Located in the Brittany region in partnership with Loire Valley and Lower Normandy regions, the “Valorial” or Promotion of Food Innovation and Research (“Valorisation pour la Recherche et l’Innovation alimentaire”) innovative cluster specializes in the Agri-food sector, and more particularly Foods of the Future.
The main strategic orientations of Valorial are to:
- design new ingredients for foods adapted to national and international markets: functional, nutritional, health, culinary ingredients.
- design and develop service foods practical to use, using new technologies and new packaging (functional, eco-compatible etc.)
- fulfil the expectations of the various categories of consumer for foods with appropriate health and nutritional qualities: high-quality, trackable and traceable raw materials, prevention of obesity and related diseases.
- developing “customer relations” with consumers and distributors so they benefit from expertise, and anticipate their expectations for new products or new packaging.
Advantages
- The Brittany, Loire Valley and Lower Normandy regions have significant strengths:
• Leading French and European agricultural and food processing area
• Leading European export area for food
- Top industrial and technological potential:
Companies and Talent
- 700 companies with 20+ employees and 130,000 skilled workers
Research
- 1,000 researchers
- A dense network of centers for research and technology transfer
Training
- A broad range of training
- Valorial is one of the 3 top agri-food clusters in France, by number and by project budgets
- Partnerships with other French competitive clusters:
• European Innovation Fruits et Légumes (PEIFL) cluster
• Agrimip Innovation
Members
210 members in 2008
Companies 140, of which 120 are small and medium-sized enterprises
• French groups: Lactalis, Bongrain, Fromageries Bel, Fleury Michon, LDC, Doux, Société Vitréenne d’Abattage, Seb, Coopagri Bretagne, Terrena, Kermené.
• International groups: 10 European groups are members of the cluster
Research and Training Centers
Over 40, including Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs des Techniques des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires (ENITIAA Nantes), Agence française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA), Laboratoire Yslab, Agrocampus Ouest.
Nearly 15 other organizations are also partners of the cluster, including Crédit Agricole de Bretagne, General Councils of Côtes-d’Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan, Regional Councils of Brittany, Pays-de-la-Loire and Basse-Normandie, Direction Régionale de l’Agriculture et de la Forêt de Bretagne, Direction Régionale de l’Industrie de Bretagne.
Current R&D Partnerships (refer to appendix)
- 104 projects have been certified between 2005 and mid-2008 for a total budget of 85 million euros
- Example of public support:
• Over 5 million euros granted by the National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche or ANR) between 2005 and 2007
• Over 2 million euros awarded by the Single Interministerial Fund Fonds Unique Interministériel (FUI) between 2005 and 2007
International Partnerships
Current
Participation in the Health Ingredients Europe show, Frankfurt, Germany
Participation in the Vitafood show, Geneva, Switzerland
Aviculture conference in Brazil
Contacts made with Belgium, England, Greece, Hungary, Russia and Quebec with a view to possible international partnerships
Future
Initiatives planned with priority countries: United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Algeria, Morocco, Thailand
Initiatives planned with pilot countries: China, Russia, Japan, United States
Appendix: Examples of Certified R&D Projects
|
Project Name and Subject |
Led by |
|
LIPOEIL Development and marketing of an active product combating degenerative diseases of the eye through the use of Omega 3 fatty acids and sea derivatives |
Laboratoire Yslab |
|
BRAISE Controlled baking and energy efficiency |
Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs des Techniques des Industries Agricoles et Alimentaires (ENITIAA Nantes) project co-accredited with the CapEnergies cluster |
|
FOOD MICROBIOMES Innovative tools to encourage, in complete safety, the use of natural microorganisms in food |
Institut National de la recherche Agronomique (INRA) |
|
NABAB Exploration of the inhibiting capacities of the natural ecosystems against Staphylococcus aureus contaminations in a dairy context |
Institut National de la recherche Agronomique (INRA) |
|
CLEANAIRNET Hygienic design of air distribution networks in the food industries |
Lactalis R&D |
|
EVALUFQVOL Treatments for colibacillosis in poultry through fluoroquinolones: risk/benefit analysis for animals, consumers and the environment. |
Agence française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments (AFSSA) |
|
MENOSPORE Origin of the variability of properties of bacterial endospores and consequences on their survival and their growth in the food chain |
Institut National de la recherche Agronomique (INRA) |
|
OVONUTRIAL Impact of technological processes and the structure of food matrices on the nutritional value and allergenicity of egg proteins. |
Agrocampus Ouest |
|
ADHERESIST Contamination of food matrices by enteric viruses (VHA, norovirus, enterovirus): relations between surface properties, capacity for adhesion and resistance induced by technological and hygienic treatments. |
Université de Nancy |
Contact
Invest in France Agency Paris
Laurent BERGEOT
Director, Territories Development
Send an e-mail
+33 1 40 74 74 11