As the Generalitat Commissioner for Universities and Research Blanca Palmada announced before her inauguration of building 5 at the ETSEA School of Agricultural Engineering, the Catalan Government will finance the Lleida Agri-food Consortium, soon to be built in ETSEA Campus. Half the 7 million Euros needed to finance the project will be provided by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) and the rest will be paid by the Catalan government. Palmada highlighted that the new consortium will be equipped will high technology to foster research in Agri-food and Forest Science.

The research centre will have an extension of 2,400 square metres and will be supported by the Catalan Ministries of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise and Agriculture. UdL is being supported by the Catalan government in its current efforts to involve the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in the project. In this respect, Palmada insisted that the Generalitat government will maintain its resolute support in helping Lleida become the centre for training and research in Agri-food. The Commissioner remarked that "in order to attract researchers, we need pioneer study areas and adequate premises and resources". In turn, Rector Joan Viñas declared that "we can become a reference because we have the potential to do so". 

The new consortium will be equipped with high technology to foster research in Agri-food and Forest Science

The Commissioner for Universities and Research visited Lleida in order to inaugurate a new building in ETSEA. She was accompanied by the UdL Rector, the ETSEA Director Jaume Lloveras, the Catalan government delegate in the Town Council Miquel Pueyo, and the Lleida Mayor Àngel Ros. The latter announced that the Town Council would urbanise the area surrounding the ETSEA Campus. The new building entailed an investment of 4.3 million Euros and comprises scientific and technical services, a canteen and the campus photocopy service.