Open innovation: Naturex’s programme celebrates one year

The company’s Ingenium project was launched in March 2016, and aims to ‘advance technological breakthroughs and accelerate the introduction of new products through external collaborations.”

It forms part of its Bright2020 five year plan objectives, and according to Naturex, has seen a number of significant achievements during its first year.

“Sharing knowledge across industries and solving challenges through disruptive technologies has always been at the heart of Naturex’s business​,” the company asserts.

Key projects​

Through Ingenium, this past year, Naturex has partnered with organisations across the world, it says.

Projects include:

• licensing agreements with the Barry Callebaut group which led to the launch of Cocoactiv’, a high-flavanol cocoa extract

• licensing agreements with Poland-based Adamed, which resulted in the market introduction of Aronox®, an aronia extract targeting cardiovascular health

• Mazza Innovation, FP Innovation, EPC Natural Products, In-Vitro Plant-tech and Green2Chem have joined forces with Naturex in the development of sustainable and innovative natural solutions.

• the acquisition of certain assets from French company, Dialpha SAS, including patents, trademarks and clinical research on three nutraceutical ingredients targeting human health: specialized cashew, cinnamon and chicory ingredients.

What’s ahead?​

Doug Klaiber, who leads the implementation of the Ingenium Program worldwide, explains that, looking ahead, the company hopes to continue the strong level of collaboration seen in the past year.

“It has been a busy and productive year for the Open Innovation program at Naturex,”​ he says.

We have been very pleased with the number of quality opportunities that have been presented to us in our first year. At the moment, we have dozens of projects in the pipeline and we are being presented with new opportunities almost daily. Our current challenge is narrowing in and focusing on the projects that most closely reflect our business and values.”

The company has defined four key areas of interest for potential collaboration:

• Natural sources of color (especially blue/green/red)

• New natural food preservation solutions

• Natural phytoactive ingredients for human health and beauty

• Nature fortified ingredients or technologies for nutrition (minerals & vitamins)