Our Offers
The Ferments du Futur infrastructure consists of an Innovation Center and a distributed platform designed to support research, innovation, and industrial implementation in the field of fermentation.
By combining technological expertise, cutting-edge experimental capabilities, and a strong regional presence, Ferments du Futur serves as a one-stop hub, enabling the creation of bridges between science, industrial sectors, and sustainable food challenges.
Access our state-of-the-art equipement, either independently or with support from our teams – develop and implement ambitious innovation projects requiring advanced scientific and technical expertise, and benefit from short- or long-term hosting solutions.
A dedicated team and cutting-edge equipment to support your R&D
Ferments du Futur brings together a team of around thirty professionals, giving you ones-top access to equipement park valued at over €10 million, operated either by our expert teams or by our own employees.
Complete support for your innovation projects
Ferments du Futur offers end-to-end management of your innovation projects. From initiation to full implementation including the identification of the most relevant experts. All exchanges are conducted in complete confidentiality.
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Symbiose – Develop your activities within Ferments du Futur
The Ferments du Futur Innovation Center (CI2F) welcomes you to its “Symbiose” space – a fully equiped work environment combining adabtable offices areas, advanced scientific equipment, and personalized support to accelerate your research and innovation projects.
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A dedicated team and cutting-edge equipment to support your R&D
Our infrastructure consists of an Innovation Center with 500 m² of laboratories located in the heart of Paris-Saclay and equipped with over €10 million worth of stat-of-the-art instruments. It also includes a distributed technological platform embedded within INRAE research units specializing in microbiology, process engineering, nutrition and health, mathematics, and applied computer science. We also host a structured data hub (SIDURI) dedicated to fermentation modeling.
Our technical team, composed of more than twenty professionals with diverse technical backgrounds, enables work on topics such as screening and techno-functional optimization of various microorganisms, solid- and liquid-state fermentation up to 10L or 5kg scale, targeted and untargeted metabolomics, standard USP/DSP operations, and products prototyping.
Ferments du Futur provides one-stop access to an equipment pool valued at over €10 million, operated either by our expert teams or by your own employees.
Microbial biodiversity & Screening
- Access to microbial collections:
CIRM-BIA, dedicated to the preservation of bacteria of interest for food applications, in particular those associated with fermented and/or biopreserved foods.
CIRM-Levures, dedicated to traditional French starter cultures and yeasts involved in biotechnological processes.
Targeted and untargeted culturomics.
Selection of starter cultures through advanced techno-functional characterization.
Optimization of strains and growth conditions.
Equipement
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer
Omnilog phenotypic microarray system
Oscelloscope
BioLector microfermentation system
MilliDrop microfluidic screening platform
Flow cytometer
Molecular biology platform
Anaerobic chamber
CINAC (acidification kinetics analyzer)
Bioprocesses & Prototyping
- Scale-up and optimization of liquid- and solid-state fermentation processes from 1 L to 10 L.
- Integration of upstream and downstream processing unit operations (USP–DSP).
- Directed evolution.
- Formulation and recipe development.
- Food–microorganism interactions.
- Gut microbiota – assessment of food/gut microbiota interactions.
Equipment
- Solid-state fermentation: 1 L bioreactor, 5 kg “Fujiwara” pilot system, and instrumented tray fermentation cabinets
- Liquid-state fermentation: 1 L Applikon, 1 L Multifors, airlift bioreactor, 2–5 L Sartorius, and 10 L Techfors systems
- UHT treatment
- High-pressure homogenizer
- Dry mill
- Tangential flow microfiltration system
- Fluidized bed dryer
- Lyophilizer
- Spray dryer
- Evaporator
- Stephan UMX5S cutter-mixer
- Professional kitchen equipment (Robotcook, juice extractors, oven, hobs, etc.)
- Confocal microscope
- In vitro gut microbiota models
Physiochemical Analysis
- Conventional monitoring of fermentation (sugars, organic acids)
- • Targeted and untargeted analysis of metabolites of interest, including aroma compounds.
- Nutritional and contaminant analysis.
- Techno-functional property assessment.
Equipment
- LC–MS, including high-resolution systems.
GC–MS, including high-resolution systems and GC–olfactometry coupling. - HPLC–RI/DAD.
- IC–RI/MS.
- Separation techniques (SBSE, SPME, DHS–TDU).
- Elemental analysis (C, N), fat content, and dry matter.
- Granulometer.
- Colorimeter.
- Rheometer.
- Texture analyzer.
Data Science & AI
Ferments du Futur is built on a robust data and AI strategy, centered on the development of the Siduri warehouse dedicated to data on starter cultures and fermented foods.
This platform aims to centralize high-quality, well-structured data with reliable metadata, whether originating from public databases, collaborative projects, or industrial partners.
In the long term, the goal is to enable researchers and companies to reduce the need for laboratory experimentation, thereby accelerating research and innovation on starter cultures and fermentation processes.
Complete support for your innovation projects
Ferments du Futur offers end-to-end management of your innovation projects. From initial design to full implementation, including the identification of the most relevant experts, all exchanges are conducted in complete confidentiality.
This structured approach is divided into three main stages:
Initiation
The collaboration begins with an initial contact between Ferments du Futur and the company, in association with pre-identified scientific experts, in order to assess the project’s relevance and feasibility. All activities are conducted within a strictly confidential framework.
Construction
Once the company’s interest has been confirmed, Ferments du Futur assembles a multidisciplinary team of experts who, in close collaboration with the company, design a tailor-made proposal that may be structured in several phases. This proposal integrates the scientific, technical, and industrial objectives, along with an initial estimation of the budget and timeline. An appropriate contractual framework ensures a smooth and effective collaboration. scientifiques, techniques et industriels ainsi qu’une première estimation du budget et du planning. Un cadre contractuel adapté garantit une collaboration fluide et efficace.
Implementation
Once the project is launched, Ferments du Futur ensures rigorous and responsive monitoring through a dedicated project team and a steering committee bringing together members from both parties. This organization enables personalized support and rapid adjustments in line with the project’s evolving needs.
Symbiose - Develop your activities within Ferments du Futur
Ferments du Futur welcomes you to its Symbiose space : an offer that combines state-of-the-art facilities, advanced technical expertise, and an extensive scientific network afin to effectively d’support your team in their R&D projects.
Wether you need well-designed office spaces for focused work, cutting-edge scientific equipment for your experiments, or strategic guidance to structure your approach, this solution is designed to meet all your needs – all within the welcoming and collaborative spirit that defines Ferments du Futur.
Functional and comfortable workspaces
The CI2F reception area, named Symbiose, offers several options to suit your needs:
– Open-plan offices to encourage collaboration.
– Private offices for greater calm and confidentiality.
Shared facilities complement this offer, including:
– Call boxes (for 2 to 4 people).
– Video-conference meeting room (up to 10 people).
– High-speed Wi-Fi, printing services, lounge areas, and a catering space.
Access to scientific platforms and equipment
Once settled in, your teams gain access to our technological infrastructures, ranging from bench-scale to pilot and pre-pilot scale.
After QHSE training, they can independently use the laboratories and platforms (excluding special equipment).
Access to special equipment is available on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis, in coordination with the technical team.
Tailor-made scientific and technical support
The CI2F teams support your staff at every stage:
- Designing tailored experimental plans.
- Providing assistance with data processing and analysis.
You may also entrust our teams with a complete project, available as a service upon quotation.
Strategic support for your innovative projects
In addition to technical support, CI2F helps you structure your projects by offering:
- Meetings with external experts.
- Connections with potential partners.
- Access to specialized events and collaboration opportunities through our network.
Ease of day-to-day management
To maximize your integration, we will propose the contractual format best suited to your needs: a single agreement, a transparent pricing structure defined in advance for access to special equipment and additional services, and regular invoicing with flexible payment options.