The PTV Innovation Awards 2022
The Wine Technology Platform has presented its Innovation Awards in recognition of the R&D&I activity of its associates in four categories: Young Researcher Award, R&D&I Project -Individual and Consortium-, R&D&I Management and Honorary Award.
This year 2022, we have had the opportunity to participate as members of the Jury together with strategic entities and institutions of the wine sector such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, the State Research Agency, the CDTI, the Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organisation and AgroBank.
On 14 December, the Wine Technology Platform presented its Innovation Awards. A recognition of the commitment of the whole of the wine sector to R&D&I that highlights the value of innovative initiatives aimed at improving the competitiveness of the Spanish wine sector.
This year 2022 we have had the honour of participating, on behalf of the technological agents of the PTV, among the members of the Jury that selected the winners. Thus, we have assessed all the nominations received together with representatives of strategic entities and institutions for the wine sector such as: the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the State Research Agency of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Centre for Technological and Industrial Development (CDTI), the Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organisation (OIVE), AgroBank and representatives of the Technical Commission and the International Scientific Committee of the PTV.
This recognition of R&D&I in the wine sector awards five prizes and four categories: Young Researcher Award -sponsored by AgroBank with a prize of €3,000 for the winner-, R&D&I Project -Individual and Consortium-, R&D&I Management and Honorary Award.
During the event, which took place at CaixaForum Madrid, attendees were able to learn about the finalist and winning initiatives, as well as enjoy the intervention of a guest of honour: Jorge Barrero, CEO of COTEC. During his speech on innovation as an engine of growth for the economy in general, and the wine sector in particular, he pointed out that “innovation is all change (not only technological) based on knowledge (not only scientific) that generates value (not only economic)”.
Winners 2022
Cristian Vaquero Miguel, researcher at the UPM, received the award in the Young Researcher category for his work “Improving freshness and acidity of wines from warm areas through fermentation biotechnologies and emerging non-thermal technologies”. Our Business Development Director, Fernando Boned, was in charge of presenting the award. “It is very motivating to have the opportunity to evaluate such high-level proposals. Without a doubt, it has been difficult to choose just one as the winner of the Award”.
José Antonio Suárez Lepe, researcher and professor at the UPM, was awarded the Honorary Prize. The president of the PTV, Mireia Torres, presented the award, highlighting not only his impeccable professional career, but also his involvement in the PTV since its beginnings. “His knowledge of oenology and oenological microbiology has enabled great advances to be made in the wine sector. He was also one of the driving forces behind the first major collaborative project, Cenit Deméter, which gave way to what we know today as the PTV”, said Mireia Torres about Suárez Lepe.
Bodega González-Byass Jerez received the prize in the Individual R&D&I Project category for its project “The digital print of sherry using nuclear magnetic resonance”, an award that was collected by Ricardo Fernández Portabales, the company’s R&D&I project coordinator.
Carlos Moro, on behalf of Bodega Matarromera, collected the award in the category of Consortium R&D&I Project, for his initiative “Development of advanced microbiology with differentiated properties for the optimisation and improvement of oenological processes” (INNOMICROVIN). The president of Bodega Matarromera thanked for the recognition, pointing out that “thanks to the activity of the PTV, an ecosystem has been created in which the exchange of knowledge is invaluable”.
Finally, the Award in the “R&D&I Management” category went to the Wine Technology Centre (VITEC) for its involvement in the innovative activity of the wine sector and for its largest number of R&D&I projects promoted and approved during the year 2021. Sergi de Lamo, director of VITEC, accepted the award, giving credit to his entire team and pointing out that “there are more than 30 R&D&I projects in which VITEC has participated since 2011 thanks to the impetus of the PTV. Without a doubt, it is a platform that we have taken full advantage of”.
