Danone, DMC, Michelin and Crédit Agricole Centre France team up to develop advanced fermentation technologies

Two major French industrial leaders, Danone and Michelin, the American startup DMC Biotechnologies and Crédit Agricole Centre France, a key investor in the region, have agreed to create the Biotech Open Platform to bolster the development of advanced fermentation processes, particularly precision fermentation, on a larger scale.

With an investment of over €16 million in the first phase, the industrial and technological platform will be located in Clermont-Ferrand within the Parc Cataroux Center for Sustainable Materials, an innovation accelerator supported by Michelin. The Biotech Open Platform is also supported by several public and private institutions: the University of Clermont Auvergne, the company Greentech, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Clermont Auvergne Métropole.

As industry looks for alternatives to fossil-based resources, it is turning to innovative and sustainable solutions to meet its supply needs while providing more efficient materials. Biotechnology – and particularly precision fermentation – is one of the most promising ways to meet this challenge. Precision fermentation is a cutting-edge technology that uses microorganisms like bacteria, yeast or fungi to produce proteins, enzymes and other molecules that are used in industry. It is particularly suited to innovation in the agri-food and materials sectors. Although fundamental research has made considerable progress, biotechnologies must now be developed on a larger scale.

The Biotech Open Platform's ambition is to accelerate the development of precision fermentation by enabling the scaleup of innovative products and processes already tested in the laboratory. By 2025, the project plans to install an initial demo-scale production line, including a fermenter and purification equipment. Additional equipment will be installed in the following years, including a second production line. This ramp-up will enable the platform to meet the scaleup needs of its founders and to gradually open it up to other companies facing the challenge of scaling up in the industrial biomanufacturing sector.

“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," commented Florent Menegaux, President of the Michelin group. "Located in Auvergne, it exemplifies Michelin’s unflagging commitment to developing innovation and the regions where the Group operates."

“At Danone, we have always been focused on investing in the future of food, and this partnership is the next step in this journey," added Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone. "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 meet the challenges facing the industry today."

“We are enthusiastic about this new partnership with companies that are at the heart of French life," said Kenny Erdoes, CEO of DMC. "For us, as an American startup, 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."

“Crédit Agricole Centre France is taking steps to support transformation and innovation in the region," stated Frédéric Baraut, CEO of Crédit Agricole Centre France. "By contributing to the Biotech Open Platform, we are helping to develop a new bio-based sector based in Clermont-Ferrand and also adding to the value and the attractiveness of the region. This will also help provide opportunities and synergies to the start-ups in our Innovation Village, also in the Parc Cataroux.”