Danone, Michelin, and Partners Launch Biotech Open Platform for Precision Fermentation
Danone has joined forces with Michelin, DMC Biotechnologies, and Crédit Agricole Centre France to establish the Biotech Open Platform. This innovative initiative aims to enhance precision fermentation, a technology that produces bio-based materials and ingredients as alternatives to fossil-based resources.
A €16 Million Investment in Sustainable Innovation
The first phase of the project involves an investment exceeding €16 million. The industrial and technological platform will be located in Clermont-Ferrand, France, at the Parc Cataroux Centre for Sustainable Materials. Several public and private institutions, including the University of Clermont Auvergne, the company Greentech, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and Clermont Auvergne Métropole, will support the initiative.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone, emphasized, “At Danone, we have always been focused on investing in the future of food. This partnership is the next step in this journey. We look forward to working with our partners to develop cutting-edge fermentation technologies, which will accelerate innovation, health benefits, and decarbonization in the food industry. We are proud to be part of this collective effort and to strengthen our contribution to meeting today's industry challenges.”
Michelin's Commitment to Bio-sourced Materials
Florent Menegaux, president of Michelin, stated, “The Michelin group is pleased to announce the creation, with its partners, of the Biotech Open Platform – a unique tool that will enhance the development of bio-sourced materials, a key challenge for the industry of tomorrow. Located in Auvergne, it exemplifies Michelin’s unwavering commitment to innovation and regional development.”
Accelerating Precision Fermentation Development
The Biotech Open Platform aims to fast-track the advancement of precision fermentation by facilitating the scale-up of laboratory-tested innovative products and processes. By 2025, the project plans to install an initial demo-scale production line, which will include a fermenter and purification equipment. Over the subsequent years, additional equipment will be installed, including a second production line, to meet the needs of founding companies and other firms grappling with industrial bio-manufacturing challenges.
Kenny Erdoes, CEO of DMC, remarked, "For us, as an American start-up, the development of the new Biotech Open Platform will enable us to accelerate the scale-up and commercialization of new products leveraging our transformative fermentation technology."
Frédéric Baraut, CEO of Crédit Agricole Centre France, added, “By contributing to the Biotech Open Platform, we are helping to develop a new bio-based sector based in Clermont-Ferrand. This will also enhance the value and attractiveness of the region and provide opportunities and synergies to the start-ups in our Innovation Village, also at the Parc Cataroux.”
By leveraging collaborative efforts, the Biotech Open Platform is poised to drive significant advancements in the food industry, fostering innovation, sustainability, and regional development.
