TECNALIA showcases at Food4Future its solutions for an innovative, efficient and health‑ and sustainability‑oriented food industry

The applied research and technological development centre is bringing its technological developments to create healthy and sustainable foods to the leading international event for innovation in the food industry, which is being held at Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC).

The applied research and technological development centre TECNALIA is taking part in the 2026 edition of Food4Future, where it will present its forward‑looking solutions for an innovative, efficient and health‑ and sustainability‑oriented food industry, with the aim of advancing towards a smarter, more sustainable, healthier and more competitive agri‑food sector.

The Food4Future – Expo Food Tech fair, held at Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC), is the leading congress in food technology, bringing together the latest industrial solutions and the trends driving the sector’s transformation. TECNALIA is located in Hall 1, stand C317, where it will present a range of innovative technologies it develops for the sector, thus helping to shape the future of foodtech.

TECNALIA will focus its presence at the fair on developments that transform ingredients and production processes in order to improve nutritional quality and reduce environmental impact.

Integrated solutions will be presented to improve sustainability throughout the entire value chain of the agri‑food sector, addressing in a coordinated way areas such as ingredient formulation, materials development, packaging and process optimisation. Among the food proposals at this year’s edition are functional ingredients to reduce anxiety and improve wellbeing, scientifically validated with a gender perspective; foods designed to promote healthy ageing, cognitive health and overall wellbeing; and the development of alternative proteins derived from insects, microalgae and microorganisms that drive new value chains.

Sensing technologies will also play a leading role in this edition, with microfluidic biosensors for monitoring bioprocesses (applied to enzymatic monitoring in rice fermentations) and portable, connected NPK sensors for the continuous monitoring of key nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), enabling real‑time analysis of soil or water quality. The solution integrates electrochemical technologies and IoT connectivity, facilitating data‑driven decision‑making, optimising fertiliser use and improving sustainability and productivity in agricultural applications.

This global approach by TECNALIA is complemented by the valorisation and circularity of resources, demonstrating how different technologies converge towards a common objective: generating a sustainable impact in a coherent and connected way within the sector.

First pink extra virgin olive oil that revolutionises the gastronomic experience

Within the framework of Food4Future, TECNALIA is also presenting an innovative development carried out together with the Spanish brand L’Aurea, which represents a step forward in transforming food products towards higher added‑value experiences. This is the first pink‑coloured olive oil, produced using plant pigments from beetroot that modify only its visual appearance, without altering its taste, aroma or organoleptic properties.

This development, carried out in collaboration with the Technical University of Madrid, has resulted in Aurelia, a product made from Picual extra virgin olive oil, organic and early‑harvested in Jaén, which turns a traditional product into a distinctive proposal where the oil goes beyond 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; an in‑cab monitoring system that prevents fires in combine harvesters through sensors and real‑time analysis; and, from The Proactive Factory, a Visual AI agent that analyses plans, speeds up the preparation of proposals and centralises technical knowledge for industry. It will also showcase solutions for wastewater treatment and recovery.

In addition, TECNALIA will present sustainable packaging solutions based on advanced cellulosic materials that replace plastic without losing functionality. These include plastic‑free nanocellulose coatings with barrier properties and intelligent traceability, plastic‑free absorbents for fresh foods, and cellulosic alternatives to EPS for transport protection. It also develops PFAS‑free omniphobic sol‑gel coatings, offering non‑stick, anti‑corrosion and high‑temperature‑resistant surfaces. These technologies optimise industrial processes and ensure safety, sustainability and high technical performance.

There will also be participation by experts who will speak on topics such as next‑generation ingredients and applied biotechnology, quantum technology applied to packaging, and circularity.