Strong, permanent investment in research & development

As the main source of value creation, research ensures tomorrow’s growth and is at the heart of Vilmorin & Cie’s development challenges.

It creates new varieties of more efficient seeds: better adaptation to different climates and regions, matching needs and crops (taste, size, preservation, etc.), resistance to diseases, yield optimization, etc.

Research & development, the key to performance

The Vilmorin & Cie’s research & development aims to develop, as quickly as possible, new varieties with high added value, that meet the expectations of each of the players in the sector: farmers, vegetable producers, but also industrialists, distributors and consumers.

These innovations in terms of agronomic, industrial and nutritional qualities offer decisive commercial advantages, making it possible to win new market shares.

Vilmorin & Cie’s research & development focuses

• Permanently enrich genetic resources, fundamental for prolonged seed production.
• Accelerate the breeding process which requires 7 to 10 years, by using plant biotechnology.
• Develop strategic partnerships to enrich upstream research, gain access to new skills and technologies, and extend existing genetic bases.

To find out more about strategic partnerships, go to the section External Growth

Plant biotechnology, to accelerate the plant breeding process

The work of plant breeding is facilitated by the use of plant biotechnology (molecular biology, transgenesis, etc.).

These tools can help to gain time and be more efficient, as the result of a better understanding of plant genomes. On average, 2 to 3 years can be gained in the plant breeding process.

New Breeding Techniques that are complementary to those used historically have modernized the toolbox used by today’s breeders.

In 2021-2022, Vilmorin & Cie devoted 10% of its research investment to the development and integration of plant biotechnology.

A comprehensive research organization

Vilmorin & Cie relies on a solid internal organization, with more than 2,000 staff contributed to the research process. This represents 28% of the headcount, spread out over more than 100 research centers throughout the world.

In terms of organization, Vilmorin & Cie’s research combines expertise of the research teams, cross-company resources and sites that are as close as possible to the markets, in order to test, for example, new varieties created  in true conditions of soil, climate, disease, etc.