INSTITUTO VALENCIANO DE INVESTIGACIONES AGRARIAS

Their core work

IVIA is the Valencian regional agricultural research institute specializing in plant health, pest and disease management, and crop improvement for Mediterranean perennial crops — particularly citrus, grapevine, olive, and tomato. They focus on detecting, preventing, and containing invasive plant pathogens such as Xylella fastidiosa and Huanglongbing (citrus greening), combining epidemiology, genomics, and integrated pest management. They also work on breeding and genetic resources to develop climate-resilient crop varieties, and contribute to biocontrol strategies using natural enemies of agricultural pests.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015-2017), IVIA focused broadly on pest organisms, biocontrol through natural enemies, and population genomics — working across diverse pathogens including Xylella, Phytophthora, and forest diseases like Chalara. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened toward specific Mediterranean crop threats: citrus greening disease (HLB), tomato genetic improvement for climate resilience, and capacity building for Xylella management across Europe and third countries. The trajectory shows a clear shift from foundational pest research toward applied prevention and breeding solutions for the most urgent threats to Mediterranean agriculture.

IVIA is increasingly concentrating on climate-adaptive crop breeding and preventing catastrophic citrus diseases, positioning them as a key partner for anyone working on Mediterranean food security under climate change.

How they like to work

IVIA operates exclusively as a project partner — they have not coordinated any of their 10 H2020 projects, which suggests they contribute specialized plant health expertise to larger consortia rather than leading project design and management. With 186 unique partners across 41 countries, they are exceptionally well-networked for a regional institute, participating in large international consortia. This makes them a reliable, experienced contributor who can plug into complex multi-partner projects without friction.

IVIA has collaborated with 186 distinct partners across 41 countries, giving them one of the broadest networks among regional agricultural research institutes. Their partnerships span the Mediterranean basin, Northern Europe, and extend to Africa, the Caribbean, and South America through projects like TROPICSAFE and CURE-XF.

What sets them apart

IVIA sits at the intersection of Mediterranean crop expertise and invasive pathogen defense — a combination few European institutes can match with equal depth. Their concentration on Xylella fastidiosa across three separate projects makes them one of the most experienced organizations in Europe on this devastating threat. For anyone building a consortium around plant health, citrus protection, or climate-resilient Mediterranean agriculture, IVIA brings both the scientific depth and the field-level experience from Valencia's citrus-growing heartland.

Highlights from their portfolio

• POnTE
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 500K) and tackled the full spectrum of pest organisms threatening Europe, including Xylella, Phytophthora, and forest pathogens.
• PRE-HLB
  Addresses Huanglongbing — the disease that has devastated citrus industries in the Americas — before it establishes in Europe, combining epidemiology, breeding, and genomics.
• HARNESSTOM
  Represents IVIA's evolution toward climate-resilient crop breeding, working on tomato genetic resources for drought, salt, and heat tolerance — directly relevant to Mediterranean agriculture under climate change.