Plant Advanced Technologies PAT, a plant biotechnology company in Lorraine, announces its participation in the InnCoCells project, officially launched in May 2021 and coordinated by VTT (VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd). This project aims to revolutionize the way scientifically validated cosmetic ingredients are discovered, developed and produced.
A European-scale project
InnCoCells is a four-year collaborative research project, bringing together the varied skills and expertise of 17 partners in 11 European countries, including academic institutes, SMEs and industrial partners, NGOs and sectoral organizations such as Cosmetic Valley. The research is funded by the European Commission, with a total budget of 7.9 million euros. PAT's participation is financed to the tune of 750 k€ for the duration of the project.
PAT's expertise in sustainable cosmetics ingredients
PAT will apply its expertise in aeroponics, extract production and phytochemistry to the development of new, sustainable cosmetic ingredients.
Its subsidiary Straticell, which specializes in in vitro efficacy studies for skin care products, will also be involved in this project.
Meeting the needs and challenges of sustainable cosmetics
The InnCoCells project is part of Horizon 2020, a European funding program designed to boost Europe's competitiveness in research and innovation.
The collaborative project aims to use innovative plant-based production processes that meet stringent environmental protection and resource-saving requirements.
The plants selected for the work, currently threatened by overexploitation, will be cultivated in a sustainable and profitable way to ensure that the new ingredients pose no risk to biodiversity.
This project should enable the commercial exploitation of cosmetic ingredients validated by a scientific approach, using a variety of cultivation techniques based on the expertise of each partner, such as plant biotechnologies, economical industrial processes and knowledge of plants in the case of PAT.
The project explores an approach geared towards responsible consumers, in order to develop cosmetic ingredients adapted to the market and in tune with environmental preservation aspirations.
Staying at the forefront of innovation
Frédéric Bourgaud, Executive Vice President, Research: "We're delighted to be taking part in the InnCoCells project, which promises to be ambitious and rich in innovation. This type of project is an excellent way of interacting with leading laboratories in Europe (VTT, Vib, List, Enea, TUDA, ILVO etc.) and enabling our research staff to participate in the latest advances in their fields."
