Inauguration of the CER Groupe Modernised Analytical Building

As a research organization, the CER Groupe Public Utility Foundation is a Certified Research Center that dedicates its resources to research and innovation in the field of life sciences in support of the biotech, medtech or agrotech industrial sectors. This support for companies is at the heart of the regional research, development and innovation policy and the CER contributes to it as the only certified research centre dedicated to human and animal health.

It is in this context as a contributor to the Walloon regional policy of research, development and innovation and on the occasion of the inauguration of the modernised analytical building that we were honoured by the presence of Mr Dolimont, Minister-President of Wallonia, Budget, Finance, Research and Animal Welfare.

The modernized analytical building inaugurated today houses an analytical platform based on mass spectrometry, chromatography and immunological methods. This modernized building will house new state-of-the-art equipment such as a high-resolution mass spectrometer with cyclic ion mobility. This modernization and the strengthening of its state-of-the-art equipment will make it possible to expand the services offered to the biotech and agrotech sectors.

Its modernisation for a budget of 1.3 million euros is part of the continuous investment that the CER Groupe is making in order to maintain the highest levels of requirements. The CER Groupe ensures this investment capacity thanks to its high degree of autonomy with more than 75% of non-public financial sources.

The main field of application of these analyses is in the agri-food sector, with a role in monitoring the food chain on the one hand, and a contribution to research and innovation on the other hand by participating in numerous local and European research projects. In this context, the CER responded this year to two European Horizon calls for projects and benefits from the support of Europe and the Walloon Region through FEDER funds. The analytical laboratory is a National Reference Centre and is part of the FASFC's network of external laboratories. It enjoys an international reputation. Its director, Mrs. Nathalie Gillard, is a member of the FASFC's scientific committee and is a recognized expert at the European level.

The CER Groupe now offers a wide range of bio-production, preclinical studies and fine analytics services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medtech and agrotech sectors. The service offer is based on an infrastructure of more than 15,500m² of laboratories, a fleet of state-of-the-art equipment and a highly qualified staff of 200 people, including 40 master's or PhD researchers.

The CER Groupe hosts and supports young companies in their technological development but also in networking with universities, investors, local players such as Biowin or WE as well as the Walloon administration. We welcome 4 developing companies to the Novalis Science Park in Aye.

Continuing to offer an attractive service and reception capacity in the Walloon Region is the purpose of the 3400m² Preclinical Novalis Center real estate project, which has received support from the Region to the tune of more than 10 million euros as part of project 41 of the recovery plan. This new infrastructure, work on which will begin in 2025, will see the light of day in 2028.

Support for farmers is one of the founding activities of the CER Groupe, as they refer to the origins of our group.

Indeed, at its very beginnings, in the 1980s, the CER mission was to provide direct technical and economic support to farmers. Recent events show us the extent to which the need to support the agricultural world in their search for economic balance is still a major concern today.

The CER Groupe continues to provide this assistance through its agri-development department, which supports farmers by offering technical and economic advice, providing administrative assistance in the preparation of permit applications, supporting self-control and traceability processes, promoting differentiated quality in the sheep, pig and poultry sectors, but also by training in respect for animal welfare in the transport and slaughter of poultry. animals.

In this context, Mrs. AC Dalcq, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, is doing us the honor of visiting us today.

The CER Groupe is one of the 4 CRAs resulting from an initiative of "local forces" and thus differs from the centers resulting from academic initiatives or centers resulting from sectoral industrial initiatives. We owe this local initiative, this driving force, to the Provincial institution that was at the origin of the creation of the CER in the 1980s. Almost fifty years later, the Province continues to support the CER and the presence of Deputy Coralie Bonnet testifies to this.

The continuous development of the city of Marche-en-Famenne contributes to its attractiveness and the CER Groupe benefits from this in its development needs, particularly when recruiting qualified staff. The city's support has been continuous and essential in the journey of the CER Groupe. Mayor André Bouchat reiterated the importance of supporting entrepreneurial initiatives and in particular the growth dynamic that prevails at the CER Groupe.