The year 2021 marked the resumption of contract research activities within our components, reaching a level slightly above that of 2019, following the significant disruption of 2020 due to the pandemic. That year had necessitated a reassessment of priorities and greater adaptation to day-to-day challenges.
This slowdown in the bioeconomy sector was short-lived; ultimately, only minor delays occurred across various projects, and 2021 enabled the delivery of high-potential results for socio-economic stakeholders. You will discover several of these in this report. You will also find examples of projects initiated in 2021, including six resource-related projects funded by Carnot allocations. This momentum allows the 3BCAR teams to remain scientifically ahead of the curve, positioning them to address environmental, economic and societal challenges, with the long-term goal of substituting petrochemical products in a sustainability-focused context.
At the end of 2021, the government launched a national strategy—’Biosourced Products and Industrial Biotechnologies – Sustainable Fuels’—as part of the fourth Future Investment Programme (PIA 4) and the France Relance plan, in support of the ambitions of the France 2030 strategy. The components of 3BCAR are fully engaged with this strategy and represent a high-level scientific and technological force, recognised for their capacity to contribute and support the development of a French industrial sector dedicated to biosourced products and sustainable fuels. The 2022 developments, if any further demonstration were needed, underscore the absolute necessity of aligning with this dynamic.
Finally, 2021 was also a year of leadership changes within 3BCAR, with my appointment in September—proposed by the CEO of INRAE and validated by all the Carnot supervisory bodies—and the arrival of Luc Fillaudeau, DR INRAE, as Deputy Scientific Director. I now pass the floor to him on the next page. Wishing you a rewarding reading of this activity report.
