New $10 million facility designed to reduce traditional breeding timelines

Syngenta Vegetable Seeds is opening a new R&D Technology Center in El Ejido, Almería – a state-of-the-art facility designed to combat emerging pathogens that are destroying crops and impacting grower livelihoods around the world. As part of a larger Innovation Center footprint in El Ejido, the new Technology Center plays a key role in developing solutions for fruity crops while reducing traditional breeding timelines.

“New pathogens are emerging at an unprecedented rate, affecting growers around the world,” said Matthew Johnston, Global Head of Syngenta’s Vegetable Seeds business. “It’s essential to deliver strong, resistant seeds to protect crops and growers’ livelihoods. This investment further reinforces our commitment to support growers with innovation and bring solutions to help protect their crops – not only in Spain – but across the globe.”

Diagnostics that start in the field

The Technology Center employs a field-to-lab approach where diagnostics begin directly in growers’ fields, not just laboratories, placing the grower at the center of the research. The new facility brings together breeding, seed operations, trait development, fruit quality, applied data science and digital, all under one roof. Additionally, it is equipped with biosafety technology, enabling scientists to work with emerging threats in a controlled and quarantined environment while maintaining the highest plant health standards.

“As part of a global network of Innovation Centers, this site is one of the best examples in demonstrating the close connection between our breeders and the growers who rely on our product performance, quality and availability to secure their production needs,” said Uri Krieger, Global Head of R&D for Syngenta Vegetable Seeds. “The work we do here year-round with a team of incredible scientists not only supports growers in Spain but all around the world, as we share insights and data with R&D teams strategically located in every major growing region.”

A once-in-a-lifetime experience

The official opening of the site took place on May 14, in presence of the Minister of Agriculture of Spain Luis Planas and 100 invited guests, offering an exclusive opportunity to enter this state-of-the-art biosafety facility.

Southern Spain is one of the most important vegetable production areas in the world, and Syngenta has made multiple investments over the years in the region to support growers of different sizes, from large-scale commercial operations to smallholders. The Almería region has the world’s largest concentration of greenhouses covering over 30,000 hectares, producing nearly 4 million tons of vegetables annually. This makes the region the ideal environment for agricultural innovation and developing solutions that benefit growers across continents.