ALMONTE, Spain – A collaborative initiative aimed at fostering sustainable innovation in the region surrounding Doñana National Park was formally launched Tuesday, backed by a 3.6 million euro grant from the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI) and support from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
The project, known as Doñana Terra Innova, convened over one hundred attendees in Almonte, Huelva, including local officials, representatives from participating organizations, and researchers. Almonte Mayor Francisco Bella Galán, CTA Director General Elías Atienza, and University of Huelva Rector José Rodríguez Quintero inaugurated the event.
Doñana Terra Innova intends to position the area surrounding the UNESCO World Heritage site and Biosphere Reserve as a benchmark for socio-economic development and sustainable innovation. The two-year plan will focus on identifying and developing innovative initiatives, designing business plans, and implementing Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) schemes. Key areas of focus include water management, sustainable agriculture, and improving employment conditions within the agricultural sector.
The project is spearheaded by the Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía (CTA), in partnership with Asaja-Huelva, the Federación Onubense de Empresarios (FOE), the University of Huelva (UHU), and the agricultural cooperatives OnuCoop and Seprocoop. According to Atienza, the initiative represents CTA’s first major undertaking in 2026 as a strategic partner to the CDTI in Andalusia, reinforcing the organization’s role in supporting public administrations to accelerate research, development, and innovation processes.
“CTA assumes this challenge with responsibility and enthusiasm,” Atienza stated, emphasizing the importance of cooperation, sustainable innovation, and collaboration with local municipalities in building a prosperous future for Doñana and its inhabitants.
Several platforms are central to the project’s implementation, including the Observatorio Científico-Tecnológico Doñana 2030, the UHU-Doñana University-Business Chair, the Living Lab Doñana 2030, the Doñana Agricultura Sostenible advanced experimentation and testing center, and the Doñana Innovación Sostenible incubator and accelerator. Representatives from each partner organization participated in a discussion analyzing innovation as a driver of socio-economic transformation in the Doñana region.
Rector Rodríguez Quintero highlighted the University of Huelva’s commitment to the project, noting the relevance of its existing research in areas such as species modification, agrivoltaics, and worker housing to the initiative’s goals. Pilar González Gotor, Head of Institutional Promotion and Territorial Cooperation at the CDTI, outlined the context and objectives of the Doñana Dynamization call for proposals that funded the project, and indicated that further funding opportunities are forthcoming.
Concurrent with the launch of Doñana Terra Innova, the Fundación Moeve participated in a reforestation effort in the ‘Las Peñuelas’ area of Doñana National Park, alongside the President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, and a group of young volunteers. The planting initiative is part of the ‘Doñana Renace’ project, aimed at restoring areas devastated by a 2017 wildfire that consumed over 10,000 hectares. To date, over 1.1 million trees have been planted as part of the restoration effort.
