USINE METEX NOOVISTA CARLING (9)

ACCELERATING DEVELOPMENT

2023 : The Group finalises a major financing plan for 2023-2026. One of its objectives is to speed up the transformation of the Amiens site, dedicated to the bioproduction by fermentation of its range of essential ingredients of natural origin for animal nutrition, cosmetics and biopolymers.

2021 :METabolic EXplorer produces and sells its first cosmetic and biopolymer ingredientsproduced by its wholly-owned subsidiary METEX NØØVISTA. The SPI fund operated by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State becomes METEX’s leading shareholder. The SPI fund operated by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State becomes METEX’s leading shareholder.

METabolic EXplorer acquires the industrial and commercial activities of Ajinomoto Animal Nutrition Europe, renamed METEX NØØVISTAGO. In doing so, METEX acquires the largest fermentation production site in Europe, located in Amiens, and has the largest range of amino acids to decarbonise the European meat industry. 
The Group is moving further towards its ambition to become a world leader in the market for functional ingredients produced by fermentation.

LARGE-SCALE EXPERTISE

2020 : Construction of theMETEX NØØVISTAplant is completed. The plant has a production capacity of 6,000 tonnes and will create around fifty direct jobs in Moselle.

2019 : Launch of the ALTANØØV® platform. The aim  : significantly shorten the development time for fermentation processes, with the aim of rolling out one new process at scale per year from 2021 onwards. Glycolic acid is the first functional ingredient to be included in the demonstrator. It is used in cosmetics and medical applications as a precursor for a biodegradable polymer.

2018 : METabolic EXplorer creates METEX NØØVISTA with Bpifrance’s SPI fund,, fThis subsidiary will produce 1,3-propanediol (PDO) for the cosmetics and bio-based polymers markets and butyric acid (BA)  for the animal nutrition and flavours and fragrances markets at the Carling Saint-Avold site.

2016 : EVONIK, un dne of the world’s leading specialty chemicals companies, acquires METabolic EXplorer’s L-Methionine assets, a 100% natural amino acid. The €45m transaction is the largest in the European biochemicals sector in recent years. It validates METEX’s expertise and enables it to make a key strategic shift towards the widespread rollout of its own technologies.

HISTOIRE-METEX-2

TECHNOLOGICAL VALIDATION

2014 :The co-development agreement with Roquette for L-Methionine comes to an end. METEX is now responsible for adding value and the following year it validates the L-Methionine production process on a pilot scale and produces the first samples to be tested on animals.

2009 : METEX acquires an industrial pilot plant combining the fermentation and purification stages on a continuous basis. The following year, it validates the 1,3-propanediol (PDO) production process on a pilot scale and produces the first samples.

2007 : The company becomes the first industrial biotechnology company to be floated on Euronext, raising almost €60m.

THE VISIONARY PROJECT

2005 : METEX signs a co-development agreement with Roquette, Europe’s leading starch processor, for the production of L-Methionine, a 100% bio-based amino acid essential for animal feed.

1999 : Benjamin Gonzalez co-founds METabolic an industrial biotechnology company and spin-off from the University of Auvergne. METEX, which produces natural ingredients by fermentation, offering an alternative to petrochemicals, won the first national competition for innovative start-ups. The start-up develops a technology portfolio and files its first patents.