Inauguration of the Ferments du Futur Innovation Center, a unique system in Europe

Less than 2 years after its official launch, the Ferments du Futur team already brings together 42 partners (see list below) in an unprecedented public-private R&D consortium, from start-ups to large agri-food groups, including cooperatives and the most important public research and teaching laboratories on this theme. The program can thus rely on the excellence of French research teams in the field of Ferments du Futur, on a national scale but also via regional centers, and now on an innovation center intended to develop projects ranging up to a high level of maturity (TRL 6).

With a budget over 10 years amounting to €100M, including an envelope of €48.3M as part of France 2030 and as many contributions from private partners, the Grand Défi Ferments du Futur aims to accelerate research and innovation in the field of ferments and fermented foods. Led by INRAE ​​and ANIA since the end of 2022, this program is of a highly strategic nature to respond to the challenges of agroecological transition, food sovereignty and to strengthen the economic leadership of the French and European agro-food industry in a sector that mobilizes massive international investments.

Research projects launched and promising

Ferments du Futur develops a portfolio of research projects (called pre-competitive projects because they aim to respond directly to scientific and technological obstacles that slow down innovation), managed collectively by members, as well as a portfolio of competitive projects entrusted by companies of any size and managed in complete confidentiality by the Ferments du Futur team. These different projects are being implemented both in French academic research units and within the new Ferments du Futur (CI2F) innovation center on the Saclay plateau. This ongoing dialogue between researchers and innovators makes it possible to co-construct projects and optimize their chances of success.

The 2023 and 2024 calls for projects made it possible to select a total of 12 projects, in very varied themes: bioprotection of foods, production of ingredients with high added value by fermentation, development of in vitro models to explore and optimize relationships between microorganisms and health, or the development of sensors and innovative fermentation processes (see details in the press kit). The first pre-competitive Ferments du Futur projects started at the end of 2023 will produce first results at the end of 2025. The member companies of the consortium will then be able to take advantage of them and continue their development, allowing innovations within 1 to 2 years depending on the level of maturity of the results. pre-competitive.

At the same time, the first competitive projects are launched; with shorter durations (12 months on average), they could also lead to first launches as early as 2026.

Speech by Ms. Annie Genevard, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry

Speech by Mr Patrick Hetzel, Minister of Higher Education and Research