La Llotja de Lleida has hosted this Monday the delivery of the Premi a la Innovació Tecnològica Agroalimentària 2025, in an edition in which two projects from the regions of Lleida have won an award and three others have been among the finalists. The event, organized by the Departament de Agricultura, has gathered the distinguished proposals in a call that this year has added 32 candidatures.
The PITA 2025 has recognized initiatives in four modalities: agricultural company, agro-industry, young innovative entrepreneur or female entrepreneur, and social innovation. This last category is incorporated as a novelty and seeks to focus on the labor integration of vulnerable groups.
Award for Alcarràs and finalist in Juneda
In the agri-food industry category, the first prize has been for Alcarràs Bioproductors SAT, for the development of a cooperative circular bioeconomy system aimed at the valorization of livestock manure. Also in this category, Arbequina i Secció de Crèdit, SCCL, was a finalist for the Maltería Arbequina project, focused on innovation and the valorization of local cereal.
In young innovative entrepreneur, the award has fallen on Ricard Rivera Pascual, promoter of Verd.cat, a project dedicated to the cultivation and direct sale of organic avocados with regenerative agriculture practices in Tierras del Ebro. Among the finalists figures Aleix Rosinach Oliart, from Granges Rosinach SL, based in Juneda, for an intelligent system of classification and quality control of eggs.
From Empordà to Solsonès
In agricultural company, the award has been for Font Rovira Agrícola, SL, from Alt Empordà, for the transformation of a conventional agricultural exploitation towards a model of ecological and regenerative agriculture in vine, olive, and cereal crops.
The new social innovation modality has distinguished the Amisol Association, from Solsonès, for the modernization of its sawmill with advanced technology to manufacture special rounded edges and other wood products, in addition to strengthening inclusive employment. In this same category, Integra Pirineus SLU has been a finalist, for its work of social and labor insertion of people at risk of exclusion within the forestry and bioenergy sector.
Economic endowment of the call
The first PITA 2025 awards are endowed with 8,000 euros each, while the finalist candidacies receive 4,000 euros. This Monday's delivery corresponds to the 24th edition of awards that keep the focus on innovation applied to the agri-food sector and that, in the case of Lleida, once again leave a prominent presence both among the winning projects and among those recognized by the jury.