AZTI technological institute for marine and food research  is a non-profit private foundation committed to the social and economical development of the marine environment, fish and food sector. It offers specialised services concerning to: Applied research and technology development, technical advice and consulting, analysis and testing, technological training and dissemination. Currently, AZTI is involved in more than 30 European projects and gives service to more than 300 companies. With a team of 150 professionals, and a turnover in 2003 of 10,6 Million euro, AZTI as research and innovation centre is structured in two business divisions with the following objectives: (1) Marine Research which is aimed to provide the knowledge on coasts and marine environment to attain a sustainable development of our natural surrounding, and to achieve a responsible and competitive fishing, which guarantees the sustained future of the fishing sector, and (2) Food Research, aimed at improving the quality, productivity and innovation of food products and processes.

The areas of specialisation and technological expertise are:

(a) Food Safety and Industrial Processing: control, identification and traceability systems; research on food risk prevention; optimisation of industrial processing operations; clean production, management and treatment of by-products; standardisation and food quality brands, integrated management systems,

(b) New Food Products and Technologies: new formulations, functional, nutraceutical and restructured foods; biomolecules, new ingredients, extraction and preservation of high added-value components; emerging preservation technologies, non-thermal treatments, biopreservation, texturization, new packing systems.