Campofrío, Nueva Pescanova and Angulas Aguinaga lead the debate on sustainability and innovation at Expo Foodtech 2026

 

 

From May 27 to 28, 2026, the BEC – Bilbao Exhibition Centre It will become the epicenter of food innovation with the celebration of Expo FoodTech 2026This event will bring together executives from leading companies such as Campofrío, Nueva Pescanova y Angulas Aguinaga to discuss the sustainable future of the meat and fisheries industries, responding to the demands of competitiveness and environmental impact.

 

Sustainability has emerged as the major transformative force in the food industry, driving the meat and fisheries sectors to address multifaceted challenges. These include the evolution of... demandas del consumidor, the presión sobre los precios, the imperative digitalización, the search for more production models eficientes and innovación constant in products, formats and new sources of protein.

 

During the days of Expo FoodTech 2026through specific verticals and sessions in the Food 4 Future World SummitThe latest strategies and business models needed to guarantee the competitividad without compromising the sostenibilidadAll of this takes place in an environment marked by regulatory changes and the need to reduce the huella ambiental and the integration of nuevas tecnologías.

 

Transformation of the Meat Sector: Sustainability, Digitalization and Efficiency

 

The meat sector faces a series of structural challenges that will be analyzed by experts such as Lluís CastarlenasHead of Digital Strategy at Valls Companys; Oriol MolinsDirector General Leo Boeck; Vanesa Martínez, CEO of Grupo Carinsa, and Lourdes Santos, Director of HR Development at Campofrío.

 

prioridades estratégicas For this industry, they focus on the reducción del impacto ambiental, bienestar animal, the minimización del desperdicio or with a aprovisionamiento responsablewhile responding to an increasingly demanding global demand for animal protein. Clara Hernández, Director of Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability of Sigma (grupo Campofrío); Coral CarrascoR&D&I Coordinator of Grupo Vall Companys, and Hannah ValerioSocial Researcher at Imancorp FoundationThey will explain how the digitalización It is a fundamental way to optimize processes, increase efficiency and raise the technological maturity of the entire value chain.

 

Innovation and Adaptation to Demand in the Meat Industry

 

La presión sobre los precios, new consumer expectations, a constantly evolving regulatory framework and increasing demands in bienestar animal y impacto climático These will be central themes. Elena MartínezCEO Martínez Somalo, and Giuseppe Aloisio, Managing Director of the Asociación Nacional de Industrias de la Carne de España (ANICE)They will address how to transform these challenges into opportunities through the implementation of nuevos formatos más accesibles, the promotion of a greater transparencia, the improvement in the posicionamiento de marca and a colaboración strategic alliance between producers, distributors and the sector foodservice.

 

La innovación en producto It will be presented as an essential lever for growth. Carlos Díaz ValdezR&D Leader of Sigma, will share R&D advances to reformulate products that meet the demand for healthier foods saludables, naturales y funcionales. For its part, Santiago AliagaCEO Zyrcular Foods, will detail the integration of the objetivos ESG in business decision-making, through the ecodiseño, the eficiencia energética, the acquisition of products with a smaller footprint and the strategic use of inteligencia artificial and analítica avanzada.

 

Marine Proteins, Key to the Transition to Sustainable Food Systems

 

The fishing vertical in Expo FoodTech It will focus on the crucial role of the proteínas marinas and acuicultura in building more sustainable food systems. Leire Arantzamendi, Senior Researcher at AZTI; Diego LoisNew Product Development of STOLT; Isa Beatriz Domingos, researcher in Porto-Muiños, and Marta Martínez, Scientist of CSICThey will analyze how the innovación tecnológica, the eficiencia, the reducción del impacto ambiental and business models with propósito social y económico are essential for the seguridad alimentaria, the diversificación de proteínas and resiliencia frente al cambio climático.

 

Democratization of Consumption and Strategic Vision in Seafood Products

 

The congress will also address the democratización del consumo de productos del marRepresentatives from across the value chain, such as María Luisa Álvarez, General Director of Fedepesca; Gorka Azcona, Head of Fisheries of Eroski, and Ander AguirreClient Director of KantarThey will present strategies for bringing fish closer to the consumer. This includes nuevos formatos (individual portions, frozen or canned), one comunicación más clara at the point of sale and digital channels, and more gastronomic offerings sencillas e inspiradoras.

 

The strategic dimension of the sector will be discussed from the top management level. Jorge EscuderoCEO Grupo Nueva Pescanova, and Óscar VicenteCEO Angulas AguinagaThey will share their vision on how their companies respond to the tensiones geopolíticas, the aceleración tecnológica, the digitalización, the inteligencia artificial, the sostenibilidad and the changes in the comportamiento del consumidor.

 

Below is a table with some of the key participants and the topics they will address:

Sector	Representative	Role	Company/Organization	Main Focus
Meat	Lluís Castarlenas	Head of Digital Strategy	Valls Companys	Digital strategy and transformation
Meat	Lourdes Santos	Director of HR Development	Campofrío	Challenges and future of the sector
Meat	Clara Hernández	Director of Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability	Sigma (grupo Campofrío)	Digitalization and sustainability
Meat	Giuseppe Aloisio	Director General	ANICE	Regulatory challenges and opportunities
Meat	Santiago Aliaga	CEO	Zyrcular Foods	Integration of ESG objectives
Fishing	Jorge Escudero	CEO	Grupo Nueva Pescanova	Strategic vision in the face of global changes
Fishing	Óscar Vicente	CEO	Angulas Aguinaga	Strategic vision in the face of global changes
Fishing	María Luisa Álvarez	General Director	Fedepesca	Consumption and accessibility strategies

 

Key points and frequently asked questions about the future of food

 

What is the main focus of Expo Foodtech 2026?
The event focuses on the sustainable transformation of the meat and fisheries industries, addressing challenges such as new consumer demands, digitalization, operational efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

 

What role does digitalization play in the sustainability of the meat sector?
Digitalization is key to improving processes, gaining efficiency and raising the technological maturity of the value chain, contributing to the reduction of environmental impact, animal welfare and the minimization of waste.

 

How do marine proteins contribute to food security and sustainability?
Marine proteins and aquaculture are essential for the transition to sustainable food systems, through technological innovation, efficiency, reduction of environmental impact and business models with social and economic purpose, diversifying protein sources and improving resilience to climate change.