F4F – Expo Foodtech 2026 and Pick&Pack for Food Industry, the major technology fair for the food and beverage sector, together with Eatable Adventures, the leading global agrifoodtech accelerator, are launching the first global open innovation forum in the foodtech sector. The Open Innovation & Corporate Venturing Summit, taking place on May 27–28 at the Bilbao Exhibition Center (BEC), will bring together corporations, startups, solvers, and international institutions to address current challenges in the food and beverage industry.
The goal is to provide large companies with a structured space to present their strategic and technological challenges to the international entrepreneurial ecosystem and access innovative solutions ready to pilot, scale, or invest in. The forum will focus on corporate challenges defined by major food companies in areas such as upcycling and by-product valorization, artificial intelligence and digitalization, pathogen detection and shelf-life extension, smart packaging and logistics, and more efficient and sustainable agricultural practices.
Based on these challenges, the forum will facilitate strategic matchmaking with carefully selected national and international agrifoodtech startups and solvers, aiming to generate real collaboration opportunities, pilot projects, commercial agreements, or investments. Additionally, corporations seeking a more strategic approach can access personalized support to work on specific challenges or innovation lines, with reinforced guidance during the post-event activation phase.
“This summit was created to address a clear need in the sector: to effectively connect corporations with the innovation that exists outside their organizations and turn that connection into tangible results,” highlights Sergio Fabregat, Director of Expo Foodtech.
For her part, Mila Valcárcel, Managing Partner at Eatable Adventures, notes: “Open innovation is no longer a strategic option; it is a priority. The real challenge is not identifying innovative solutions, but integrating them quickly and effectively within the organization. Many companies have ambition and resources but need structures that convert the pipeline into pilots and real business decisions. This forum exists precisely to facilitate that step.”
In parallel, the forum will feature a high-level agenda including inspirational keynotes from international leaders in corporate venturing and open innovation, strategic panels discussing the keys to effective startup collaboration, and success stories from corporations already driving growth through open innovation.
A strategic alliance to boost food innovation
Through this strategic alliance, Expo Foodtech and Eatable Adventures reinforce their commitment to accelerating the transformation of the agri-food system through open innovation models, fostering effective connections between large corporations, tech startups, investors, and public and private institutions. This initiative not only creates a high-value space to activate joint projects and identify disruptive solutions but also strengthens the international cooperation network around food technology. The partnership will intensify ties with key agri-food innovation hubs in Italy and Latin America, two particularly dynamic regions in the development and adoption of foodtech solutions, promoting new business opportunities, technology transfer, and cross-border pilot projects.
About Expo FoodTech (May 27–28, 2026, BEC-Bilbao)
Expo Foodtech is the innovation event for professionals across the entire food and beverage value chain. For two days, F4F – Expo Foodtech will bring together industry professionals at Bilbao Exhibition Centre (BEC) to explore the latest solutions in foodtech, robotics and automation, processing and packaging machinery for different segments of the food industry, as well as food safety and science. The event will also host the Food 4 Future World Summit, Europe’s largest congress showcasing the latest trends, success stories, and tools to transform the food and beverage industry. F4F – Expo Foodtech, organized by NEBEXT and AZTI, will be held simultaneously with Pick&Pack for Food Industry, the only event in Spain specializing in packaging and logistics solutions for the food industry.
About NEBEXT
Next Business Exhibitions (NEBEXT) is the largest private organizer of professional events in Spain, specializing in technology, innovation, and sustainability across various industries.
About AZTI
AZTI is a scientific and technological center that develops high-impact transformation projects and businesses with organizations aligned with the 2030 SDGs. Specialized in marine and food sectors, AZTI provides cutting-edge, value-added products and technologies based on solid scientific research.
About Eatable Adventures
Eatable Adventures, a leading global foodtech accelerator, identifies and supports the most innovative and disruptive food startups worldwide, helping them grow in global markets. Aiming to drive efficiency and sustainability in the food sector, Eatable Adventures develops over 50 corporate and government programs annually and has a vibrant community of over 25,000 founders. Promoting synergy between innovation, ethics, and sustainability, the company works to advance, develop, and democratize technologies in the agri-food sector to build the food system of tomorrow: sustainable, efficient, healthy, and globally secure
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