José Luis Llerena receives the Bernard Bièche Memorial Award

The seventh Bernard Bièche Memorial Award in memory of the man who was instrumental to the creation of AMITOM and WPTC and its cooperation with ISHS was presented to Jose Luis Llerena from CTAEX in Spain for his long involvement in tomato research and the excellence of his contributions during previous ISHS tomato symposia. 

José Luis Llerena Ruiz, PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Director of the National Agrifood Technology Centre (CTAEX), has dedicated much of his professional career to promoting research, innovation and technology transfer within the processing tomato sector, making a significant contribution to strengthening one of Extremadura’s most strategic crops and Spain’s tomato processing industry.

José Luis Llerena Ruiz, PhD in Agricultural Engineering and Director of the National Agrifood Technology Centre (CTAEX), has dedicated much of his professional career to promoting research, innovation and technology transfer within the processing tomato sector, making a significant contribution to strengthening one of Extremadura’s most strategic crops and Spain’s tomato processing industry.

His involvement with the sector began early in his career, following his work with the Tomato Board (Mesa del Tomate), and was firmly established when he joined CTAEX in 2003 as Director of the Office for the Transfer of Research Results (OTRI). Since becoming Director of CTAEX in 2015, he has promoted a strategy focused on bringing research closer to the real needs of the sector, fostering collaboration among companies, growers, universities and national and international research institutions.

Under his leadership, CTAEX has become one of Europe’s leading centres for applied research in the processing tomato sector. The centre is continuously involved in regional, national and European R&D&I projects addressing the industry’s key challenges, ranging from crop production and raw material quality improvement to industrial process optimisation, digitalisation, precision agriculture, energy efficiency, circular economy and the valorisation of processing by-products. This research is carried out in close partnership with industry stakeholders, ensuring that scientific advances are effectively translated into practical solutions for the productive sector.

Among José Luis Llerena’s most significant initiatives is the creation of the Processing Tomato Technology Observatory, an innovative platform developed by CTAEX that provides the sector with scientific, technological and market intelligence, facilitating access to knowledge, technology watch and the identification of new innovation opportunities. The Observatory has become a benchmark resource for growers, processing companies, technology providers and researchers, reinforcing CTAEX’s role as a key knowledge transfer organisation.

His commitment to disseminating innovation has also been reflected in the organisation of the International Technological Congress for the Processing Tomato Industry, which he coordinated as a forum bringing together researchers, companies and industry professionals to exchange the latest scientific and technological advances and promote international cooperation.

CTAEX’s international outlook has also enabled the knowledge generated in Extremadura to be showcased at the world’s leading industry events. At the 2026 World Processing Tomato Congress, held in California, CTAEX presented research on industrial decarbonisation through solar thermal energy, energy storage, the application of NIR spectroscopy to optimise harvest timing and tomato quality, precision fertilisation, and new instrumental methods for quality control of processed tomato products. These contributions demonstrate CTAEX’s ability to develop applied research aimed at addressing the current and future challenges facing the processing tomato industry.

The Bernard Bièche Award represents international recognition of a career defined by commitment to research, technology transfer and collaboration between science and industry. Through José Luis Llerena’s leadership, CTAEX has made a significant contribution to establishing Extremadura as one of the world’s leading centres of knowledge and innovation in the processing tomato sector, promoting a development model based on scientific excellence, sustainability and the competitiveness of the agri-food industry.