The new facility, located in Las Naves, will enable the development and testing of innovative solutions to transform the agri-food system

Companies, startups, researchers, chefs, and the general public will collaborate on the design of technologies and projects aimed at promoting healthier and more sustainable eating habits

The Valencia City Council, through Valencia Innovation Capital, will launch the Valencia Food Lab, a food innovation lab to be based at Las Naves, with the goal of promoting technological and sustainable solutions to address the challenges facing the agri-food system of the future.

This new space is designed as an environment for experimentation, prototyping, and validation where startups, companies, research centers, universities, culinary professionals, and the general public can collaborate to develop innovative projects related to the production, distribution, consumption, and utilization of food.

The initiative is part of the Valencia City Council’s innovation strategy and reinforces the city’s position as an international leader in urban innovation and in leveraging Valencia’s agri-food tradition—linked to the huerta, municipal markets, L’Albufera, and the Mediterranean diet.

Paula Llobet, the councilwoman for Innovation, emphasized that this project will help connect the city’s identity with the opportunities offered by technology.

“Valencia is a city of orchards, markets, and the Albufera. With the Valencia Food Lab, we’re bringing together the agri-food tradition that makes us unique with the technological innovation that will shape the sector’s future. “We want Valencia to also be a European leader in food innovation and in developing solutions that improve sustainability and people’s quality of life,” he said.

An open laboratory for the entire agri-food ecosystem

The Valencia Food Lab is conceived as an open space for collaboration capable of connecting all stakeholders in the Valencian agri-food ecosystem. The lab will promote interaction among producers, companies, researchers, entrepreneurs, chefs, and public administrations to accelerate the development of new solutions and facilitate their implementation in real-world settings.

In addition, the project will make it possible to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Valencia’s Urban Sandbox municipal ordinance, which facilitates the testing and validation of innovations under real-world conditions, reducing the time and barriers involved in implementing new technologies.

Five Areas of Action

The laboratory’s activities will be organized around five strategic objectives:

-Promote technological innovation in the agri-food sector.

-Promote healthy and sustainable eating.

-Promote science communication and public awareness.

-Strengthen collaboration with the Valencian and international agri-food ecosystem.

-Generate applied knowledge in the fields of food, agriculture, sustainability, and the circular economy.

More Innovation to Solve Urban Challenges

The Valencia Food Lab is part of Valencia Innovation Capital’s overall strategy, which aims to promote projects capable of addressing the city’s real challenges through technological and social innovation.

With this initiative, Valencia is expanding the areas of work it is already pursuing in fields such as digital health, GovTech, semiconductors, immersive technologies, defense and resilience, Urban Tech, and sustainable tourism, while strengthening its ability to attract talent, investment, and European projects related to food and sustainability.

The new laboratory aims to become a leading hub in the European agri-food sector by combining tradition and local knowledge with research, technology, and innovation to develop solutions with economic, social, and environmental impact.