The figures talk for themselves

1st French region for beef production

2nd for pork production and poultry farming

775 firms and 51,400 jobs in agrifood

*2nd French region for jobs (source : Solutions&co - June 2022)

2,000 students and 400 researchers*

*in agrifood Source: IAA de 2015

26,400 jobs in agriculture

Source: Chambre d'agriculture des Pays de la Loire

19,840 farms and 3,200 bio farms

Source: Chambre d'agriculture des Pays de la Loire
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Great business opportunities in the food and agrifood sectors

Bank on an efficient food industry value chain

Join Atlantic France’s top sector: 24% of the workforce is employed by the food industry. The region counts on many farms, world leading manufacturers and innovative start-ups, but also the newly built wholesale market MIN Nantes which is the second largest in France and provides an optimal efficiency to the agrifood value chain and logistics.

Grow your ideas and make your business flourish, bringing new value propositions to the food industry. Atlantic France offers fantastic business opportunities to all kinds of agriculture and food specialists, from those providing raw material to those transforming it into ready meals (meat, dairy, bakery, snack, etc.), including final packaging and food safety & control.

Explore new markets and meet the challenges of tomorrow

Take part in inventing the future of the food industry! In Atlantic France, we are exploring new markets, in particular in health & wellness nutrition. For example, if your company is in the microalgae and spirulina production, you can join our “blue cluster” and obtain financial or technical support to boost your development.

The demand for food is greater than ever, and innovation is key. If you are an innovative startup confronting the challenges of tomorrow, you can join the foodtech accelerator FuturaGrow. You will benefit from dedicated support with the help of global food-processing companies based in Atlantic France such as Petitgas (300 foodies), Sodebo (more than 2,500 employees), Brioche Fonteneau (30 million buns produced per year), etc.

Follow the move to smart and healthy eating

Adapt your business to new consumer trends in seeking a better quality of diet and eating smart. In Atlantic France, you can count on top-quality expertise in food processing, safety & traceability, and also eco-friendly packaging with the food packaging industrial cluster Ligepack.

The food and agrifood sector also offers great business opportunities because it opens doors to other sectors: be part of our success in smart manufacturing, industrial automation and digital transformation. Come join us in Atlantic France and take the food industry to the next level!

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Leading names

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Powerful networking and the right connections

Innovation clusters

Valorial

N°1 network devoted to agri-food innovation/smart food.

www.pole-valorial.fr/en

Vegepolys Valley

The reference cluster for plants production respecting both environment and health, and fostering new technologies.

www.vegepolys-valley.eu/en/

NovaChild

An innovation network for childhood well-being with links to the food industry.

www.novachild.eu

Business clusters

Ligeriaa

A support organisation for the development of regional food industry businesses.

www.ligeriaa.fr

Innovation platforms

Ligépack

Provides a platform for manufacturers and researchers to collaborate on designing ecological solutions for tomorrow’s food packaging needs.

www.ligepack.com

Proxinnov

An organization serving manufacturers, bringing together companies in the robotics sector
www.proxinnov.com/en/

Technocampus Alimentation

Mutualized technological research platform dedicated to food industry

http://technocampus.fr/

Research platforms

CTCPA

Technical Institute for food Industry

CTCPA

INRAE

National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment

www.inrae.fr/en

Ifremer

A pioneer in ocean science, IFREMER’s cutting-edge research is grounded in sustainable development and open science.

ifremer.fr/

Tecaliman

a key player in the industry and interface between scientists, industry and administration in support of trade unions

www.tecaliman.com

CRNH

Research Center in Human Nutrition

www.crnh-nantes.fr

Accelerators

FuturaGrow

Start-up accelerator at the service of a fairer, more sustainable and more responsible food industry

www.futuragrow.fr

Academic resources

Academic resources

  • Oniris: Engineering school specializing in veterinary medicine, agrifood and food science – Nantes
  • ESA: Prestigious international institution specialized in the fields of Agriculture, Agronomy, Food Science, Viticulture, Environment, Supply chain and Marketing located in Angers, the principal agricultural and agri-food city.
  • ISTOM: Engineering school in Angers specialized in Agrifood project management in Africa, Asia and Latin America.