value chain. In this regard, the minister highlighted the strength of a “highly collaborative and successful ecosystem in which all stakeholders work toward a shared vision of the present and the future.”

Furthermore, this is a sector that is firmly committed to digitalization, automation, and the adoption of advanced technologies that will help move toward a more efficient, sustainable food industry that is prepared for the challenges of the future.

CEIN's fifth consecutive year at Food 4 Future

The public entity European Business and Innovation Center of Navarra (CEIN) participated in the Food 4 Future event for the fifth consecutive year, with a joint booth featuring nine agri-food startups from its ecosystem. This participation is part of the CEIN AGROFOOD initiative, which provides specific services to promote and accelerate entrepreneurial initiatives in the agri-food sector and to scale up innovative agri-tech startups. 

Allbiotech, Bgourmet, Genbioma, Greendur, HandCrafted Analytics, Nulab, Uraphex, and Yenxa were able to showcase their solutions for the industry and present their proposals in the dedicated pitch area. 

In addition, Councilor Irujo held a meeting with the companies present at the booth, which also included the Navarran firms Ingredalia, Mula, Nucaps, and Sowify, as well as the European association Food & Agri Tech Europe (FATE) and the National Food Technology Center (CNTA), which also attended the fair. 

CEIN's participation in Food 4 Future is part of the Tech FabLab project aimed at creating digital entrepreneurship networks, co-financed by the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan of the Ministry of Digital Transformation and Public Administration through Next Generation EU funds.

The participating agritech startups

The startups that have joined the CEIN booth are: 

• Allbiotech. Development and manufacturing of affordable laboratory bioreactors.
• Bgourmet. Development of black truffle-based foods using technologies that make truffles available year-round.
• Genbioma. Development of postbiotics for the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases.
• Greendur. Developing thermal energy storage solutions to decarbonize industrial heat.
• HandCrafted Analytics. Decision Support System (DSS) for precision agriculture.
• Nulab. Developing technological solutions to accurately measure food quality and safety throughout the entire production process in a digital environment.
• Uraphex. Offers a cost-effective, sustainable, and chemical-free solution for water reclamation in industrial processes
• Yenxa. Technology for recovering used vegetable oil at the source and converting it into soap—in a sustainable, safe, and automated process.