INNOVI and the Fundació Parc Tecnològic del Vi, IRTA-VITEC, have formalised a collaboration agreement that will enable the Catalan wine cluster to establish a new office at IRTA-VITEC’s facilities in Falset. This agreement represents a further step in the relationship that both organisations have maintained for many years and consolidates their shared commitment to continuing to work together in support of the wine sector.

With the opening of this second office, INNOVI is strengthening its territorial presence and moving closer to one of Catalonia’s most important wine-producing areas. Falset occupies a central position in a territory that is home to four designations of origin: DOQ Priorat, DO Montsant, DO Terra Alta and part of DO Tarragona. The area also includes hundreds of wineries and more than 2,400 grape growers.

Establishing a presence in Falset will allow INNOVI to gain a deeper understanding of the needs and challenges faced by companies, wineries, grape growers and other stakeholders across the value chain. It will also facilitate the development of new projects, knowledge transfer and coordination with organisations already working to promote innovation and competitiveness in the region.

“The opening of this office is a clear commitment to proximity. We want to be closer to wineries, grape growers and organisations in the region so that we can listen to them, identify opportunities and turn their needs into concrete projects. Doing so from the facilities of IRTA-VITEC, an organisation with which we have shared a long-standing relationship, will allow us to combine our capabilities and provide the sector with a more coordinated response,” explains Eloi Montcada, INNOVI Cluster Manager.

The new INNOVI office aims to serve as a local hub for Priorat, Montsant, Terra Alta and the surrounding counties. Its objectives include increasing the number of projects and knowledge-transfer activities, expanding the base of associated companies and organisations, and maintaining closer and more continuous contact with local stakeholders.

INNOVI is currently developing thirteen projects in the area, organising knowledge-transfer activities and working with several member companies. A permanent presence in Falset will help consolidate this activity and generate new opportunities based on needs identified directly within the territory.

INNOVI will have a regular physical presence at the new office and will be responsible, among other functions, for liaising with companies, wineries, institutions and sector organisations. It will also participate in local events, visit companies and contribute to identifying and structuring new collaborative projects.

Through this agreement, INNOVI establishes a permanent presence in Falset and advances its objective of being present throughout Catalonia. At the same time, it reinforces its commitment to the wine-producing areas of southern Catalonia and to innovation that is closer, more useful and better connected to the sector’s everyday reality.