AINIA and the Parque Científico de la Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, PCUMH, will celebrate next May 28, in València, the IV Foro de Innovación Cosmética. The meeting will bring together researchers, companies and professionals from across the value chain to analyze the scientific, technological and industrial trends that are transforming the cosmetic sector.
The day will begin with the institutional opening by the general director of AINIA, Cristina Del Campo, and by the director of the Entrepreneurship Area of the UMH Science Park, Javier Sancho.
The program will be structured around four main axes: cosmetic biotechnology and innovative ingredients, neurocosmetics, Blue & Green Beauty and cosmetic packaging. In addition, the IV Cosmetic Innovation Forum will include a Start-up Pitch Competition, with fourteen disruptive projects that will compete for prizes valued at 8,000 euros in cash and technological services.
Ingredients, sustainability and cosmetic efficacy
The first panel will be dedicated to cosmetic biotechnology and other innovative ingredients. This block will address new solutions to develop more effective, sustainable products aligned with the current demands of the industry and the consumer.
The session will feature the participation of Miquel Mulero, Professor at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, who will address the sustainable ingredients based on peptides, from hydrolysis to functional validation.
Also will intervene Virginie Lhiaubet, Investigadora en el Instituto de Tecnología Química, UPV-CSIC, with a presentation on photophysics applied to the skin and the scientific keys for the topical photoprotector of the future.
For her part, Manuela Bermúdez, CSO at Quimivita, will present the potential of PDRN, polydeoxyribonucleotide, as a biological innovation linked to cell regeneration.
Sustainability will have continuity in the round table “Blue & Green Beauty”, which will analyze strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of the cosmetic sector and advance towards more responsible production models. The table will be moderated by Iván Borrego, CEO and Founder of IB Corporate Growth, and will feature the participation of Chema Lagarón, founder of Bioinicia; Joaquim Jover, technical director of Jover; Ana Vázquez Santa-Cecilia, director of Ecoalf; and Guillermo del Barco Aldaz, CSO and co-founder of Mediterranean Algae.
Consumer, digitalization and new development models
The second panel will focus on neurocosmetics, a discipline that studies the relationship between the skin, the nervous system, and consumer perception. This approach allows for the development of products with a more solid scientific basis and adapted to needs such as skin sensitivity, comfort, and sensory response.
In this block, Melisa Ortiz, marketing & business development at Antalgenics, will address the involvement of nociceptors in different skin conditions from a neurocosmetic perspective.
Following, Lidia Tomás, responsible for in vitro preclinical studies of AINIA, will explain how to validate claims combining neuroscience, in vitro models, and consumer. This approach allows to reinforce scientific evidence in the development of cosmetic products.
The panel will be completed with the intervention of Lucía Pérez, researcher at IDIBE UMH, who will present the innervated bioprinted skin as a skin model with sensoriality for neurocosmetics.
The forum will also incorporate new models of development and open innovation through the Start-up Pitch Competition. The competition will be held in two blocks during the day and will bring together fourteen disruptive projects. Participants will compete for prizes valued at 8,000 euros in cash and technological services, with the aim of promoting technology-based entrepreneurship and connecting startups with companies, investors, and innovation centers.
Safety, stability and cosmetic packaging
The fourth panel will be dedicated to cosmetic packaging, a strategic area for advancing in sustainability, safety, and product differentiation. The packaging fulfills a key function in the protection and preservation of the cosmetic, but also in the communication of brand values and in the reduction of environmental impact.
The session will feature the intervention of Melissa Torres, Beauty Business School director at Beauty Cluster, who will analyze the data, trends and decisions that will mark the future of sustainable packaging.
Also will participate Oscar Rico, Head of Quality and Environment at Germaine de Capuccini, who will address the sustainable materials alternative to plastic for cosmetic packaging.
The IV Cosmetic Innovation Forum has the support of sponsors such as Ismael Quesada, Klinea, Moldrug AI Systems, Qualliance, Bioval, Derypol, Grau Instalaciones, IDIBE and Isobox Systems.