ALMONTE, SPAIN – A collaborative initiative aimed at fostering sustainable innovation within the Doñana Natural Area was formally launched today in Almonte, Huelva. The project, known as Doñana Terra Innova, received a significant boost from the Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico y la Innovación (CDTI) and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
The project’s kickoff event, held in Almonte, drew over one hundred attendees from the surrounding region, including local officials, researchers, and representatives from the agricultural sector. Francisco Bella Galán, the mayor of Almonte, inaugurated the event alongside Elías Atienza, Director General of the Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía (CTA), and José Rodríguez Quintero, Rector of the University of Huelva (UHU).
Doñana Terra Innova is designed to stimulate economic and social development in the municipalities surrounding the Doñana Natural Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. The two-year plan will focus on identifying and developing innovative solutions to key territorial challenges, including water management, sustainable agriculture, and improving employment conditions within the agricultural workforce. The initiative will also explore opportunities in renewable energy and affordable housing.
CTA is leading the consortium, which also includes Asaja-Huelva, the Huelva Business Federation (FOE), OnuCoop, Seprocoop, and the University of Huelva. According to Atienza, the project represents “the first action of CTA in 2026 as the strategic ally of the CDTI in Andalusia” and reinforces the organization’s role in supporting public administrations to accelerate research, development, and innovation (R&D&I) processes.
Key components of Doñana Terra Innova include the establishment of the Doñana 2030 Living Lab, the Doñana 2030 Observatory, and the UHU Doñana Chair. The project will also support the creation of the Doñana Agricultura Sostenible center for advanced experimentation and testing, and the Doñana Innovación Sostenible incubator and accelerator. The initiative will facilitate the implementation of Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) schemes.
Pilar González Gotor, Head of Institutional Promotion and Territorial Cooperation at the CDTI, outlined the objectives of the Doñana Dynamization Program, which provides funding for the project, and indicated that further funding opportunities related to innovation in the region 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 Natural Park. The planting event, attended by the President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, and a group of young volunteers, aims to restore areas devastated by a major wildfire in 2017 that burned over 10,000 hectares. The reforestation project, ‘Doñana Renace’, has seen the planting of 1.1 million trees in recent years, a collaborative effort between the regional government and various associations, including Fundación Moeve, which has contributed 152,300 trees since 2022.
Rector Rodríguez Quintero emphasized the University of Huelva’s commitment to the project, highlighting the relevance of ongoing research at the UHU in areas such as species modification, agrivoltaics, and solutions for agricultural worker housing. He stated that the university’s research could significantly contribute to the various activities planned under Doñana Terra Innova.
