Catalonia Eyes Foreign Interest in Report Promoting ‘Booming’ Alternative Protein Sector

Catalonia is home to a ‘booming’ alternative protein industry, says a government report as Spain’s autonomous region looks to become a European hub for future food.

As Spain’s alternative protein sector expands, Catalonia is hoping to become a centre of innovation for these future foods.

A new report by the government’s Catalonia Trade and Investment agency reveals that the autonomous region is home to 112 companies in the sector, which employ 1,031 people and generate €301M in revenue. But it expects the number of businesses working with alternative proteins to “grow exponentially in the coming years”.

In what is dubbed as the “first comprehensive analysis of this field” in the region, the state agency claims it ranks 14th on the global list of alternative protein projects receiving foreign direct investment.

The makeup of Catalonia’s alternative protein sector

The report seems to be an effort to attract foreign businesses to Catalonia, with a statement from Bernat Anaños, co-founder and plant-based meat leader Heura (which is based in Barcelona, the Catalan capital), outlining as much: “Barcelona and Catalonia are the perfect place from which to lead the protein transition.”

Among the 112 companies identified by Catalonia Trade and Investment are those that deal exclusively with alternative proteins (like Heura), as well as meat and dairy companies with plant-based product lines. Moreover, there are players specializing in ingredients for taste, aroma and texture enhancements, supplements, and other areas.

Signalling the growth potential of the sector, over a third (34%) of the companies are less than a decade old, while 70% are small or medium-sized (turning over less than €50M). But most businesses are focused internationally: nearly 70% are exporters, and 15% are local subsidiaries of foreign companies.

Within the region, Barcelona is home to 62% of players in the region’s alternative protein sector, responsible for 83% of its revenue and 86% of jobs. Apart from Heura, these include vegan cheese producer Väcka, fermentation startups Libre Foods and Real Deal Milk, plant-based meat makers Novameat and Zyrcular Foods, alt-fat innovator Cubiq Foods, and vegan food manufacturer Natursoy.

Recent developments outline sector’s potential

The report stresses that it’s not just companies that make up the alternative protein ecosystem in Catalonia – it’s also populated by business organisations and associations, technology transfer platforms, incubators, as well as universities and research centres, like Eatable Adventures, Forward Fooding and Innovacc. Meanwhile, trade fairs like Alimentaria, BioCultura, Hispack, Free From Functional Food Expo, and Hostelco also focus on this area.

Illustrating the increasing interest in Catalonia’s alternative protein potential, the report highlights several recent and upcoming developments. For example, the Department of Climate Action and the Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology last year pumped €7M into the Center for Innovation in Alternative Proteinsm, which promotes future food R&D for human and animal nutrition.

Ingal Enginyeria & Consulting, meanwhile, will develop a pre-industrial plant for the extraction and production of alternative protein, which will be available to hundreds of startups. Natural Gourmet Foods has similarly inaugurated a production and distribution facility specifically for plant-based meat. And German meal kit giant HelloFresh, whose range includes meat analogues, is preparing to launch in Barcelona.

Looking forward, the Catalan government says consumer preferences, production capacity, regulatory environments, and climate action policies will be the main factors influencing the global alternative protein industry. Nationally, it notes how four out of five consumers in Spain are reducing their meat consumption, and 72% are eating more meat and dairy analogues.

“There’s a need to drive technological development so that companies in the alternative protein space can reach production capabilities equivalent to those in traditional food industries,” ACCIÓ says on its website. “These innovations should also facilitate the exploration of fermentation and cell-cultivation processes to obtain these new products.”