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Profile

Mission

Protecting crops against insect pests requires constant vigilance and countermeasures on the part of growers. Insects are thought to cause losses of 5 to 27% on average, depending on the crop. Insecticides appear to offer a miracle solution for controlling these pests. However, their effectiveness is often undermined by the insects’ ability to develop resistance. In the USA, for example, pesticide use increased tenfold between 1947 and 1989, yet despite that, production losses due to insects rose from 7% to 13%. Insecticides also cause considerable damage to health and the environment. In view of these problems, biological control is regarded as a credible alternative for crop protection.  However, it requires lower cost industrial production of beneficial predators or parasitoids.

This is where VIRIDAXIS comes in. Its aim is to provide innovative, original, effective biological solutions for horticulturalists and farmers, notably through industrial production of beneficial insects. Compared with other companies of this type, VIRIDAXIS’ fundamental characteristic is that production is based on new technologies, like the generalised use of artificial breeding media. These new technologies are developed through a cooperative link with the UCL Ecology and Biogeography Laboratory, which specialises particularly in biological control, physiology, behaviour and population genetics.

VIRIDAXIS initially concentrated on the problems of aphids in market garden and ornamental greenhouse crops. In the next phase it will use its technology to target outdoor crops, as these segments are largely ignored by other companies and the demand for reasonably priced alternatives to pesticides is very high.

History

  • In response to a call for bids from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the UCL Ecology and Biogeography Unit headed by Professor Thierry Hance launched a six‑year research project in 1998 and showed that it was possible to control aphids in cereal crops.
  • Vincent Cambier did his doctoral thesis at the Laboratory between 1996 and 2000 (“Study of the role of hydroxamic acids and related compounds in Metopolophium dirhodum aphid resistance in maize”).  This was when he developed the first artificial media.
  • With financial backing from Wallonia's Department of Technologies, Research and Energy, Professor Thierry Hance, Vincent Cambier and their team developed an innovative solution for parasitoid production using biopolymer capsules in place of the aphid. The encouraging results prompted the project’s promoters to form a company.
  • VIRIDAXIS SA was formed on 26 July 2004, operating from the Heracles Business Park in Charleroi.
  • The company had start-up capital of 475,000 euros. In January 2005, a recoverable advance of 754,250 euros was granted by the Regional Government of Wallonia (Department of Technologies, Research and Energy) to improve scaling-up and automate insect production.
  • In June 2007 the company carried out an increase of capital of 960,000 euros. The shareholders comprise the management, Vives, S.R.I.W. and several Business Angels in the BAMS network.

Team

The team consists of ten people with specialised scientific expertise in chemistry, biology, biotechnology and automation. The team’s production and R&D experience and know‑how enable them to create new products quickly in response to market demands.


CEO : Vincent Cambier