News for August and September 2022

News for August and September 2022

The food industry is experiencing an upturn in its activity according to data from the «Annual Report on the Food Industry 2021-2022» recently published by the MAPA, while aid linked to the agri-food PERTE is being reactivated and the professional sector is mobilised in some of the most important fairs and events in the sector.

We also publicise initiatives in which we are directly involved, such as the Master’s Degree in Food Safety, which we sponsor, and our Innovation Communication service.

 

Food industry upturn

The food and beverage industry is, without a doubt, one of the key sectors in the Spanish economy. So much so that it represents 2.5% of Spain’s GDP and is the leading manufacturing branch of our industrial sector.

Moreover, according to the «Annual Report on the Food Industry 2021-2022» recently published by the MAPA, it has a turnover of more than 126,000 M€, which represents 10.9% of the total, the Spanish food industry ranks fourth in the European Union, only behind France (19.5%), Germany (16.9%) and Italy (13.3%).

Focusing on the most relevant subsectors in terms of turnover, the Meat Industry stands out with 31,032 M€ (24.6%). It is followed by the Beverage Manufacturing subsector with 16,912 M€ (13.4%) and Animal Feedstuffs with 14,746 M€ (11.7%).

From the perspective of the number of companies by subsectors, the Bakery and pasta sector occupies first place with 11,676 companies, a figure which represents more than 38.6% of the total, followed by the Manufacture of beverages (17.0%) and the Meat industry (11.7%).

With regard to foreign trade in processed food products, the report shows that, during 2021, the value of exports amounted to 37,821 M€ and that of imports to 25,125 M€. Thus, a positive balance of 12,696 M€ was recorded and a coverage rate of 151%.

 

The regulatory bases of the agri-food PERTE are published

After almost 6 months of waiting, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism has given the green light to the regulation that will govern the first aid package for the agri-food sector within the framework of the agri-food PERTE, with 500 million euros for the period 2022-2023. The Official State Gazette (BOE) thus published, on 1 August 2022, the document that will govern this set of measures to support the industrial strengthening of the agri-food chain in our country.

The main objective of the agri-food PERTE is to promote the integrated development of the entire agri-food chain through the digitalisation of processes and the incorporation of knowledge and innovation. In this way, the aid granted will be aimed at financing projects focused on modernisation and digitalisation, as well as improving traceability and food safety.

The projects eligible for funding under Axis 1 of the agri-food PERTE will be large strategic initiatives, with budgets of more than 15 million euros, led by groups of companies located in a geographical area covering at least two autonomous communities. These large tractor projects will in turn encompass several primary projects, individual and/or collaborative.

These primary projects may be projects focused on R&D&I and/or investment projects in the areas of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency, and must be included in at least two of the following three thematic blocks: «Competitiveness», «Sustainability and Traceability» and «Food Safety».

 

Main food fairs in September and October

WORLDFOOD ISTANBUL 2022: Turkey’s leading food and beverage trade fair to showcase the latest food and beverage processing technologies.

• Where: Istanbul, Turkey
• When: 1-4 September 2022
• Further information: https://worldfood-istanbul.com/Home

DRINKTEC: meeting point for the beverage and liquid food industry, bringing together industry decision-makers and solution providers.

• When: 12-16 September 2022
• Where: Munich, Germany
• More information: https://drinktec.com/en/

SMART AGRIFOOD SUMMIT: international reference forum for the digital transformation of the agri-food industry.

• Where: Malaga, Spain
• When: 29-30 September 2022.
• More information: https://smartagrifoodsummit.com/?lang=es

CONXEMAR 2022: Europe’s leading international frozen seafood trade fair, which serves as a meeting point for the entire processing sector: wholesalers, importers, exporters, processors, manufacturers, distributors, etc.

• Where: Vigo, Spain.
• When: 4 to 6 October 2022
• More information: https://conxemar.com/es/feria-conxemar-2022

FRUIT ATTRACTION 2022: the most international trade fair for the fruit and vegetable sector, which is the trade show for the latest innovations in materials, equipment and machinery for the sector.

• Where: Madrid, Spain
• When: 4-6 October 2022
• Further information: https://www.ifema.es/fruit-attraction

SIAL: one of the most important international food fairs for professionals in the agri-food sector, where key trends and innovations for the world of food and beverages are presented.

• Where: Paris, France
• When: 15-19 October 2022
• Further information: https://www.sialparis.com/

EXPOALIMENTA: professional trade fair for food, machinery, equipment and products for the food industry dedicated to all the companies that supply and support the sector.

• Where: Porto, Portugal
• When: 27-29 October 2022
• More information: https://exposalao.pt/pt/feira/expoalimenta

 

The Master’s Degree in Food Safety kicks off

On 3 October 2022, the 19th edition of the Master’s Degree in Food Safety of the Official College of Veterinarians of Madrid will begin, with the collaboration of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid, the Ministry of Health of the Community of Madrid, the General Council of Veterinary Associations of Spain, as well as our participation in the form of sponsors.

The main objective of this master’s degree is to offer students a comprehensive and integrated training in the field of food safety and quality. To this end, the management of the master’s degree has designed a complete programme to provide the necessary knowledge in areas as relevant as the management and implementation of self-control systems based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), the latest trends in food preservation or new rapid techniques in food microbiology and emerging pathogens.

Students will also receive training in more transversal aspects such as food legislation, food company management (financial management, human resources, marketing, etc.), quality and environmental management in the company and training in occupational risk prevention.

With a duration of 9 months, the master’s degree combines a practical and theoretical part taught by a first-rate teaching staff with recognised teaching skills, mainly from the business, university and health administration sectors.

 

Communicating Innovation

Innovative activities are essential for a company that wants to advance and prevail over time, not only by continuing with its business but also by expanding it towards new, more efficient horizons.

But making the decision to innovate is not enough to succeed. It is also necessary to know how to communicate it properly so that the innovation brings the maximum possible benefits to the company and to all stakeholders.

Innovation must be communicated if it is to benefit both the company and society in general. But where and how can it be communicated, what channels should be considered and what processes should be followed to optimise efforts in this area?

First and foremost, it is necessary to have a communication plan that, from its initial definition and implementation to its optimisation after analysing the results obtained, includes both internal and external communication of innovation.

At artica+i, we offer our clients our knowledge and experience in the field of innovation. In order to communicate and disseminate the benefits of innovative activity to the different sectors of activity and to society in general, we offer a strategic and personalised service that includes the design and implementation of strategic corporate and project communication plans, as well as advice, preparation and presentation of strategic communication proposals for R&D&I projects.