The industrial hemp sector weaves its web
As France’s leading hemp-growing region, the Grand Est is home to the Hemp European Hub, and has established itself as the benchmark region for this sector of excellence. A local resource by nature, processed locally, hemp is an environmental solution for a variety of markets, including construction, plastics and composites, textiles, food, cosmetics and healthcare….
The Hemp European Hub is building an ecosystem of excellence. Launched in Troyes in September 2018 by the Collectif 3C Grand Est, Troyes Champagne Métropole and the Région Grand Est, it is the product of a long-term strategic partnership between players from the world of agriculture, the local industrial fabric, research and local authorities. This “multi-stakeholder, multi-market” approach is now giving rise to a concrete project financed as part of a European Partnership for Agricultural Innovation (PEI). The aim is to move from a project mode to an operational nerve center federating hemp players and markets within three years.
A consortium of 11 partners, divided into eight technical groups, is already working on the operational creation of the European Hemp Biorefinery Cluster, to co-construct its organization, business model and governance.
Towards a structuring and innovative hemp ecosystem
Agricultural processes and production, construction, plastics and composites, textiles, food, health and cosmetics, innovation and transfer tools, and the bioeconomy: the seven technical group themes are each the subject of several working sessions, with the aim of bringing to fruition ambitious projects for the development of these sectors and the creation of a business park dedicated to the bioeconomy in the Trojan conurbation.
*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) *** All this work will eventually be integrated into the Hemp European Hub program. A business start-up and development unit has also been set up to prospect and attract new companies to the cluster.
Fiber, chenvot and seeds: ecological alternatives for industry
Resolutely in tune with the times, hemp is establishing itself as an ecological alternative to traditional materials. A pioneer in these markets, La Chanvrière agricultural cooperative now processes 50% of French hemp production. It brings together some 450 farmers, to whom it provides outlets for their crops. Together with its partners, it processes hemp at various stages and develops numerous products. Hemp concrete for the construction industry, composite materials for the automotive industry, yarns for the textile industry, hemp has a place in every sector. And we’re not stopping there…
Positioning hemp where it is not necessarily expected is one of the ambitions of the Hemp European Hub. Now it’s a question of identifying new markets to explore, technologies to develop and skills to build. Because we want to create a local biorefinery that brings together a whole range of players from different backgrounds around an innovative sustainable resource made in France. The Auvergne hemp industry is thus asserting itself as a major lever for economic development, making the Grand Est region an attractive and competitive benchmark for industrial hemp in Europe.
Working groups: exploring hemp’s potential
- Supporting cultivation techniques and improving harvest mechanization, led by JL Follot, Aube Chamber of Agriculture.
- Incrementing the use of technical plant fibers in composite material processes, led by P. Bono, FRD
- Development opportunities for building hemp in innovative construction systems and prefabrication, led by P. Njanda.
- Creating an industrial hemp textile sector, led by S. Maucourt, UIT
- Developing the value of hemp’s active ingredients in food, cosmetics and health, led by J Vandeputte, Pôle IAR
- Creating the conditions for technological support for the use of plant fibers in different markets, led by P. Bono, FRD
- Developing industrial activities in a zone dedicated to the circular economy, led by G. Lannou, CEIA
- Supporting the establishment of new activities in the region as part of the European Hemp Cluster, led by Philippe Charmont, BSC
