Innovation, entrepreneurship, and challenges for the food sector: key points of the BFFood 5th Edition Infoday

• The 5th Edition of BFFood seeks innovative entrepreneurial projects that address the challenges posed by the food sector

• The period for submitting proposals will be open on the BFFood website until December 20 at 2:00 PM

• The Infoday, organized by Clusaga and FEUGA, hosted the presentation of the current context of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Spain, by Emilio Corchado, CEO and founder of Startup Olé

Business Factory Food (BFFood), the Galician food sector accelerator promoted by the Xunta de Galicia and driven by the Galician Food Cluster (Clusaga), presented all the details of its 5th Edition this morning in Santiago de Compostela.

BFFood aims to attract the talent of up to 16 innovative entrepreneurial initiatives, in the acceleration or consolidation phase, from national or international origins, to respond to the challenges of the Galician food sector. As announced during the Infoday, the event organized by Clusaga and FEUGA to present the 5th Edition of the accelerator, the deadline for submitting projects to this new BFFood call will be open until December 20 at 2:00 PM.

BFFood 5th Edition Infoday

The objective of the meeting was to present the new edition of the accelerator and answer all attendees’ questions. It also served to recap the achievements of previous BFFood editions; and to address innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future challenges of the food sector.

The opening of the event featured the participation of Clusaga’s director, Roberto Alonso, who welcomed attendees and highlighted “the trajectory of the 47 innovative projects promoted in the four previous editions of BFFood.” Next, Patricia Fernández, director of GAIN’s Services Area, emphasized that the accelerator “opens the door to innovation and the market, providing a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to offer solutions and demonstrate their worth.” Francisco Javier Pereiro, general director of FEUGA, closed the welcome by stressing “the strength of the foodtech sector in Spain, which represents one of the major areas of entrepreneurship in our country” and, therefore, highlighting “the importance of BFFood in promoting innovative projects in Galicia.”

Emilio Corchado, CEO and founder of Startup Olé, then spoke, presenting a comprehensive vision of the current landscape of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Spain. “Interregional connectivity points to the importance of growth poles dispersed throughout the territory, as is already the case in Galicia, thanks to the important role of accelerators,” Corchado indicated. “BFFood is a very good example of how to accelerate projects starting from a clear idea,” concluded the CEO and founder of Startup Olé.

Next, two round tables took place. The first included representatives of projects that were promoted in past editions of BFFood to share their experience. Specifically, Maruxa Quiroga, CEO and co-founder of TasteLab & SENSESBIT; Alfredo Bermúdez de Castro, CEO and co-founder of Healthinfoods; and Víctor J. Calvo, CEO and managing director of MUUTECH participated. Representing Nueva Pescanova, one of BFFood’s 22 driving companies, Chini Porro, Head of R and Project Management for the entity, moderated the table.

This discussion highlighted the work of BFFood and the driving companies involved in the accelerator. The participants of the table emphasized that thanks to BFFood, they “had the opportunity to start working in the food sector, gaining experience, testing ideas with leading companies, and acquiring industrial experience.”

The second table included members of the BFFood Technical Committee to present all the details of the accelerator’s 5th Edition. Xosé Ramón Vázquez, head of BFFood at Clusaga, recapped the accelerator’s steps since its inception in 2018, and presented the challenges of the Galician food sector that projects applying to the 5th Edition must address, and BFFood’s driving companies. He was accompanied by Noelia Vilar, Director of Innovation and Technology Transfer at FEUGA; Higinio Mougán, Managing Director of AGACA; and Mª Ángeles Romero, Professor of Food Technology at USC, who presented the training, training, and coaching programs offered by the accelerator.

To close the day, Roberto Alonso, director of Clusaga, thanked the attendees for their participation and encouraged them to submit their projects to BFFood, reminding them that “the deadline for project submission is December 20.” For her part, Fany Suárez, deputy director of the Galicia Emprende Office of IGAPE, highlighted “the great involvement of the food sector in BFFood, both from the driving companies and the Galician Food Cluster itself.” The event concluded with a coffee during which attendees had the opportunity to establish contact and network with some of the most prominent companies in the Galician food sector.

What the BFFood 5th Edition offers

Projects selected in the fifth edition of the accelerator will be eligible for coaching programs, specialized training, access to scientific-technical infrastructures and advanced services, mentorship from sector leaders, direct funding and access to investment, as well as a networking network within the food innovation ecosystem.

Additionally, they will have the financial support of the Xunta de Galicia. Specifically, projects in the acceleration program can access €25,000 in funding from Gain, as well as apply for a participatory loan of up to €50,000 through XesGalicia. Projects in the consolidation program can apply for a participatory loan that could entail a capitalization option of up to €250,000 from XesGalicia.

Furthermore, the selected projects will have the support of major driving companies in the sector. Specifically, Bodegas Martín Códax, Cafés Candelas, Calvo, Clavo Food Factory, CEAMSA, Congalsa, CLUN, Gadis, GALACTEUM, Kiwi Atlántico, Laber, DS Smith, Grupo Lence, Grupo Pereira, Larsa, Nueva Pescanova, Quescrem, Torre de Núñez, Viña Costeira, Vegalsa, Casa Grande de Xanceda, and Hijos de Rivera are driving companies for this 5th Edition of the accelerator.