“No, I did not apply, and I don't even know who recommended me: I learned through a letter that I was going to receive the insignia of knight of the National Order of Merit. I was the first surprise, and I am very proud of it…” Alexandra Fregonese, founding president of Innovi laboratories, based in Layrac, sees years of investment in research, particularly in the health sector, rewarded. She will officially receive her medal on Wednesday December 11, in Moirax, during a ceremony chaired by Henri Tandonnet.
Agenaise Alexandra Fregonese was 23 years old and living in the village of Moncaut when she filed her first patent in the field of biomimicry. “I wanted to see how nature had solved its problems, to solve ours… It was about reducing the physical signs of aging. » Other patents will follow (there are currently 27) and are of interest to manufacturers. The Innovi laboratories are founded in Layrac, where they continue to expand. They were bought in 2018 by the Anjac group (3,000 employees, 800 million euros in turnover). Innovi will attack the year 2025 with a budget which should be around 10 million euros.
Our disciplines are complementary, there is no consanguinity of knowledge among us”
In Layrac, Innovi currently has 23 permanent employees, half of whom are researchers with a doctorate, since research is the crux of the matter here. “Our disciplines are complementary, there is no consanguinity of knowledge with us,” assures Alexandra Fregonese. We have doctors in biology, pharmacological innovation, neuroscience, a clinical research associate, etc. »
“We are especially interested in the impact of products on metabolism and physiology. That is to say, we design food products by measuring their impact on human health. We have a research center that measures these impacts of diet on the clinical signs of certain diseases, certain pathologies,” she continues. The center will be expanded by an industrial block, work on which will begin at the beginning of December.
Replace sugar
Among the patents filed, the manager highlights one of the most recent. The Carletti house (Bourran) produces exceptional strawberries, some of which are transformed into “compotes”, with 17% sugar. “I suggested to Sandrine Carlotti a dietary fiber that replaces sugar, without changing the recipe. A fiber that I will suggest to other Lot-et-Garonnais manufacturers. »
Other research is long-term, such as this work to propose a substitute for glyphosate: “In this area, it takes at least ten years to obtain marketing authorizations, with European approval. We are moving forward, but commercialization is not for tomorrow…”
Finally, Alexandra Fregonese knows that her future badge will be shared with her colleagues: “In fact, only a team can win. An innovation is an invention that meets its market. But to meet your market, you need a number of multiple skills that require having several brains. »
