AURORA journey step 4 in Southwestern France
AURORA focuses on the quality, safety and traceability issues in the agri-food chain and aims to create a European dynamic around these topics.
After 3 roadshows in Poland (Warsow), Spain (Malaga) and France NW (Rennes), the French “pole de compétitivité” Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation (ASOI) organised his roadshow in Bordeaux. From June 20 to 22, ASOI hosted an international delegation composed of SMEs and Clusters from 5 EU countries (Poland, Spain, The Netherlands, Italy, France) who wanted to discover the Bordeaux ecosystem.
Bordeaux has indeed a rich and unique research and innovation ecosystem in the field of food quality, nutrition and health, federated around Agri Sud-Ouest innovation.
This roadshow in Bordeaux was an invitation to a 3-day journey to challenge the question: what health strategies can be built through nutrition? Three axis guided the roadshow:
- Nutrition-health: how to orientate disease prevention with an appropriate food diet?
- Functional foods: Functional foods: what conditions for success?
- Clean label approaches: how to improve naturalness in food products?
These issues were placed in the context of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, one of the richest in France in terms of products bearing signs of origin and quality (SIQO). The question of traceability and quality of SIQO was discussed during this journey.
During the mission, the AURORA delegation visited the Nutrineuro laboratory adressing a major societal challenge: understanding how nutrition influences brain function and protects against mood and cognition disorders. Research is carried-out on the mechanisms involved for the nutrients (sugar, fatty acid, vitamin, polyphenol) to act on the brain, on the relationship between diet and the pathophysiology of depression and the protection against cognitive decline, and on the links between obesity, stress and cognition of teenagers?
The second laboratory visit was the institute of chemistry & biology of membrane & nano-objects, a multidisciplinary research facility operating at the interface between Chemistry, Biology and Physics with 16 research groups organized in four scientific domains: Chemical biology and Supramolecular chemistry (CBSC), Biomedical research: fundamental and translational (BioFAP), Multiscale Biophysics (MSB) and Nutraceutical, Medical and Food applications of biomolecules (NMFAB).
In addition, the delegation visited 3 companies :
- Activ’Inside specialized in the elaboration of nutraceutical products based on natural compounds (Saffron, Grapes)
- Fermentalg produces and markets innovative solutions from microalgae for the food and health sector: omega 3 Vegan, alternative proteins, natural dyes
- The Cémoi group Food industry specialized in chocolate and sweets production. Cémoi has recently led two innovation projects. One on the improvement of cocoa bean fermentation to develop premium chocolate and the other on protein substitution by local byproducts.
The delegation took part in a Masterclass with several speakers and conferences, all specialised in clean labels, nutrition and health or natural ingredients. It gave us the possibility to pitch and to hold BtoB meetings.
After a final networking dinner in Bordeaux fête le vin, Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation said goodbye to its visitors. Don’t miss the AURORA step #5 organised by FoodValley in October 2023 during the « conference personalised nutrition and health » in Wageningen, The Netherlands.
About AURORA
Launched in 2022, AURORA is a pioneering and interdisciplinary programme aimed at strengthening cluster management excellence, facilitate exchanges and strategic partnering between clusters and specialised eco-systems and cities across Europe by fostering the development of European Strategic Cluster Partnership for Cluster Excellence Activities. It is co-funded from the European Union’s COSME Programme.
Project Duration: 01.02.2022 – 31.01.2024
Project partners: