The Doñana Terra Innova project, subsidized by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) and supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, will develop actions to boost sustainable innovation in the municipalities integrated into the area of influence of the Doñana Natural Spacerecognized as World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve. The objective is to position itself as a key instrument to convert the area of influence of Doñana into a benchmark in sustainable socioeconomic development and innovationprotecting and taking advantage of its natural and territorial resources.
During the two years of project execution, Doñana Terra Innova will address the identification, diagnosis and definition of innovative initiatives, as well as the design of business plans, business projects and Public Procurement of Innovation actions (CPI), with special attention to strategic areas for the territory such as water management, sustainable agriculture and the improvement of agricultural employment conditions.
In addition, design and support actions will be carried out for the deployment of the Doñana 2030 Scientific-Technological Observatory, the UHU Doñana University-Business Chair, the Living Lab Doñana 2030the Doñana Sustainable Agriculture experimentation and advanced testing center and the Doñana Sustainable Innovation incubator and accelerator.
CTA Leadership
CTA (project leader) has publicly signed the start of this initiative, financed by the CDTI to boost sustainable innovation in the area of the Doñana Natural Area, with the rest of the members of the consortium: Asaja-Huelvathe Huelva Federation of Entrepreneurs (FOE), the EAR and second degree cooperatives OnuCoop y Seprocoop.
The project, subsidized by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) and supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universitieshas been presented in Almonte (Huelva) with more than a hundred attendees from the natural park environment and inaugurated by the mayor of this town, Francisco Bella Galán; the general director of CTA (Technological Corporation of Andalusia), Elías Atienza; and the rector of the University of Huelva (UHU), José Rodríguez Quintero.
The general director of CTA, Elias Atienzahas indicated that “this initiative is the first action of CTA in 2026 as the strategic ally of the CDTI in Andalusia and reinforces the role of this foundation as a public-private entity to support public administrations to accelerate R&D&I processes.” Furthermore, Atienza has highlighted that “CTA takes on this challenge with responsibility and enthusiasm, convinced that cooperation, sustainable innovation and collaboration with surrounding municipalities will be essential to build a prosperous future for Doñana and for those who live and work in its area of influence.”
CTA representatives detailed the keys to the Doñana Terra Innova initiative and the conneCTA Doñana Innovación open innovation platform, while representatives from Asaja-Huelva, the FOE, the UHU, OnuCoop and Seprocoop participated in a debate to analyze innovation as a lever for socioeconomic transformation of the Doñana environment.
Authorities
The mayor of Almonte City Council, FRancisco Bellahighlighted that it is “a project aligned with the potential and needs of our territory.”
The rector of the UHU, Jsaid Rodriguez Quinterohas assured that, “for the University of Huelva, it is very important to participate in a project like this that aims to promote innovation in a sector as important for the province as agriculture and in an area of influence such as Doñana.” He noted that “UHU has many groups and many researchers working on these topics discussed here: from species modification to agrovoltaics and residence for workers, who can contribute a lot to the different activities of the project.”
The Head of the Department of Institutional Promotion and Territorial Cooperation of the CDTI, Pilar González Gotorhas explained the context and objectives of the Doñana revitalization call that supports this project, as well as future related funding calls.
Plantation in Las Peñuelas
It has been a good day for Doñana. While Terra Innova was presented in one part of the Park, in another area the Moeve Foundation participated in an event with the president of the Government of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, and a group of young people to plant trees in the area of ’Las Peñuelas’, within the Doñana Natural Space, where A fire in the summer of 2017 devastated more than 10,000 hectares. Within the framework of the ‘Doñana Renace’ project coordinated by Plant for the Planet, in recent years the reforestation of 1.1 million plants in Moguer, which has contributed to the environmental recovery of the space, in a joint action between the Government of Andalusia and various associations, among which is the Moeve Foundation.
Of the 1.1 million specimens that have been planted by the Andalusian Government; 630,000 were contributed through a collaboration agreement with the Plant for the Planet Foundationand nearly 100,000 plants through other collaboration agreements. It is in this framework that he has also participated Moeve foundationwhich since 2022 has contributed 152,300 trees to the project, including 85,000 this year, thus reinforcing the reach and continuity of ‘Doñana Reborn’ in coordination with Plant for the Planet.