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Strengthening innovation in plant breeding and training in agriculture and food, the focus of the agreement between CIHEAM Zaragoza and ANOVE
CIHEAM > AGENDAS > Strengthening innovation in plant breeding and training in agriculture and food, the focus of the agreement between CIHEAM Zaragoza and ANOVE
  • The agreement includes a professional internship programme for CIHEAM Zaragoza students within companies in Spain’s plant breeding sector affiliated with ANOVE
  • Both institutions will work together on R&D+i initiatives and knowledge transfer to boost innovation in plant variety development

Zaragoza, 27 June 2025 – CIHEAM Zaragoza (the Spanish Institute of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies) and ANOVE (the Spanish National Association of Plant Breeders) have signed a framework agreement to promote cooperation in training, research and innovation in plant breeding. The agreement, signed by the director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Raúl Compés López, and the director general of ANOVE, Antonio Villarroel López de la Garma, establishes a long-term alliance to strengthen relations between both institutions and support progress in the Spanish agrifood sector.

The alliance will focus on enhancing CIHEAM Zaragoza students’ understanding of the plant breeding industry, with particular emphasis on the development of new plant and seed varieties. It will provide insights into the sector’s key activities, challenges, technological progress and regulatory framework. ANOVE will facilitate contacts and synergies with affiliated organisations, generating opportunities for student placements, applied projects and professional mentoring programmes. Both parties have pledged mutual support in the dissemination and transfer of the results from research, development and innovation projects, and will participate in joint technical commissions and working groups to contribute to each other’s ongoing initiatives.

As part of the agreement, CIHEAM Zaragoza and ANOVE will  jointly organise events such as workshops, seminars, conferences and career fairs for students and young professionals, providing them with professional opportunities in plant variety development. This collaboration aligns with their shared objective of building a more sustainable, innovative and competitive agriculture sector and preparing the next generation for the challenges of the Mediterranean agrifood system.

The agreement has an initial duration of three years with provision for automatic renewal. It reflects the core missions of both institutions: ANOVE’s focus on food security and societal needs through innovation in plant and seed development, contributing to the sustainability of agrifood production and rural development; and CIHEAM Zaragoza’s commitment to promoting multilateral cooperation in sustainable agriculture and fisheries, food systems and rural development across the Mediterranean.