Initiated by the French government in September 2004, the “Competitive Cluster” (Pole de Compétitivité) was devised to strengthen the competitiveness of the French economy by unifying businesses, research units and educational institutions in a given geographic area.
67 Competitive Clusters have currently received official government accreditation. The total fiscal envelope dedicated to funding the clusters, in particular their R & D projects, is a minimum of 1.5 billion euros over 3 years.
Vitagora is an agro-food Competitive Cluster with government accreditation as of July 2004, and whose objective is to generate and run innovative projects in order to reinforce the competitiveness of its economic players in the Burgundy and Franche-Comté regions of France.
Thanks to its unique Taste-Nutrition-Health positioning, the ambition of Vitagora is to become an indispensable reference in the debate, research and innovation in the area of food for all ages, from children to seniors, and on an international level. Taking centre stage on the occasion of major public events, some which are held in Dijon (the International “Health & Nutrition” Congress and the “Taste-Nutrition-Health” European Technological Meetings, integrating the new advances in food of the “logic of the living”), Vitagora also aims to become an international gateway in the field of innovation, at the service of all companies, from international corporations to innovative start-ups.
Vitagora supports its ambition with 3 key points:
A network of R & D knowledge platforms integrating all areas of innovation through the whole of the food / health supply chain. An internationally recognised leadership in the field of sciences of taste On-going industrial projects, some of which have been in existence for a number of years, bearing witness to a local culture of partnerships and resulting in the attainment of significant market shares, in particular of export markets.
Vitagora proposes a unique framework composed of knowledge platforms gathering together the exceptionally diverse skills base of the Burgundy and Franche-Comté regions.
An internationally recognised leadership in the sciences of taste, represented by the Institut Fédératif de Recherche (IFR) 92 “Quality of Foodstuffs”. This institute groups together the European Centre for Sciences of Taste (CESG), research units of INRA, CNRS and the University of Burgundy, involving more than 230 people – including 100 researchers – in publicly-funded research on the topics of taste, the sensory and food preferences. Also associated are specialised service providers such as Biosystèmes and Aromalyse…
A solid knowledge base in the field of agronomy, soils and plants drawing on one of the 6 National Agronomy Poles, associating INRA, ENESAD, ENSBANA and IUVV, with the added support of Start-ups (Sediag, Microvitis, Spiral, Original Process etc.) and private and public technical centres (ITFF, CTC, Institut d’Elevage, the Agropole, the Association Comité du Nord etc.)
Expertise in the field of molecule, nutrient and health research, involving the IFR 100 “Health / Sciences and Techniques of Information and Communication”, the Dijon University Hospital Centre (CHU), and several private research laboratories such as Kirial, Original Process and Oncodesign, working on correlations between diet and certain pathologies. This local skills base, reinforced by cooperative actions between the pharmaceutical and the food production sectors, is further strengthened by an interregional research network (notably with the CRNH of Île de France, Auvergne and Lyon) and the Biopôle Santé of the CRITT 2ABI.
A skills base in the field of innovation regarding industrial food processing (decontamination of powders, fermentation, diagnostics etc.) founded on a partnership between CRITT 2ABI, INRA, CHU Dijon, ARITT Franche-Comté, as well as private laboratories (Spiral etc.)
A recognised know-how in the area of packaging-conditioning established around the marketing skills base and experience of the 300 companies in the packaging and conditioning sector based in the region, united by CEPIEC. Two thirds of the packaging produced by the sector’s 13 000 employees is used by the food industry, integrating innovations in the area of health protection and the traceability of packaging, in collaboration with the CNRT Packaging-Conditioning. More than 50 % of this industrial sector of France’s Grand-Est region is established in Burgundy alone. Know-how in this sector can be from primary packaging to automated installations.
Integrated expertise regarding consumer knowledge, marketing and communication bringing together the research units of the Universities of Burgundy and Franche-Comté, the ESC Dijon, ENSBANA, IUVV, ITV Beaune, as well as influential companies such as Synergence and BVA.
An established support network for the creation of innovative new businesses, with the participation of Bourgogne Entreprendre and PREMICE.
Overlaid onto this structure are the projects conducted by the “Company Clusters” (Wheat-Breadmaking / Vine & Wine / Condiments, Fruit and Vegetables / Health & Nutrition / Urban Water / Cheeses / Cooking and Appliances). The company clusters, working closely with the knowledge platforms in a vertically integrated structure, are able to take part in the process of innovation at all stages of production, “from the field to the plate”.
Vitagora also carries out its role of “forum” by regularly organising interface sessions between members of industry or research, and wide-ranging debates on questions relating to food and society. In Dijon in 2007, Vitagora is holding the International “Health & Nutrition” Congress and the “Taste-Nutrition-Health” European Technological Meetings.
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