The main axes of this collaboration are research, training and internships for oenology students.

The rector of the University of La Rioja, Julio Rubio, and the director of the Institut Català del Suro (ICSuro), Albert Hereu, have signed an agreement to promote research and training of future oenologists in relation to cork stoppers and their interaction in the evolution of bottled wine.

This academic collaboration envisages that the University of La Rioja and the ICSuro jointly carry out several activities, among which we highlight:

• Promote the visit of oenology students to the ICSuro and the companies producing corks.
• Regular training sessions for oenology students in the field of corking and the latest advances and innovations in the vi-cork binomial.
• Collaboration in research projects for oenology students.
• Exchange of knowledge on corks and their relationship with wine.
• Realization of end-of-year internships for students from the University of La Rioja in the ICSuro laboratory.

The Institut Català del Suro is a consortium created in 1991 whose mission is to promote the development of the entire value chain of the cork sector, through research, innovation, training and communication. ICSuro has a laboratory providing analytical and research services for the cork, wine and food sectors.

The University of La Rioja was the first Spanish campus to implement the Enology degree in 1996. It currently participates in the Instituto de Ciencias de la Vid y del Vino, a tripartite research institute with the CSIC and the Government of La Rioja .

FIRST TRAINING SESSION

After the signing of the agreement, ICSuro held a training session for oenology students entitled "Cork in oenology", in which the entire cork value chain from the forest to the product was described final, going through all the stages of the manufacturing process.

Quality controls, the UNE standards on cork and the latest developments in knowledge of the interaction between cork and wine have also been explained. At the same time, some sensory analysis exercises were carried out to determine the own and foreign aromas of the cork.

CORK IN FIGURES

Currently, the Iberian Peninsula dominates world cork production. Spain produces 30% of global production and has an extension of 506,000 hectares of cork oak forests, which is equivalent to 25% of the world total. The cork sector is in the process of expansion, thanks to a significant increase in demand resulting from the increase in quality wines and the growth of exports. With an annual manufacture of more than 1.9 billion caps per year, which translates into a total of 350 million euros per year and a strong investment in R&D, which has exceeded 42 million in the last three years, the industry has become the most technologically advanced in the country. With reference to the business fabric, the sector already has around 150 companies that employ more than 2,000 workers and that increase to 3,000 during the peeling season.