Elicit Plant at the Paris International Agricultural Show alongside InVivo

For the 60th edition of the Paris International Agricultural Show which took place from February 24 to March 3, the InVivo group, in collaboration with Terre-net, hosted a TV show called ‘Cultivons les Échanges’ (Cultivating Interaction, in English). The week’s 31 round-tables, broadcast live on their website and social networks, addressed all issues facing the world of agriculture, particularly from an industry perspective.

As a key player in agricultural innovation, our CEO Jean-François Déchant was invited alongside Thierry Blandinières, CEO of InVivo, Jérôme Le Roy, CEO of Ferme Digitale and Weenat, and Félix Bonduelle, CEO & Co-Founder of Javelot, to take part in discussions at the conference entitled ‘Innovation, AgTech & Start-Up-Major Group Relations’.

Major groups and start-ups: what role can each play in adopting innovation?

It is widely accepted that agriculture needs to evolve in order to adapt to the hazards of climate change and to the expectations of society and regulations. Thierry Blandinières is convinced of this need: “We cannot afford to miss out on innovation and stay within the realms of ‘conventional’ agriculture. As a major player in the sector, we absolutely had to make a move.”

This observation was shared by all three speakers attending to support the start-ups’ point of view, and particularly by Jean-François Déchant, who began his speech with a definition: “What is innovation? It’s a crazy gamble, an offbeat vision, a projection into the future, and also a great deal of risk.

“Innovation is precisely what a start-up brings to its ecosystem, but it cannot succeed alone,” Déchant went on to add. “Once an innovation has reached a certain level of maturity, it is up to major groups to encourage adoption.”

Here, too, all the speakers agreed: “By their very nature, major groups, cooperatives and wholesalers are our customers, so it’s obvious that they are essential,” explained Félix Bonduelle. “We need to gain the trust of major groups, because that’s what will enable us to become a French, then European, and even international champion.

Major groups are also influencers, and as Jérôme Le Roy reminded us: “Adoption is the key. Major groups help us get our message across to the general public and future users, thanks to their presence in the field and their contacts, both elements we don’t have when setting up a start-up.”

Jean-François Déchant stressed the importance of partnerships between start-ups and agricultural retailers:

Bringing the ecosystem together: a major challenge and a key to success

Jean-François Déchant nevertheless pointed out an obstacle specific to France: “We find that major groups in France are sometimes reluctant to buy from small entities such as start-ups. It’s not part of the culture, although things are changing.”

Félix Bonduelle addressed another difficulty: “Start-ups and major groups operate on different timescales. Decision cycles are different and that’s normal, but we try to understand each other so that we can offer mutual support in managing change.”

Jérôme Le Roy also noted that attitudes are changing: “Despite some initial reluctance, start-ups and the innovation departments of major groups are now taking the leap and working hand in hand, quite simply because everyone gains!

While convinced that a transition is possible, Thierry Blandinières is also aware that the subject is complex and will take time: “With the various innovation and R&D departments, fundamental research carried out by institutes, and start-ups, the ecosystem is certainly a rich one, but it’s not easy to organize from an economic point of view”. He pointed out that, despite this, both large and small groups are working towards the same goal: “To produce more, better, sustainably and profitably for farmers.”

International scope for local recognition

The shared ambition of these start-ups is to provide tangible solutions for farmers, in terms of income to appeal to the younger generations, and achieving productivity while respecting the environment. And there is more: start-ups also include international scope in their strategy. This is certainly the case of Elicit Plant, as Jean-François Déchant explained: “Our mission is to become the world champion in water reduction for field crops. Our claim is specific, but our strategy is global.”

“Of course, you need to be the leader on your home territory and have a proven track record if you want to conquer other markets!” he added. “The two complement each other. We need to be a French champion to export the image of French agriculture with our technology.”

Thinking international is also an opportunity to expand our offering. Jérôme Le Roy cites the example of Weenat, a meteorological and agronomic solution: “Concerns on the same topic differ greatly from one country to another. Take the issue of water in Europe: the price of water is high in Germany, Spain is cruelly short of the resource while it’s the regulations that cause difficulties in France. We try to adapt our product offering to each country, and that makes us grow.”

Thierry Blandinières was very clear about his objectives: “What we want to offer our farmers are competitive products capable of making a difference on a large scale. The agricultural market is global, and so are its issues, so winning over French farmers, and then exporting, creates a virtuous circle to success.”