INSTITUTO REGIONAL DE INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO AGROALIMENTARIO Y FORESTAL DE CASTILLA-LA MANCHA

Their core work

IRIAF is the regional agri-food and forestry research institute of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain — one of the country's most important agricultural regions. They conduct applied research on crop genetics, livestock breeding, and bio-based value chains, bridging laboratory genomics with field-level farming challenges. Their work spans from converting municipal solid waste into bio-based chemicals (bioethanol, biomethane) to conserving and characterizing food legume genetic resources using modern genomic tools. They serve as a regional knowledge hub translating EU-level research into practical solutions for Mediterranean agriculture and circular bioeconomy.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IRIAF's early H2020 work (2017) centered on industrial biotechnology and waste valorization — converting municipal solid waste into bio-based products like bioethanol and bioplastics through the large-scale URBIOFIN project. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward agricultural genomics, biodiversity conservation, and climate-resilient farming, as seen in INCREASE (food legume genetic resources) and RUMIGEN (ruminant breeding). This pivot from industrial bioprocessing toward genetic resource management and climate adaptation reflects a broader European trend in agri-food research.

IRIAF is moving toward climate-adaptive agriculture and genetic resource conservation, making them an increasingly relevant partner for projects on sustainable food systems and biodiversity in Mediterranean farming.

How they like to work

IRIAF operates as a contributor rather than a leader — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, joining instead as a participant or third party. Their involvement in consortia averaging 20+ partners (63 unique partners across 3 projects) shows they are comfortable in large, multi-national collaborations where they provide specialized regional expertise. Their third-party role in INCREASE suggests they can also contribute specific capabilities to existing consortia without being a formal beneficiary.

Despite only 3 projects, IRIAF has connected with 63 unique partners across 22 countries, indicating they join large pan-European consortia rather than small bilateral efforts. Their network spans broadly across the EU agri-food research landscape.

What sets them apart

IRIAF brings a distinctive combination of biorefinery engineering and agricultural genomics expertise rooted in the specific conditions of central Spain's arid agricultural landscape. As a regional public research institute rather than a university, they maintain close ties to local farming communities and agri-food industries, which makes them effective at field testing and practical validation. For consortium builders, they offer a reliable Spanish partner with real-world testing grounds in one of Europe's key dryland farming regions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• URBIOFIN
  Their largest project (EUR 1.1M funding), demonstrating a full integrated biorefinery at semi-industrial scale — a rare combination of waste processing and bio-based chemical production.
• INCREASE
  Distinctive for combining traditional biodiversity conservation with modern tools like blockchain, AI, and citizen science to manage food legume genetic resources across Europe.