THE GALLERY – What are the missions of Vegepolys Valley, the plant competitiveness cluster based in Angers?
FLAVIE DELATTRE – Born in 2019 from the merger of the two competitiveness clusters Vegepolys and Céréales Vallée, Vegepolys Valley is a competitiveness cluster with around forty employees dedicated to plants. Its mission is to bring together the players in this sector and to support them in their innovation initiatives, from the idea to market entry: networking, identification of financing and search for subsidies, construction of a provisional schedule for assembling the file, old technique… Since the creation of Vegepolys Valley, more than 1,000 projects spread across nine technological axes (plant health, urban plants, human and animal food, etc.) have been labeled or supported, for a total investment of 2.2 billion euros. Among them, 511 projects have obtained funding to date, for an amount of 926 million euros. Finally, Vegepolys Valley also carries out animation work (webinars, consumer meetings, etc.) throughout the year.
How does Végépolys Valley support the emergence of new agricultural sectors?
Five years after his birth, how many members does this center have?
The number of members increased quite significantly in 2023 with 130 new players. This reflects a real desire to move towards plant-related innovation despite the current difficult context. Last year, the network consisted of 645 members, which places it as the fourth French competitiveness cluster. This shows the importance of plants in our economic sectors. The profiles are varied since they range from companies in the plant sector (VSE/SME, startups and large groups) to research institutes and training organizations. We have 79% companies (including 88% VSEs and SMEs).
The scope of play extends from Brittany (55 members, or 9%, editor’s note) to Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (99 members, or 15%) via the Pays de la Loire (270 members, or 42%) and the Centre-Val de Loire region (64 members, or 10%). 157 structures (24%) are located in other territories. Since the start of this year, we have welcomed 34 new members.
Does this competitiveness cluster shine on an international scale?
Vegepolys Valley also increasingly supports its members in European projects. In 2023, the cluster thus had the opportunity to be a partner of 11 projects and to support 26 others (compared to 8 and 4 in 2022) which benefited from 9.6 million euros in European funds. Projects are also being developed in Japan and Africa.
You mention a difficult context. That’s to say ?
The year 2023 was relatively eventful in climatic terms with droughts and floods which caused damage to crops and infrastructure. This is a sign that there is an urgent need to innovate and evolve on the technical but also technological side. We also have to deal with the geopolitical context and the war in Ukraine and Gaza which impact trade. Added to this is inflation which is rocking our sector. Citizens also have very strong environmental demands.
What challenges does the sector face?
Climate change, agroecology, the food security of tomorrow, the competitiveness of markets and their sustainability in a changing world are all challenges to be met. There is also technological innovation with the emergence of new sectors and new varieties. We also need to evolve production methods with more precise technology. There is also innovation in commercial management, human resources, and financing methods. Another lever for moving forward: human capital and the need to work together, researchers, engineers and farmers. It is by sitting around the table that we will succeed in meeting these challenges. The agriculture of tomorrow will advance thanks to innovation.
Digital innovations will reinvent agriculture
What will this agriculture of tomorrow look like?
The agriculture of tomorrow is under construction. It will be diverse by its modes of production or use, by the profiles of those who will evolve in this world. It is diversity that will allow us to find solutions and move forward. It will also be more sectorized because certain solutions (varieties, production methods, etc.) will work very well locally but less so if we move them. And new professions will make it possible to respond to our problems today.
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