At Food4Future, TECNALIA is showcasing its solutions for an innovative, efficient food industry focused on health and sustainability

The applied research and technological development centre is bringing its technological innovations for creating healthy and sustainable food to the leading international event for innovation in the food industry, which will take place on 27–28 May at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC)

The applied research and technological development centre TECNALIA will be present at Food4Future 2026, where it will showcase its forward-looking solutions for an innovative, efficient food industry focused on health and sustainability, with the aim of moving towards a smarter, more sustainable, healthier and more competitive food sector.

The Food4Future – Expo Food Tech fair, to be held on 27 and 28 May at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC), is the leading food technology conference bringing together the latest industrial solutions and trends driving the sector’s transformation. TECNALIA will be present in Hall 1, Stand C317, where it will showcase various innovative technologies it is developing for the sector, thereby transforming the future of food tech.

At the Fair, TECNALIA will focus on developments that transform ingredients and production processes with the aim of improving nutritional quality and reducing environmental impact.

Integrated solutions will be presented to improve sustainability throughout the agri-food sector’s value chain, taking a coordinated approach to areas such as ingredient formulation, materials development, packaging and process optimisation. Among the food proposals at this year’s event, highlights include functional ingredients to reduce anxiety and improve well-being, scientifically validated with a gender perspective; foods designed to promote healthy ageing, cognitive health and personal well-being; and the development of alternative proteins from insects, microalgae and microorganisms that drive new value chains.

This comprehensive approach by TECNALIA is complemented by the valorisation and circularity of resources, demonstrating how different technologies converge towards a single objective: to generate a sustainable impact in a coherent and interconnected manner within the sector.

The first pink EVOO to revolutionise the dining experience

As part of Food 4 Future, TECNALIA is also presenting an innovative development created in collaboration with the Spanish brand L’Aurea, which represents a step forward in transforming food products into experiences with greater added value. This is the first pink olive oil, made using vegetable pigments from beetroot that alter only its visual appearance, without affecting its flavour, aroma or organoleptic properties.

This development, carried out in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Madrid, has resulted in Aurelia, a product made with organic, early-harvest Picual extra virgin olive oil from Jaén, which transforms a traditional product into a distinctive offering where the oil transcends its usual use to become a gastronomic, aesthetic and expressive experience.

Advanced and sustainable packaging solutions

TECNALIA will present four advanced solutions for the agro-industrial and industrial sectors: a remote driving and agricultural teleoperation technology that improves safety and efficiency in critical operations; a VTOL aerial system for agro-environmental monitoring, capable of predicting harvests, detecting water stress and optimising resources; a cabin monitoring system that prevents fires in combine harvesters using sensors and real-time analysis; and, from The Proactive Factory, a visual AI agent that analyses plans, speeds up the preparation of quotations and centralises technical knowledge for the industry. It will also showcase solutions for the treatment and recovery of wastewater.

Furthermore, TECNALIA will also present sustainable packaging solutions based on advanced cellulosic materials that replace plastic without compromising functionality. These include plastic-free nanocellulose coatings with barrier properties and smart traceability, plastic-free absorbents for fresh food, and cellulosic alternatives to EPS for transport protection. Furthermore, it is developing PFAS-free omniphobic sol-gel coatings, which offer non-stick, anti-corrosive and high-temperature-resistant surfaces. These technologies optimise industrial processes and guarantee safety, sustainability and high technical performance.

It will also feature contributions from experts who will speak on topics such as next-generation ingredients and applied biotechnology, quantum technology applied to packaging, and circularity.