Green Business

RESOURCES

COAST TO COAST
A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

Biotech serving the environment

Successful energy transition requires using resources efficiently and sustainably, through clean technology, and better exploiting renewable sources, through ecotech. In this endeavor, biotechnology has a major role to play.

Bretagne, a favorable context

We are highly focused on green technology in Bretagne. With our agrifood industry producing large quantities of organic matter while we rely on imported energy, we have had to find innovative solutions. Local policy makers along with civil society are keen to support green technology and many initiatives have been set up. One example is the biogas plan, launched in 2007, to encourage anaerobic digestion in Bretagne and Pays de la Loire regions and the regional biomass program.

Biotech and environmental specificities

• 3^rd ranking region in France for green technology*;
• – expertise in processing coproducts;
• – over a dozen innovative industrial sites exploiting biomass;
• – local anaerobic units set up;
• – development of bio-based materials (plant-based alternatives to plastic);
• – skills available in biocontrol and plant biostimulation;
• – expertise in bioremediation.

Key businesses and organizations

• 25 companies have integrated biotech processes: large firms, PME-TPE, start-ups
• 3 innovation clusters: agrifood (Valorial), plants (Végépolys Valley), Mer (Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique)
• organizations providing direction and support: CBB Capbiotek, Eco-origin cluster, Union des Industries Chimiques Ouest Atlantique…
• 3 technical centers: IDMer, Ceva, Végénov
• research organizations: Irstea, Universités de Bretagne, ENSCR, Cedre, Ifremer…, platforms (PFT Prodiabio, Biogenouest network), specialist courses (EME, ENSCR, UR1, UBO, UBS, ESC Rennes, technical colleges, …)

*Industry structure and business models for industrials biotechnology, OECD workshop on the outlook on industrial biotechnology