Established as a French national public body in 1945, CEA has become since then a global player in technological research and one of the leading Research and Technology Organizations (RTO) in Europe. CEA operates in research, development and innovation in four main areas: defense and security, low carbon energies (nuclear and renewables), technological research for industry, fundamental research in physical and life sciences. CEA runs 10 research centers and 6 regional technological platforms, hiring over 16,000 people. Its core missions are to identify, develop and maturate Key Enabling Technologies from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to TRLs 5-7 through public-private partnerships.
In the knowledge-based economy, CEA produces, integrates and transfers science and technology to help resolve societal challenges and to exploit opportunities for new wealth creation, improved standards of living, preservation and build-up of economic competitiveness. CEA occupies a nodal position in the structuration of innovation eco-systems, bringing together key players across the whole innovation chain, from fundamental to technological research, from product and process development to prototyping and demonstration, and forward on to full-scale industrial implementation.
CEA Tech PACA is an institute located in Cadarache, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur Region (French Mediterranean area). In these premises, CEA owns and operates an innovation platform devoted to experimentation of advanced technologies for producing algae for applications in various fields: health & nutrition, cosmetics, specialty chemicals, bioplastics, bioremediation of liquid or gaseous effluents, biofuels, fertilizers and phytostimulants, food, feed and petfood. CEA works closely with public and private stakeholders, including industrial companies and technology providers. CEA is also skilled in assessing the techno-economic relevance of innovative algal processes, and can provide on demand / straight-to-the-point expert advice or technical assistance to any stakeholder involved in the algae industry.