This project has been funded through the call for grants for demonstration activities in technology transfer of the Rural Development Program of Catalonia 2014-2022 (PDR 2014-2022), of the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

The MicroVi project aims to apply the "microscopy on a chip" (µ-inChip) technology, developed and patented by the CEMIC center of the University of Barcelona (UB), in the improvement of winemaking processes.

These new microscopes, which are very small (1 cm3) and inexpensive (<€100), will automate the microbiological analyses that are currently performed manually, tediously and inefficiently in this sector. With this new tool, processors will be able to reduce a major source of economic losses (around 7 billion euros worldwide due to fermentation problems), minimize raw material waste and increase the quality of the final product. The tool will be applied and optimized over two vintages by INCAVI, which will propose, obtain, prepare and analyze reference samples using current manual methods.

During the project, INNOVI will disseminate the demonstration activity among Catalan winemakers and their auxiliary industry, identifying key partners for technology transfer at the end of the project.

https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/rural-development_en