InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the Science 2025 Meeting in Lisbon, at the Nova SBE Campus, to take part in the parallel session “Crop Protection for One Health, and Food and Environmental Sustainability”.
The Encontro Ciência took place from July 9 to 11 at the NOVA SBE Campus in Carcavelos, with the motto “Science, Innovation and Society”. Portugal's largest science and technology meeting was the stage for promoting and discussing the scientific, social, cultural and economic impact of research in Portugal, exploring the intersection between science, innovation and society, to inspire new ideas and foster transformative collaborations.
The director of the Data Management and Risk Analysis Department, Ricardo Ramiro, and the director of the New Biopesticides Department, Cristina Azevedo, presented some of the results of their work in this session co-moderated by the executive director, António Saraiva.
During the session, two important solutions for the agricultural sector, developed by our team, were presented:
iCountPests - an innovative app that uses AI to detect and count pests accurately and quickly in photos of chromotropic traps.
InPP 2 - a broad-spectrum biofungicide capable of fighting Botrytis cinerea, the fungus responsible for gray rot in tomatoes.
CoLAB MORE Colab - Collaborative Mountain Research Laboratory and Sfcolab - Collaborative Laboratory for Digital Innovation in Agriculture, were also present at the parallel session, as well as GREEN-IT, to discuss how science and innovation can tackle the challenges of climate change and promote more sustainable agricultural systems.
On June 30, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was present at the meeting “7 years of CoLABs: impacts and perspectives”, which brought together political decision-makers, experts from the Portuguese innovation ecosystem, leaders from different sectors, representatives of public and private entities and the representatives of the 41 Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB), at the Pavilhão do Conhecimento in Lisbon.
The meeting, organized by the Forum of Collaborative Laboratories (FCoLAB), aimed to reflect on the impact of the work carried out by the different CoLABs over the last seven years, as well as to address future prospects and identify strategies to boost the contribution of scientific research and innovation to the economy and society.
This initiative was an opportunity to showcase the products, services and solutions developed by CoLAB over the last seven years, highlighting its contribution to innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in various sectors of the economy. The application recently launched by InPP, iCountPests, which allows pests to be counted automatically using images from traps, reducing the time invested in monitoring and making it possible to create a pest history, was also highlighted.
The event was attended by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, Manuel Heitor, from the IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research and former Minister of Science and Innovation, António Grilo, President of ANI, among others.
In his speech, the Minister for Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, highlighted the purpose of science at national level: “We hope that the science created in Portugal will generate innovation. More than technology, innovation is the answer to society's problems. You are the agents of change!”.
During the session, the main activity indicators and proven impact of the first seven years of CoLABs' activity were also presented, and multisectoral perspectives on their role in the national science and innovation ecosystem were debated, focusing on topics such as socio-economic impact, internationalization, business competitiveness, technological innovation and sustainability.
The activity indicators and the impact of the 7 years of activity are as follows:
More than 260 projects approved
More than 1,300 qualified jobs created
19M€ in tax revenue generated
More than 900 interactions with companies
33 patent applications (10 granted)
680 scientific articles published
The two afternoon panels were attended by companies, partners and management entities, who reflected on the impact generated so far and presented proposals for maximizing CoLAB's long-term contribution to both the economy and Portuguese society.
At a time when the basic funding options for CoLABs are being discussed, this event is of the utmost importance. The area of crop protection, in particular, needs more investment in innovation. Holding this event was important for bringing this urgent and strategically important issue to the debate.
The InPP was also present in the exhibition area, receiving important visitors, including the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, the Secretary of State for the Economy, João Rui Ferreira, the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Helena Canhão, the President of the FCT, Madalena Alves, the President of the National Innovation Agency, António Grilo, the President of the National Monitoring Committee for the RRP, Pedro Dominguinhos and the Executive Director of Ciência Viva, Ana Noronha.
On June 11th, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) held a seminar on “Six years of innovation: CoLABs” path to the future of the agricultural and agri-food sectors", at the National Agriculture Fair (FNA) in Santarém.
The event brought together, for the first time, six Collaborative Laboratories (CoLABs) with direct involvement in the agricultural and agri-food sectors: InnovPlantProtect, CoLAB4Food, FeedInov CoLAB, Food4Sustainability, MORE CoLAB and SmartFarmCoLAB.
Round table 1 - Sofia Couto (ANI), Paulo Madeira (InPP), André Mota (Colab4Food), Cristina Monteiro (FeedInov), Margarida Palma (Food4Sustainability), Albino Bento (MORE CoLAB), and Helena Vazão (SmartFarmCoLAB)Round table 2 - Isabel Martins (Vida Rural), Pedro Viterbo (Fertiprado), Rui Lima (SenseTest), Jaime Piçarra (IACA), Gonçalo Amorim (BGI), Andreia Afonso (Deifil Technology) and André Sá (TEROMOVIGO)Closing session - Tiago Pinto (ANPROMIS), António Saraiva (InPP), Miguel Teixeira (CoLAB4Food), Ana Sofia Santos (FeedInov), Nuno Serra (Food4Sustainability), Albino Bento (MORE CoLAB) and Helena Vazão (SmartFarmCoLAB)
The program included two round tables. The first, dedicated to “Innovation in Action: The Results and Impacts of CoLABs in Agriculture and Agrifood”, representatives from each CoLAB took part, presenting success stories and projects developed, with emphasis on the intervention of the innovation manager at InnovPlantProtect, Paulo Madeira, He shared InPP's achievements in developing solutions for more sustainable agriculture.
The second round table, under the theme “Partnerships for the Future: How CoLABs are Driving Innovation in the Agricultural and Agri-Food Sector”, The event was attended by partner companies and associations, who stressed the importance of collaborating with the CoLABs. Among the speakers were Pedro Viterbo, manager of Fertiprado, InnovPlantProtect's partner, accompanied by representatives of the following organizations Sense Test, Associação Portuguesa Dos Industriais De Alimentos Compostos Para Animais (IACA), Building Global Innovators (BGI), DEIFIL Technology and TeroMovigo.
The seminar ended with a moment of joint reflection, with speeches from all the executive directors of the CoLABs present, including the executive director of InnovPlantProtect, António Saraiva, The meeting was organized by the European Commission, which stressed the importance of cooperation and strategic coordination between the Collaborative Laboratories, reinforcing their collective commitment to innovation and sustainable development in the agricultural and agri-food sectors.
Round table 1 - Paulo Madeira (InPP)Round table 2 - Pedro Viterbo (Fertiprado)Closing session - António Saraiva (InPP)
Throughout the seminar, the importance of synergies between science, innovation and the market became clear, as did the need to strengthen funding and guarantee conditions for the continuity and growth of these Collaborative Laboratories, whose impacts are already visible in the national agricultural and agri-food ecosystem.
This meeting was an important moment for sharing experiences and strengthening collaborative work, charting a joint path towards a more competitive, sustainable and innovative future for agriculture and agri-food in Portugal.
We are very pleased to announce the recent visit and knowledge-sharing session with our associateAntonio Villalobos, Agronomic Solutions Manager at Bayer Crop Science Portugal.
During the meeting, António Villalobos gave a comprehensive overview of the radical transformation that the crop protection sector is going through, highlighting two crucial vectors of innovation for the Sustainable Agriculture of the future: the growth of Biological Solutions and the advance of Digital Tools.
Trends and Key Messages
The presentation highlighted the new paradigm guiding agricultural strategy, driven by the need for greater sustainability and efficiency:
European leadership in reducing inputs: Europe has been at the forefront of the sharp reduction in available conventional protective active ingredients, which requires an unavoidable commitment to the constant innovation in the search for safer and more effective alternatives.
The Rise of the Biological: The future of crop protection undeniably lies in biological solutions. These compounds - which include biopesticides, biostimulants e biofertilizers - represent around 20% of the global Crop Protection market by 2030.
Functions of Biological Compounds: These products are used as biocontrol (against pests and diseases), biostimulants (improving tolerance to stress and nutrition) and biofertilizers (increasing the efficiency of nutrient absorption).
The Essential Role of Digital Tools: Digital technologies are the cornerstones of modern and precise agricultural management. Examples include risk forecasting (weather, pests), waste calculation and management and optimization of water management.
Paradigm Shift: From Products to Integrated Solutions: The sector is witnessing an evolution in companies“ portfolios, which are migrating from offering isolated ”products" to Integrated Solutions. These solutions strategically combine quality seeds, conventional synthetic products (in optimized and reduced doses), biological compounds and digital tools for more robust, efficient pest and disease control in line with sustainability objectives.
Recognition
Special thanks to Antonio Villalobos and Bayer Crop Science for the continuous collaboration and inspiring sharing of knowledge in a field that is proving to be fundamental for the competitiveness and sustainability of Portuguese agriculture.
On November 12, InnovPlantProtect (InPP) had the pleasure of welcoming researchers from iBET - Institute of Experimental Biology and Technology, for a session dedicated to valorization of wine production by-products as sustainable biopesticides.
The session was attended by Naiara Fernández, Senior Scientist and Leader of the iBET Technology Platform, and of João Baixinho, D. student on the same platform. The researchers shared the center's mission and main lines of research, with particular emphasis on the development of new biopesticides with high potential for agricultural application.
Innovation and the Circular Bioeconomy
The focus of the presentation was on the exploitation of wine-growing by-products, transforming waste into high value-added solutions for crop protection.
Potential Biopesticides: The compounds under study showed promising properties, being able to inhibit disease-causing microorganisms in crops and to exercise effective mite control, It represents a sustainable alternative to conventional phytopharmaceuticals.
The Tec4Green Project: The role of the project was highlighted Tec4Green, This is a mobilizing agenda co-funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR). This ambitious project brings together 18 strategic partners with the aim of developing a new generation of products for crop protection and nutrition, in line with the principles of the circular bioeconomy and sustainability.
Thank you
InPP would like to thank iBET for the visit and the inspiring sharing of knowledge in an area that is crucial for the future of crop protection and the advancement of sustainable agriculture in Portugal.
InnovPlantProtect (InPP) was honored to receive, on October 15th, the Hubel Verde, our newest associate. The visit provided a sharing session on the innovative solutions that the company provides for the management and protection of agricultural crops.
During the meeting, João Caço, Executive Director of Hubel Verde, and Margarida Mota, Innovation Coordinator, presented the company, its mission and its vast portfolio of products. innovative and sustainable solutions. These solutions are designed to respond effectively to the diverse needs and realities of the field in Portuguese agriculture.
Spotlight on Technology and Efficiency
The presentation focused on technologies aimed at increasing efficiency and sustainability in the sector:
Low Volume Electrostatic Nebulizers: Special attention was paid to this cutting-edge technology, which allows for a more precise, economical and efficient application of crop protection products, minimizing waste and environmental impact.
Integrated Services and Solutions: Hubel Verde highlighted its scientific know-how in integrated services and solutions which cover various aspects of crop management. These holistic approaches are crucial to ensuring the greatest success and profitability of agricultural activity.
Recognition and Collaboration
InPP would like to thank Hubel Verde for the visit and the valuable sharing of knowledge and technologies. Your experience is fundamental to the development and modernization of crop protection and agriculture in Portugal.
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