- 42% of Agrotecnio’s research talent is female
- The research centre joins the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which this year focuses on gender bias in Artificial Intelligence
Agrotecnio reaffirms its commitment to gender equality in agri-food and technological research and works to promote STEM careers among girls and young women as a keyway to achieve a more equitable, diverse and innovative science.
Agrotecnio currently has 168 researchers, of whom 72 are women (42% of the total), a figure that reflects the significant weight of female talent within the centre’s scientific ecosystem. This female leadership is also reflected in the research groups: of the 18 active groups, 7 are led by women, either as sole leaders or in shared leadership roles. These groups work in areas as diverse as soil and water management, animal improvement, biotechnology and post-harvest technology, applied mycology, bioactive food compounds, new food processing technologies and agri-food law.
Agrotecnio also stands out for its young and dynamic community, with around thirty doctoral and postdoctoral students who actively contribute to research, innovation and knowledge transfer. In this group, representation is almost equal (48% women and 52% men), although this equality decreases as one moves up the scientific hierarchy, a widespread trend in the Catalan research system.
Aware of this reality, the centre is promoting measures to increase the presence of women in decision-making and leadership positions. In this regard, Agrotecnio has already approved an equality plan that establishes specific measures until 2028 to move towards a more equitable structure. “Gender equality is essential to achieving better results, both in science and in society” says José Antonio Bonet, director of Agrotecnio.
Gender bias in Artificial Intelligence
International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026 focuses on gender bias in Artificial Intelligence, a key challenge in preventing emerging technologies from reproducing or amplifying existing structural inequalities. In this context, Agrotecnio stresses the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives, especially those of women, into all phases of the design, development and application of AI systems, both in the field of research and in technology.
Educational workshops and audiovisual materials for social media
To mark 11 February, Agrotecnio organised informative workshops at two primary schools to highlight the role of women researchers, bring science into the classroom and encourage STEM vocations from an early age.
The sessions, aimed at fifth and sixth grade students, were held at CEIP Víctor Mendoza in Binéfar and CRA in Altorricó, and were taught by Beatriz Serrano, professor at the University of Lleida and researcher at Agrotecnio. The students learned about animal reproduction through models and received a practical introduction to techniques such as artificial insemination, with the support of simple materials and audiovisual resources.
Agrotecnio has also collaborated in the communication campaign ‘Science, singular feminine’ organised by the Department of Research and Universities of the Government of Catalonia. The initiative gives a voice to six young female researchers from CERCA research centres throughout Catalonia, who explain their experience as women in the scientific field in a video selfie format. In addition to Agrotecnio, the IRB Barcelona, the Institute of High Energy Physics, the Centre for Demographic Studies, the Catalan Institute of Chemical Research and the Catalan Institute of Water Research have also collaborated. Researcher Irene Teixidó, from the Applied Mycology research group, represented Agrotecnio in this initiative.