CIRCE Boosts Agri-Food Innovation in Aragon with Four New 2026 Operational Groups

Applied innovation has become a key tool for addressing some of the major challenges facing the agri-food sector, including climate change adaptation, efficient water management, the digitalisation of farming operations, improved soil health and resource valorisation.

In this context, CIRCE is participating in four Operational Groups selected under the Government of Aragón’s GO 2026 call, a cooperation initiative framed within the European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI) and the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027.

The projects awarded to the technology centre are VITIRIEGO, FIVRA, AGROCHAR and AGROFUTURO, four strategic initiatives addressing specific challenges within Aragón’s agri-food sector through complementary approaches: artificial intelligence for irrigation management, wastewater reuse, biochar and precision agriculture, and agroclimatic analysis for decision-making in fruit production.

Through these projects, CIRCE is strengthening its role as a leading technology partner for farmers, cooperatives, wineries, businesses and sector organisations, contributing expertise in artificial intelligence, data integration, climate modelling, environmental assessment, the circular economy, biomass valorisation, techno-economic analysis and knowledge transfer to the productive sector.

VITIRIEGO: Artificial Intelligence to Optimise Vineyard Irrigation

Water availability is one of the main challenges facing Mediterranean viticulture. Rising temperatures, increasingly irregular rainfall patterns and more frequent drought events are driving the wine sector towards more precise, predictive and site-specific water management systems.

To address this challenge, VITIRIEGO will develop and validate an artificial intelligence-based decision support system for predictive irrigation management and optimisation in vineyards. The platform will integrate open climate data, field sensor information, agronomic variables, plant physiological responses, soil parameters and irrigation records to generate practical recommendations for growers and technicians.

The project will be implemented in the Somontano de Barbastro wine region, an area with a strong winemaking tradition and significant environmental value. Within this framework, Bodegas Sierra de Guara will provide vineyard plots within the Somontano PDO to serve as real-world demonstration and validation sites.

The Operational Group is made up of Asociación Aragón Innovalimen, Bodegas Sierra de Guara and IG4 Andalucía as beneficiary members, together with CIRCE and the Regulatory Council of the Somontano Protected Designation of Origin as non-beneficiary partners. CIRCE also acts as project coordinator.

CIRCE’s contribution will be central to the project’s technological development. The technology centre will oversee overall coordination, historical data review, technical monitoring, development of the AI module for irrigation optimisation, interpretation of results and transfer of the knowledge generated.

The initiative is strategic because it will support the transition towards a more digital, efficient and climate-resilient wine industry. Rather than simply digitising information, VITIRIEGO aims to transform data into operational recommendations that optimise irrigation timing, application rates and management strategies while incorporating both sensor-derived information and agronomic and grape-quality criteria.

FIVRA: Phytoremediation for Winery Wastewater Reuse

Wastewater management is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the wine sector. Wineries generate effluents with highly variable pollutant loads throughout the year, particularly during harvest season, and require solutions tailored to their operational scale, cost constraints and increasing regulatory pressure regarding water discharge and reuse.

FIVRA (Phytoremediation for Wine Industry Water Reuse) will develop and validate an innovative phytoremediation system based on constructed wetlands for the treatment and reuse of wastewater generated by wineries in Aragón.

The project will take place in the Campo de Borja region, where the Cooperativa del Campo San Juan Bautista de Fuendejalón will host the pilot treatment system, and in Campo de Cariñena, home to Bodegas Luis Marín Pardos. Both areas are strongly linked to viticulture and represent rural territories where improved water sustainability can help strengthen competitiveness and economic activity.

The Operational Group consists of three beneficiary organisations: Cooperativa del Campo San Juan Bautista de Fuendejalón, Bodegas Luis Marín Pardos and the Aragón Agricultural Machinery Cluster. CIRCE participates as the subcontracted technology centre and technical coordinator, while Cooperativa Comarcal del Campo Virgen de la Corona acts as a non-beneficiary partner focused on dissemination and replicability.

Within FIVRA, CIRCE will play a fundamental technical role. Activities include project coordination and management, development of the effluent characterisation plan, design and sizing of the pilot phytoremediation system, installation supervision, scientific monitoring, system performance assessment, full-scale sizing studies, evaluation of water reuse potential, environmental and economic assessments using LCA and LCC methodologies, and the development of a sizing tool transferable to the wider wine sector in Aragón.

The project is strategic because it will generate locally relevant experimental data under real operating conditions, especially valuable for small and medium-sized wineries seeking viable, low-energy solutions capable of supporting water reuse. FIVRA will also explore opportunities to close the water cycle within wineries and assess polishing technologies enabling water reuse for different applications.

AGROCHAR: Biochar and Precision Agriculture for Healthier Soils

Soil degradation, loss of organic matter, the need to increase input-use efficiency and the adaptation of agriculture to climate change are becoming increasingly important challenges for farming systems. AGROCHAR will address these issues through the localised application of biochar within precision agriculture systems.

The project will be carried out in Zaragoza Province on agricultural land managed by Agrícola Mafer and Cooperativa San Lamberto de Zaragoza within the Zaragoza Metropolitan Area. It also includes the participation of Larrosa Arnal, based in Belchite, providing an additional setting linked to the development and validation of agricultural machinery.

The Operational Group is composed of Agrícola Mafer, Cooperativa San Lamberto de Zaragoza and Larrosa Arnal as beneficiaries, while CIRCE participates as a non-beneficiary partner and technology centre. This partnership combines farming operations, an agri-food cooperative, an agricultural machinery manufacturer and a research organisation, ensuring a strong balance between field validation, technological adaptation, technical evaluation and dissemination.

CIRCE’s contribution will be particularly significant from a scientific and technical perspective. The centre will undertake coordination and dissemination activities while leading work related to experimental design, controlled-condition trials, agronomic, environmental and techno-economic assessment, and knowledge transfer.

The project will evaluate biochar as an organic soil amendment derived from biomass valorisation processes, analysing its capacity to improve soil fertility, structure and carbon content. It will also investigate how biochar can contribute to more efficient input management, particularly when combined with localised application strategies and variable-rate technologies.

One of AGROCHAR’s most distinctive features will be the adaptation of agricultural machinery for more precise application of biochar, seed and fertiliser. The concept includes automatic rate adjustment when the effective working width is lower than the nominal width, preventing over-application, reducing inefficiencies and improving agronomic, economic and environmental performance.

The initiative is strategically important for Aragón because it links soil improvement with the bioeconomy, biomass valorisation and precision farming. AGROCHAR will help advance more efficient agricultural systems with lower dependence on inorganic fertilisers, increased water retention capacity and enhanced carbon sequestration potential in soils.

AGROFUTURO: Anticipating the Impact of Climate Change on Fruit Production

Fruit orchards require long-term investments, making it increasingly important for growers and businesses to anticipate how climate conditions may evolve over time. AGROFUTURO aims to assess the future suitability of stone fruit crops and varieties across different areas of Aragón in order to support strategic decisions regarding crop selection and location.

The project focuses on the regions of Valdejalón, Cinca Medio and Bajo Cinca, three of Aragón’s most important fruit-growing areas. Unlike projects centred on individual farms, AGROFUTURO will take an integrated approach, combining crop performance, varietal suitability, phenological behaviour and future climate trends.

The Operational Group is coordinated by UAGA and includes ATRIA Épila and Fruit Luxury Company as beneficiaries. CIRCE participates as a non-beneficiary partner and technology centre, providing the project’s scientific and technical support.

CIRCE’s work will focus on climate data integration and analysis, validation of phenological and production data, climate scenario modelling, agroclimatic assessment and development of a decision-support tool. This contribution will transform complex climate and agronomic information into practical knowledge that can be used by growers, technicians and companies within the fruit sector.

The project will analyse the relationship between climate, phenology and production in an integrated way to identify which crops and varieties are best suited to future climate scenarios. Its goal is to provide a robust technical foundation for deciding what to plant, where to plant it and which options are most likely to remain profitable under changing conditions.

The initiative is strategically important because Aragón’s fruit industry faces increasingly complex climate-related risks, including reduced winter chilling, altered flowering patterns, late frosts, heatwaves and rainfall variability during critical growing periods. AGROFUTURO will support a more resilient, data-driven approach to fruit production planning tailored to the specific realities of each region.

Collaborative Innovation to Transform Aragón’s Agri-Food Sector

CIRCE’s participation in the GO 2026 Operational Groups builds upon a long-standing record of collaboration with farmers, cooperatives, agri-food companies and sector organisations to develop innovative solutions to real challenges across the territory.

In addition to the newly awarded projects VITIRIEGO, FIVRA, AGROCHAR and AGROFUTURO, CIRCE is involved in other Operational Groups focused on agricultural digitalisation, sustainable fertilisation, resource efficiency, organic waste valorisation and the decarbonisation of agri-food systems. This activity positions the technology centre as one of Aragón’s most experienced actors in collaborative innovation.

Previous initiatives include AGRODIGI, focused on fertilisation digitalisation through satellite imagery and data analytics; FERTINITRO, aimed at optimising nitrogen fertilisation; DIGICOMPOST and OPTIDIGEST, both focused on organic by-product valorisation and circular economy approaches; and HYDRONUTRI, dedicated to improving nutrient and water management in farming systems. Together, these projects share a common objective: transforming scientific and technological knowledge into practical solutions that directly enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of farms and agri-food businesses.

With the projects awarded under the GO 2026 call, CIRCE is reinforcing its commitment to strategic areas that will shape the future of the agri-food sector: artificial intelligence for irrigation management, climate change adaptation, biomass valorisation, soil health improvement and water reuse. These are four critical challenges that will help define the transformation of agriculture and agri-food systems in the years ahead.