AGROPARISTECH INNOVATION

Their core work

AGROPARISTECH INNOVATION is the technology transfer and valorization arm of AgroParisTech, France's leading grande école for life sciences, agriculture, and environmental engineering. They bring specialist laboratory expertise to EU research consortia — contributing in plant biochemistry, green chemistry, and analytical food science rather than leading large-scale projects themselves. Their most substantive recent work centers on producing cyrene, a high-performance bio-based solvent derived from sawdust, as a safer alternative to conventional dipolar aprotic solvents used across industrial manufacturing. They function as a scientific bridge between academic research capabilities and industrial-scale application, particularly where agri-food knowledge intersects with green chemistry.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (BoostCrop, starting 2019), the organization contributed expertise rooted in fundamental plant science — spectroscopy, photophysics, plant biochemistry, organic synthesis, and food toxicology — disciplines that reflect AgroParisTech's core academic identity. By 2020, their second project (ReSolute) represents a marked shift toward applied industrial green chemistry: cyrene production from sawdust, continuous process engineering, non-reprotoxic materials, and graphene coatings. The trajectory moves from laboratory-scale plant science toward scalable, commercially relevant sustainable chemistry with direct industrial substitution value.

They are moving from foundational agri-food science toward applied green chemistry — specifically the valorization of agricultural cellulosic waste into high-performance industrial solvents, a direction with growing regulatory and commercial pull as industries seek safer alternatives to hazardous conventional solvents.

How they like to work

AGROPARISTECH INNOVATION has not coordinated any H2020 project, participating as either a specialist third party (BoostCrop) or a consortium member (ReSolute). Despite only two projects, they have engaged with 25 distinct partner organizations — a sign that they join well-connected, multi-partner consortia rather than anchoring their own networks. This pattern indicates they are brought in for specific technical contributions rather than for project management, making them a reliable specialist to recruit rather than a likely consortium lead.

Two projects have connected them to 25 unique partner organizations across 9 countries — a disproportionately broad reach for such a small portfolio, reflecting participation in large European consortia. No specific geographic cluster is evident beyond a French base.

What sets them apart

AGROPARISTECH INNOVATION occupies an uncommon intersection between agri-food science and industrial green chemistry — fields that rarely share the same address. Their cyrene work (bio-based solvent from sawdust) is directly relevant to chemical manufacturers, coatings producers, and battery material companies seeking drop-in replacements for toxic solvents like NMP, a fast-growing compliance need driven by EU REACH regulation. Few French research organizations can credibly combine food science analytical depth with bio-based materials chemistry and an innovation mandate to transfer that knowledge to industry.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ReSolute
  A flagship Industrial Association project (2020–2025) focused on producing cyrene at full industrial scale from sawdust — one of the most commercially promising bio-based solvent substitution efforts in H2020, with applications in graphene coatings and sustainable manufacturing.
• BoostCrop
  An unusual cross-disciplinary project (2019–2023) combining photophysics and solar energy harvesting with plant biochemistry and agricultural biotechnology to improve crop productivity — a rare FET-pillar project touching agri-food themes.