Since its establishment in 1966, IATA-CSIC has evolved from research focused on food preservation and transformation to addressing major challenges such as the relationship between diet and health, food safety, the sustainability of production systems, and the integration of artificial intelligence into food research. This has all been achieved in close collaboration with the business sector, particularly with the Valencian agri-food industry.
The anniversary celebration will take place at the Marie Curie Auditorium of the Parc Científic of the University of Valencia, with the presence of the president of the CSIC, Eloísa del Pino, and other authorities and representatives from the fields of research, teaching, and business. The event, which can be followed live via streaming on the IATA YouTube channel, is structured into five blocks: 'excellence', 'history', 'community', 'innovation', and 'future', under the slogan '60 years creating IATA'.
Following the institutional opening, a round table titled ‘60 Years of IATA History: How Did We Get Here?’ will take place, reviewing the center's history from its origins in the basement of the former University of Valencia rectorate building, through its subsequent moves, its role during the pandemic and the DANA flood event, and the awarding of the Severo Ochoa Excellence Accreditation.
The second round table, ‘Innovating to Create the Future’, will look ahead with expert voices linked to IATA, who will discuss the next steps in food science and technology in areas such as diet and health, the industrial sector, sustainability, and food safety.
The event will be closed by Amparo López, director of IATA, with a talk titled ‘60 Years Investigating the World's Most Everyday Act’, a journey through human history and its relationship with food.
Founded in 1966, IATA is a CSIC center dedicated to multidisciplinary research connecting microbiology, biotechnology, chemistry, materials science, nutrition, and data science. In 2021, it became the first Spanish center in Food Science and Technology to obtain the Severo Ochoa excellence accreditation, a recognition from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
