Spain

Castilla y León, Spain

Pilot support: JCYL

Challenges: Multi-level governance of R&I policies; Sustainable short supply chains; Climate change response in farming and waste management, dietary shifts, aging population, and rural depopulation.

Strenghts: New product commercialization; Active in EU and local action groups.;Innovation support services, regional funding initiatives.

RRI needs: Align with EU strategies; plant biodiversity; enhance productivity; sustainable and profitable farm systems; reproductive technologies.;Improve animal welfare standards; process optimization, shelf life, safety.

Barriers of SMEs /Industrial Actors: Funding instability; infrastructure acquisition; food processing innovation; low technology adoption; product sales tools/strategies.

What shapes the food systems transformation in Spain?

This document offers key actionable insights to accelerate open innovation in Spain’s regional food systems. It brings together key insights from relevant literature and stakeholder interviews and translates them into easy-to-apply recommendations to accelerate the transition toward circular and inclusive food systems.

Dimensions	What enables innovation	What challenges innovation
Political	EU funding for innovation supports digital transformation and sustainability Regional policy innovation advances circular economy practices	Regulatory misalignment between EU and national policies creates tensions for organic and smallholder producers Bureaucratic complexity limiting access to public funding and delaying innovation
Economic	Growing demand for sustainable food drives growth and innovation Circular economy business models create new revenue opportunities	High transition costs for sustainable practices create financial strain for SMEs Limited access to venture capital for agri-food startups constrains scale-up and innovation
Social	Growing consumer support for local and sustainable food encourages adoption of sustainable practices Community-driven innovation strengthens local food networks and subsystems	Resistance to pay for sustainable food alternatives limits adoption of sustainable practices Limited stakeholder collaboration constrains long-term coordination Skills gaps in digital agriculture slow innovation and adaptation
Technological	Digital transformation and smart farming improve efficiency in production Regional innovation and collaboration strengthen research–industry links	Limited digital integration in rural agri-food sectors slows technology adoption Fragmented research–industry collaboration limits technology transfer

What do the key actors say?

This section summarizes key insights on barriers and enablers identified by local stakeholders representing civil society, industry, public authorities, and academia. The insights are based on 7 qualitative interviews carried out during the initial phase of the project.

CIVIL SOCIETY

Localized EU funding access supports rural
innovation
Rising demand for sustainable and traceable food
drives innovation (for microenterprise, SMEs)
Innovation funding and collaboration enable
technological upgrading and viability
SME funding barriers limit competitiveness and
technology uptake

INDUSTRY

Regulatory and administrative complexity
burdens SMEs
Funding programmes enable investment, but
uncertainty and high initial costs limit uptake
Skills shortages and rural depopulation
constrain innovation capacity
Digital and circular technologies offer
potential, but adoption remains uneven

Academia research

Aligned EU, national, and regional strategies
support research and knowledge transfer
Administrative fragmentation and regulatory
rigidity hinder implementation and collaboration
Applied research funding enables innovation but
lacks long-term continuity
Living labs and digital platforms support
experimentation, though access remains unequal

PUBLIC AUTHORITY

Centralized governance and limited regional
autonomy constrain innovation
EU policy frameworks provide direction, but
regulatory rigidity and compliance burden SMEs
Public funding and subsidies support modernization,
though bureaucratic complexity persist
Technological infrastructure enables digitalization,
but skills gaps and fragmented data governance limit
scale-up

Key reccomendations to accelerate the transition

The following section presents six key recommendations to accelerate the sustainable food systems transformation in Spain.

Simplify access to innovation funding
→ Streamline procedures and advisory
support for SMEs

Improve multi-level policy coordination
→ Increase alignment between national, regional,
and local strategies

Support bottom-up food innovation
→ Support region-specific approaches
building on local agri-food ecosystems

Strengthen intermediaries and clusters
→ Bridge business, research, and public actors
(through projects, hubs, living labs etc.)

Fund long-term collaboration
→ Incentivize stable and informed multiactor
partnerships

Build capacity among local actors → Develop technical training and support for practical skills and knowledge uptake