TWB Annual report 2020
Despite the health context and total closure of its facilities for more than 2 months, TWB achieved a turnover of €7.3M in 2020 (compared to €8.4M in 2019) and managed 61 R&D projects, including 30 new ones (214 cumulative projects since the creation of TWB).
TWB secured the renewal of its French State funding: a 7 million euros grant which aims to support TWB over the next 5 years and reward its model of excellence in France. In addition, TWB obtained a further €1.4M in response to the latest EquipEx+ (PIA3) call for projects to support the acquisition of scientific equipment to the best international standards.
Committed to becoming a major player in industrial biotechnology research, TWB has moved into new premises, situated on the INSA Toulouse campus, doubling its floor area. This new building contributes to the creatin of a 15,000 m2 industrial biotechnology complex unique in France.
Expansion into growth markets
TWB continues with its development and capitalises on its experience in order to operate in those fields of application where industrial biotechnology provides a solution to new challenges:
- biomedicines: last August, TWB received the label of industrial integrator for bioproduction, thus becoming one of 6 French technological platforms of the ‘Biomedicines Grand Challenge’ launched by the General Secretariat for Investment (SGPI);
- bio-control et bio-stimulation, the challenges of tomorrow’s agriculture;
- biomaterials: since 2019, in partnership with ResiCare (subsidiary of Michelin) and other project partners, TWB has worked on the BioImpulse programme which aims to create a new resin based adhesive, free of worrying substances.
This diversification is part of the 2020/2025 TWB strategy, the objective of which is to increase value creation through the use of industrial biotechnologies.
Increased action with innovative starts-ups
In 2020, TWB has become a partner of the AgriO consortium, labelled “French Tech Seed business provider” for Bpifrance, which aims to support technological start-ups of less than 3 years old, in the post-maturation phase, which engender strong, technology-intensive innovation in the agricultural, agro-industrial or food-processing sectors.
TWB continues its privileged collaboration with start-ups that develop original technologies, thereby broadening its service delivery. Of particular note, TWB is partnering with the start-up Altar, owner of a natural selection process for micro-organism strains.
To date, 5 start-ups are hosted by TWB and a further 2 new recruits are expected in the coming months.
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