Global Fruselva has been recognized with the Gabriel Ferraté i Pascual Business Innovation Award, promoted by the Department of Economic Promotion, Innovation and Knowledge of the Reus City Council, for its FUNCTIOLAB project, a pioneering service in the functional food sector. The award ceremony in the category of Innovation of an existing product or service was held this Monday, March 3, at the firaReus facilities, highlighting the company’s commitment to research and development of healthy and sustainable food products.
FUNCTIOLAB is an initiative that offers a comprehensive innovation and co-creation service for the development of new functional products. Through joint work sessions with customers, Fruselva combines scientific and technological knowledge to identify market trends and transform them into innovative products. The service relies on a multidisciplinary team of experts in nutrition, food technology and health sciences, in collaboration with universities, research centers and start-ups.
Since its launch at the end of 2023, FUNCTIOLAB has been a great success, providing services to four companies, including major national and international brands and supermarkets. A prime example is the creation of the “My first smoothie” range, focused on improving digestive health, immunity and children’s cognitive development. This success has generated a turnover of 200,000 € during 2024, with a 5 % growth forecast for this year.
According to Úrsula Catalán, PhD, Director of the Innovation Area for Vegetable Beverages at Global Fruselva, “it is an honor to receive the Gabriel Ferraté i Pascual Business Innovation Award, a recognition of the efforts of the entire R&D&I team. FUNCTIOLAB represents our commitment to collaborative innovation, connecting scientific knowledge with market needs. We work side by side with customers to develop functional products that are not only innovative, but also healthy and sustainable, with a positive impact for both companies and consumers”.
Segons Úrsula Catalán, PhD, Directora de l’Àrea d’Innovació de Begudes Vegetals de Global Fruselva, “és un honor rebre el Premi a la Innovació Empresarial Gabriel Ferraté i Pascual, un reconeixement a l’esforç de tot l’equip d’I+D+i. FUNCTIOLAB representa la nostra aposta per la innovació col·laborativa, connectant el coneixement científic amb les necessitats del mercat. Treballem colze a colze amb els clients per desenvolupar productes funcionals que no només siguin innovadors, sinó també saludables i sostenibles, amb un impacte positiu tant per a les empreses com per als consumidors”.