IAR - Industries & Agro-Ressources Cluster

The Industries & Agro-Ressources (IAR) biorefining Cluster is at the heart of plant chemistry and industrial biotechnology. All the projects supported by IAR Cluster are based on the biorefining model, also known as plant refining. With more than 360 members, IAR brings together active and innovative players throughout the entire value chain, from agricultural upstream to the marketing of finished products: agricultural cooperatives, research institutions and universities, companies of all sizes, and public institutions.

Biorefining or plant refining uses every part of a plant, meaning that the whole plant is of value.

Biorefining is part of an approach where non-food and food uses for agro-resources exist side by side and complement each other.

Biorefining offers user markets molecules similar in properties and applications to those created by petroleum chemistry, as well as molecules with new uses.

In this way, biomolecules, agro-materials, bioenergy and ingredients for food can be produced.

Given dwindling fossil fuel resources, this is a real alternative offering several advantages:

using renewable raw materials
breaking free from a dependence on fossil fuels
reducing greenhouse gas emissions
putting agricultural waste to good use
supporting economic development in areas affected by industry relocation.

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