CIAIMBITAL wins 8 projects in the 2015 Research Challenges call

 The Research Center in Mediterranean Intensive Agrosystems and Agrifood Biotechnology of the University of Almería (CIAIMBITAL) has just obtained 8 new research projects in the 2015 Research Challenges call. CIAIMBITAL has been established with the aim of integrating, under the same strategic initiative, the different units that act in the field of agri-food at the University of Almería, in order to achieve synergies between them, guarantee an efficient use of resources and take full advantage of the R & D & I potential of the University of Almería in this field of knowledge.

CIAIMBITAL is a recently created UAL Research Center, which is established by taking advantage of the human, material and knowledge resources of the Center for Research in Agri-Food Biotechnology (BITAL), the UAL-ANECOOP Finca Experimental Foundation, the CAJAMAR Chair of Economics and Agri-food, the COEXPHAL Chair of Horticulture, Cooperative Studies and Sustainable Development, and the coordination at the UAL of the Campus of International Excellence in Agri-food (ceiA3).

The Center is made up of 35 Research Groups and 275 renowned researchers. In the last 5 years alone, in the midst of the economic crisis, they have raised more than 17 million euros in Projects and Contracts. In addition, the link with the productive sector is very close, as reflected in the more than 5 million euros in contracts with companies signed in the last five years.

Research Challenges is the main call for applications aimed at fundamental and applied research projects within the State R & D & I Plan, and in it projects compete throughout the national territory under the main criterion of scientific excellence. Thus, the success of CIAIMBITAL in this call confirms the excellent scientific base of the researchers attached to the Center, and their very high degree of competitiveness at the national and international level.

The 8 projects awarded cover all the Center's lines of research, including genetic improvement, agronomy and rural engineering, microbiology, food safety, and human and animal health; thus confirming the strong position in R & D & i of CIAIMBITAL throughout the entire value chain in agri-food.

In turn, these 8 projects confirm the trajectory of research projects achieved in the previous 2014 call and, therefore, consolidate the extensive history of R + D + i projects of the Center in calls in competitive competition at national and international level.