BETA opens a new headquarters in Soses integrated into an industrial plant in a pioneering model in Catalonia

The BETA Technology Center of the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) has today inaugurated a new headquarters in Soses located within the facilities of FERTIEBRO, a company belonging to Fertinagro Biotech, in a pioneering model in Catalonia that directly integrates research and industrial production to accelerate the development of innovative solutions for the agri-food sector.

The event was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Òscar Ordeig, as well as representatives of the business, institutional and scientific sectors. Minister Ordeig wanted to begin his speech by highlighting “the good work that the BETA Center is doing” and outlined the need to commit to “research and innovation strategies that improve Catalonia’s capacity to produce food in a sustainable and competitive way”. Minister Ordeig has assured that “from the Department of Agriculture it is a current priority to preserve and promote the knowledge ecosystem in Catalonia, to strengthen our agri-food sector, make it more professional and continue to lead in Europe and worldwide.”

For Sergio Ponsá, director of CT BETA, “the new Soses headquarters represents a unique model of collaboration between company and technology center”, and highlights that “we do not want to promote innovation far from productive environments, which is why at Soses we have taken the step of physically integrating ourselves into an active industrial plant”. This strategy will allow us to validate technologies in real conditions, reduce development times and bring solutions to the market more quickly.

The objective is for this collaboration model to facilitate the creation of new projects linked to the bioeconomy, the valorization of by-products, sustainable nutrient management, effluent treatment and environmental sustainability applied to the agri-food industry.

Territorial expansion of a center with European projection

The establishment of the BETA Technology Center in Soses reinforces the positioning of the lands of Lleida as a key territory for agro-industrial innovation and the transition to more sustainable production models. The combination of scientific capacity, industrial infrastructure and direct connection with the business fabric opens up new opportunities to generate economic activity, attract talent and promote projects with a real impact on the territory.

The new headquarters in Soses is part of a stage of territorial expansion of the center, born in Vic, based on bringing the research of excellence closer to the main challenges and opportunities of each territory. This strategy combines local roots with the ability to promote projects with a Catalan, national and European scope.

Currently, the BETA Technology Center has more than 130 professionals, participates in more than 60 European projects and has consolidated itself as one of the most prominent actors in the State in the field of bioeconomy, agri-food and the environment. According to official data on participation in the Horizon Europe program, UVic-UCC is among the Spanish entities with the best results in Cluster 6, focused on food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and the environment.

In this context, the BETA Technology Center inaugurated a new headquarters in Roses last year, aimed at strengthening research linked to the coast, the marine environment and the environmental challenges of the Mediterranean. It has also consolidated stable alliances in other parts of Catalonia, expanding its presence and capacity for impact.

With the incorporation of Soses, the center now strengthens its implementation in the lands of Lleida and consolidates a decentralized growth model that wants to contribute to a more territorially balanced Catalan research system.

FERTIEBRO, a strategic asset of Fertinagro Biotech with a vision for the future

FERTIEBRO is one of the main assets of Fertinagro Biotech, an international benchmark in the plant nutrition sector thanks to a strong commitment to innovation and technological development as strategic pillars. In 2025, this trajectory was recognized by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities with the National Innovation Award in the Large Company category. With an investment of more than 35 million euros in R&D&I in recent years, the company leads the sector with 260 patents registered in 29 countries and the development of disruptive technologies such as atmospheric nitrogen fixation and the valorization of livestock waste.

In the last five years, the company FERTIEBRO has promoted the recovery and modernization of an industrial plant with a long history, turning it into a future project based on innovation, sustainability and proximity to the agricultural sector. With its own logistics structure, technical support and R&D&I, a clear commitment to energy efficiency and anticipation of regulatory challenges, FERTIEBRO has consolidated itself as an industrial player with strategic vision and capacity for innovation.

The launch of the new headquarters of the BETA Technology Center in its facilities is part of this long-term vision, with the aim of Soses becoming a reference space for co-creation, validation of technologies and the development of innovative solutions for the agri-food sector, in a project with a vocation for growth and future impact.