The groundbreaking ceremony:
from left, Javier Bernabéu, Mayor Bonilla, Hiroshi Sakata, Ambassador Nakamae
Sakata Seed Corporation (Headquarters: Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan; President: Hiroshi Sakata)’s subsidiary, Sakata Seed Iberica S.L.U. (Headquarters: Valencia, Spain.; hereinafter, “Sakata Seed Iberica”), has celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Head Office of the company in Iberica on November 19th, 2024. The event has been chaired by the president of Sakata Seed Corporation, Hiroshi Sakata, together with His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan in Spain, Mr. Takahiro Nakamae and the Honourable Mayor of the Vicar municipality, Mr. Antonio Bonilla.
During the lay of the foundation stone, they have buried a best wishes box where Sakata employees and other friends, have written down their greetings for the new project. Hiroshi Sakata has highlighted “Now the time has come to take the next step in rooting our company in the most dynamic seed market through this headquarters’ new building. We are convinced that the building will be a hub of innovation and facilitate collaboration between our teams, which will lead to significant progress and achievements for the future.”
Likewise, the ambassador of Japan has emphasized that “Sakata will play an important role at facing challenges from population increase and global warming. The good relationships in between Spain and Japan support this project. My deepest gratitude and respect to everyone contributing to this initiative that helps developing European agriculture” has underlined.
This area of Spain is currently one of the most important markets for the seed industry in Europe. The new center plays a fundamental role in helping to offer new technological advances for first-class horticultural crops. The main lines of research developed in this center are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, melon, etc.
On another hand, the mayor of Vicar, Antonio Bonilla, has highlighted: “Thanks to projects as the Sakata headquarters, this area becomes one of the most important places of knowledge and research in the agricultural worldwide. I’m very proud that Sakata has chosen Vicar to develop this project in Almeria. It is an honor for us.”
To conclude, Javier Bernabéu, general director of Sakata Seed Iberica, has added “29 years ago Sakata's adventure in Spain began. It has not been an easy road to get here, and we have many moments to remember. I want to highlight as a key milestone the decision to establish the research station in Almeria. But it is not the past that matters to us now, but the future. And although the future is only an idea in our imagination, we now want to pay tribute to it and, introduce our hopes into this ‘time capsule’.”
With these words, the attendees and Sakata Seed Iberica employees had the opportunity to write down a best wish for the new project. Then, the guests have sealed the urn and enclosed it hermetically inside the monument. The foundation stone keeps since today the urn, that will be the soul of Sakata Seed Iberica Head Office.
We anticipate that the new building will be completed in 2026.
The foundation stone The attendees are writing down a best wish for the new project