What CITA Aragón does

CITA Aragón (Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón) is a public agri-food and environmental research institution headquartered in Zaragoza, Spain, and formally established in 2002 under the Government of Aragon, with institutional origins tracing back to the Agricultural Farm of Zaragoza founded in 1881. The organization employs 249 staff, including approximately 60 researchers, and operates four physical locations across Aragon: the Montañana headquarters, three experimental farms representing irrigated (Soto Lezcano), rainfed (El Vedado bajo del horno), and livestock/mountain (La Garcipollera) agro-ecosystems, and the 2018 Rural Bioeconomy Innovation Centre in Teruel.

The institution's core capabilities span plant genetic resource conservation through two large germplasm banks (Fruit and Horticultural species), a DUS Testing Station (EEDHE) commissioned by the Spanish Plant Variety Office for varietal identification across Europe, a pilot plant for aromatic and medicinal plants, eddy covariance stations for environmental monitoring, and analysis laboratories. Research outcomes include numerous plant varieties and patents in almond, peach, fruiting rootstocks, wormwood, pepper, thistle, melon, and borage, as well as internationally recognized work in conservation genetics, notably the 2003 cloning of the extinct Bucardo (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica).

CITA's business model is government-funded rather than commercial: it receives institutional appropriations from the Government of Aragon, participates in European research projects (Horizon Europe, PAHP, CoCo), conducts commissioned research for agricultural and food sector clients, and transfers technology through patents, plant variety rights, and knowledge-transfer agreements. Stakeholders include farmers, livestock producers, food industry firms, regional and national government agencies, and academic collaborators across Spain and the EU, with the institution embedded in the INIA-CCAA national network of agricultural research centers across 17 Autonomous Communities.

Name

CITA Aragón

Legal name

Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón

Website

https://cita-aragon.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CITA Aragón is a public agri-food and environmental research institution under the Government of Aragon, operating germplasm banks, experimental farms, and a Europe-wide DUS testing station to deliver plant genetics, animal science, and sustainable agriculture research to farmers, food industry, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zaragoza

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a public research body attached to the Government of Aragon, CITA receives public funding for research activities. The center also participates in European research projects and conducts commissioned research for agricultural sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CITA Aragón is a public agri-food and environmental research institution that conducts scientific research and provides technology transfer in plant genetics, animal science, agricultural systems, and food economy. It operates research infrastructure including germplasm banks, experimental farms, a DUS testing station for plant variety registration, an aromatic and medicinal plants pilot plant, and analysis laboratories, while transferring knowledge and new plant varieties to the agricultural and food sector.

Product overview

CITA Aragón (Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón) is a public agri-food and environmental research institution created in 2002 and attached to the Government of Aragon. It operates as a multi-departmental research organization offering specialized research infrastructure and services, including Germplasm Banks for Fruit and Horticultural species, Patents and Plant Varieties (almond, peach, rootstocks, herbs), the Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Pilot Plant, DUS Testing Station for varietal identification across Europe, Experimental Farms representing Aragon's main agro-ecosystems, Analysis Laboratories, the iMarina Scientific Portal, CITAREA Repository, Technological Offering for knowledge transfer, and the Rural Bioeconomy Innovation Centre in Teruel. The institution investigates in four strategic areas: Sustainability of Agricultural and Forestry Systems, Global Change, Global Health, and Agri-Food Systems of the Future.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Germplasm Banks (Banco de Germoplasma) Two large germplasm banks of Fruit and Horticultural species that form part of the Network of Collections of the National Programme for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Plant Genetic Resources for Agriculture and Food. Used by breeders, researchers, and conservation programs.
• DUS Testing Station (Estación de Examen DHE - EEDHE) Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability Examination Station commissioned by the Spanish Plant Variety Office for varietal identification of almond, peach, cherry, pear, quince and peach x almond rootstocks for all of Europe.
• Aromatic and Medicinal Plants Pilot Plant (Planta Piloto) Pilot-scale processing facility for aromatic and medicinal plants, supporting research and technology transfer in this sector.
• Experimental Farms (Fincas Experimentales) Three experimental farms representing main agro-ecosystems of Aragon: irrigated agriculture (Soto Lezcano), rainfed agriculture (El Vedado bajo del horno), and livestock and mountain agriculture (La Garcipollera).
• Analysis and Technology Assistance Laboratories (Laboratorios ALAAT) Laboratory services for analysis and technological assistance supporting research activities across all CITA departments.
• Technological Offering (Oferta Tecnológica) Technology transfer services connecting CITA's research capabilities with industry needs, including research contracts and collaboration opportunities for the agricultural and food sector.
• Rural Bioeconomy Innovation Centre of Teruel Innovation center focused on promoting Circular Bio-Economy with agricultural and forestry sector agents; inaugurated in 2018 in Teruel.
• Patents and Plant Variety Rights Registered patents and plant variety rights in almond, peach, fruiting rootstocks, wormwood, pepper, thistle, melon and borage, available for licensing to breeders and agricultural producers.
• Eddy Covariance Stations Eddy covariance stations used for environmental monitoring of greenhouse gas fluxes and ecosystem-atmosphere exchanges in agricultural research.

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed new plant varieties in almond, peach, fruiting rootstocks, wormwood, pepper, thistle, melon and borage
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCITA's Horticultural Germplasm Bank collaborates with CGN (Wageningen, Netherlands) on seed collection and conservation of wild plant species of agricultural interest in Aragon. The collaboration involves prospecting and collection campaigns to preserve germplasm in gene banks.
• INIA-CCAA NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCITA is part of the INIA-CCAA system, a national network of agricultural and food research and technology centres, together with centres in 16 other Autonomous Communities in Spain.
• Government of AragoncoreOthersCITA is a public research body attached to the Government of Aragon, receiving institutional funding and support.
• Spanish Plant Variety Office (Oficina Española de Variedades Vegetales)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCITA operates the DUS Testing Station (EEDHE) under commission from the Spanish Plant Variety Office for varietal identification of multiple fruit species for all of Europe.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research (WUR): Netherlands-based agricultural research powerhouse. A global benchmark in plant sciences, food technology and bioeconomy; overlaps with CITA particularly in plant genetic resources and circular bioeconomy research, and competes with CITA for EU Horizon Europe funding.
• CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas): Spain's largest public research institution. Operates multidisciplinary research stations including agricultural and food science groups that overlap with CITA's work; competes for talent, grants and national-level coordination roles.
• INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement): France's national agricultural research institute and the largest agricultural R&D organisation in Europe. A broad incumbent comparator at much greater scale, operating plant breeding, animal science, food and environmental research programmes that overlap heavily with CITA's scope.

Direct peers

• IRTA (Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries): Catalonia's regional agri-food research institute. Highly comparable as a Spanish autonomous-community-level research body conducting plant variety development, animal science and food technology research with experimental farms and technology transfer to industry.
• IVIA (Institut Valencià d'Investigacions Agràries): Valencian regional agricultural research institute. Comparable in scale and mandate, with citrus and fruit variety research, plant pathology and DUS testing activity that closely parallels CITA's portfolio.
• NEIKER (Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development): Basque Country's agricultural research institute. Comparable as a small Spanish regional R&D centre with applied research in plant and animal production, sustainability and technology transfer to the primary sector.
• INIA (National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research): Spain's national-level agricultural and food research body that oversees the INIA-CCAA system of which CITA is a member. Directly comparable as a public sector agricultural R&D institution operating germplasm banks, plant breeding programmes and DUS testing across Spain.
• IFAPA (Instituto Andaluz de Investigación y Formación Agraria, Pesquera, Alimentaria y de la Producción Ecológica): Andalusia's autonomous-community agricultural research institute. Directly comparable as a Spanish regional public R&D centre with experimental farms, plant breeding and knowledge transfer mandates, also part of the INIA-CCAA network alongside CITA.
• CGN (Centre for Genetic Resources, Wageningen): Dutch national germplasm bank and active CITA partner. Highly comparable as a European germplasm conservation body running similar plant genetic resources collection and conservation programmes that CITA's horticultural bank collaborates with.

Regional players

• CIHEAM (Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes): Intergovernmental Mediterranean agronomic institute. Comparable as a publicly funded agricultural research and training body focused on Mediterranean crops, sustainability and rural development, with a regional scope that partially overlaps with CITA's Mediterranean agro-ecology focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/citaaragon
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/canalcita
• Facebookfacebook.com/citaaragon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citaaragon
• Instagraminstagram.com/citaaragon

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CITA Aragón