What Pole Cristal does

Pole Cristal is a French non-profit technical R&D center (Association déclarée) founded in 2006 and headquartered in Dinan, Brittany, specializing in refrigeration, climate engineering, and thermal exchange technologies. The organization operates as a contract research and testing facility serving industrial manufacturers across HVAC, agri-food, pharmaceutical, packaging, aerospace, data center, and mobility end-markets. Its core service portfolio spans feasibility studies, custom prototyping and test bench fabrication, numerical modeling and simulation, laboratory characterization in climatic chambers, technological consulting, and training programs. Notable proprietary technologies developed and/or patented by Pole Cristal include the Thermofrigopompe (a tri-function heating/cooling/hot water system licensed to ETT), FROILOC® localized cold diffusion, an autonomous battery-powered refrigerated display case (with OCF), the OPTICOOL energy-efficient milk cooling tank (with SERAP Industries), and phase change material (PCM) heat exchangers developed under the MCPAC collaborative project. The center combines contract R&D for enterprise clients with publicly co-funded collaborative programs (FEDER, ADEME, ANR, Brittany and Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Councils) and holds CIR, CII, ISO 9001, and CRT certifications. Member of the Carnot AgriFood Transition research network alongside ADRIA and VEGENOV.

The business model is multi-stream. Revenue derives from project-based professional services billed to industrial clients (Bosch, Groupe Atlantic, Aldes, EDF, Dalkia, Chronopost, Groupe SEB, Airbus Helicopters, SERAP, Bio-Rad, DS Smith, among others), supplemented by public co-funding for collaborative R&D consortia, and technology licensing royalties (e.g., Thermofrigopompe to ETT). Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: direct B2B engagement with manufacturers, participation in industry events (SIFA trade shows, annual Colloquium drawing 100+ attendees, JTechPAC technical day), webinars, white papers, and active LinkedIn/YouTube presence. The organization has 11-50 employees and operates from a single Dinan facility. Pole Cristal functions as a specialized intermediary bridging academic research (CNRS, university labs) and industrial commercialization, with positioning strengths in F-GAS regulatory transition support, low-GWP refrigerant adoption, and energy efficiency validation for decarbonization-driven product development.

Name

Pole Cristal

Legal name

PÔLE CRISTAL

Website

https://pole-cristal.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pole Cristal is a French non-profit R&D center founded in 2006 in Dinan, Brittany, providing contract research, laboratory testing, prototyping, and consulting services in refrigeration, HVAC, and thermal engineering to industrial manufacturers across HVAC, agri-food, pharma, aerospace, and digital infrastructure sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refrigeration & HVAC Testing and R&D Services

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Refrigeration & Cold Storage (Commercial/Industrial) (EDAOACAD)

Keywords

• Refrigeration R&D services
• HVAC testing services
• Heat pump development
• Thermal energy storage
• Climate engineering consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Dinan

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Contract R&D Services: Contract research and development services provided to manufacturers, including feasibility studies, prototyping, modeling and simulation, laboratory testing, and technology consulting. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service engagements with industrial clients.
2. Collaborative R&D Programs: Collaborative R&D projects funded by public sources including FEDER, ADEME, ANR, Brittany Regional Council, and the European Union. Projects such as MCPAC, Tank 2020, CoolControl are conducted in consortium with academic and industrial partners.
3. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary technologies such as the Thermofrigopompe to industrial partners (e.g., ETT) for commercialization, generating royalty income.
4. Training and Technology Consulting: Custom training programs and technology consulting services for client organizations looking to build internal competencies in thermal systems and heat pump design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Pole Cristal is a technical R&D center offering contract research, laboratory testing, modeling/simulation, prototyping, custom test bench design, and technology consulting to industrial manufacturers. Its work focuses on refrigeration, HVAC, heat pumps, thermal energy storage, and climate engineering, complemented by selective licensing of proprietary patented technologies such as Thermofrigopompe.

Product overview

Pole Cristal is a technical R&D center specializing in refrigeration and climate engineering (réfrigération et génie climatique) located in Dinan, Brittany. The organization offers a portfolio of services rather than a single product, including testing and characterization services, modeling and simulation, prototyping and custom test benches, consulting and training, and contract/collaborative R&D. Key proprietary technologies developed include Thermofrigopompe (a patented multi-function heating/cooling system licensed to ETT), FROILOC® (localized cold diffusion system), and OPTICOOL (energy-efficient milk cooling tank from the Tank 2020 project). The center also conducts significant collaborative research including the MCPAC project on phase change material integration in heat pumps.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thermofrigopompe A patented multi-function technology that produces hot water, air conditioning, and heating in a single machine using an innovative and ecological fluid, licensed to ETT for commercialization to HVAC manufacturers and end users.
• FROILOC® Localized Ultra-Clean Cold Diffusion A concept for localized ultra-clean cold diffusion developed with IRSTEA that cools food products locally without cooling entire workshops, improving working conditions and protecting against airborne contamination, targeted at agri-food processors.
• Autonomous Battery-Powered Refrigerated Display Case A battery-powered autonomous refrigerated display case with 10-hour battery autonomy at 4°C under 25°C ambient conditions, integrated lighting, and low noise, developed with OCF and resulting in a patented, market-ready innovation.
• OPTICOOL Milk Cooling Tank (Tank 2020 Project) An innovative milk cooling tank delivering 80% electricity consumption reduction versus conventional units, developed through the Tank 2020 collaborative project and commercialized by SERAP Industries under the OPTICOOL brand for dairy farms.
• MCPAC Phase Change Material Heat Exchangers Innovative heat exchanger-storage units integrating phase change materials (PCM) into thermodynamic systems such as heat pumps, developed to enhance flexibility, seasonal performance, and renewable energy integration in heat pump systems.
• Thermal Testing & Characterization Services Laboratory testing and characterization services for refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump systems, including climate chamber testing and performance evaluation, delivered to industrial manufacturers at Pole Cristal's Dinan facility.
• Modeling & Simulation Services Numerical simulation and mathematical modeling services for thermal systems, heat exchangers, and thermodynamic processes, provided to industrial clients developing refrigeration, HVAC, and heat pump products.
• Prototyping & Custom Test Bench Engineering Custom prototype development and bespoke test bench fabrication for refrigeration and climate engineering applications, including aerodynamic and air/air test rigs for embedded and aerospace systems.
• Technology Consulting & Training Technological consulting, training programs, and technico-economic studies for manufacturers and industrial operators in thermal systems, refrigeration, and heat pump design.
• Contract & Collaborative R&D Services Contract research and collaborative R&D services including technology transfer, feasibility studies, and state-of-the-art studies, supporting manufacturers and industrial operators in development strategy across refrigeration, HVAC, and thermal systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tank 2020 project achieved 80% reduction in annual electricity consumption for farm milk coolers (SERAP Industries)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nobatek / INEF4coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Nobatek (Institut national pour la Transition Energétique du bâtiment) is a key consortium partner in the MCPAC project, focusing on the development of PCM-integrated heat exchanger-storers for heat pumps. Also collaborated on the BATISOL project for solar façade and heat pump coupling. Led the MCPAC presentation at the IEA Heat Pump Conference 2026.
• DanfosscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Danfoss is an industrial partner in the 3-year MCPAC collaborative R&D project, contributing industrial expertise on heat pump components and systems for the development of PCM-integrated heat exchangers.
• LaTEP LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research laboratory partner in the MCPAC collaborative project, contributing thermodynamic modeling and analysis expertise for PCM integration in heat pump systems.
• ICAM (Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the MCPAC consortium, contributing to the research and development of innovative heat pump technologies with PCM integration.
• Fraunhofer ISEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems. Dr. Hannes Fugmann from Fraunhofer ISE chaired the session at the IEA Heat Pump Conference 2026 where MCPAC project results were presented. Represents a peer research institution relationship.
• Carnot AgriFood TransitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPole Cristal is a member of the Carnot AgriFood Transition network, an R&D consortium bringing together complementary research teams (including ADRIA, VEGENOV) serving the agri-food sector. Provides access to public R&D funding and cross-disciplinary expertise.
• ADRIA (Association pour le Développement et la Recherche en Industrie Agroalimentaire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerADRIA collaborated with Pole Cristal on the CoolControl project within the Carnot AgriFood Transition framework. ADRIA contributed food safety and quality expertise while Pole Cristal provided thermal testing capabilities.
• ETT (Energie Transfert Thermique)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerETT signed a license contract for the Thermofrigopompe technology developed and patented by Pole Cristal. ETT commercialized the technology and was named winner of the ADEME Cop 21 'Future Air Conditioning' call for projects. Pole Cristal assisted with prototype design and performance testing.
• ADEME (Agence de la Transition Ecologique)coreOthersADEME provides financial support for collaborative R&D projects including Tank 2020, MCPAC, and CoolControl. Acts as a public funding body supporting Pole Cristal's research activities through the Programme Investissement d'Avenir and other mechanisms.
• Regional Council of Brittany (Conseil Régional de Bretagne)coreOthersBrittany Regional Council provides financial support for collaborative R&D projects including Tank 2020, MCPAC, and other Pole Cristal initiatives. Maintains institutional support relationship with Pole Cristal.
• Regional Council of Nouvelle-AquitaineminorOthersNouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Council co-funds the MCPAC collaborative R&D project alongside FEDER and Brittany Regional Council.
• FEDER (Fonds Européen de Développement Régional)coreOthersEuropean Regional Development Fund provides financial support for the MCPAC collaborative R&D project conducted by Pole Cristal and its consortium partners.
• SERAP IndustriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSERAP Industries was the lead industrial partner and operational manager of the Tank 2020 collaborative project. Collaborated with Pole Cristal on developing the OPTICOOL innovative milk cooling tank achieving 80% energy reduction.
• Institut de l'ElevagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute collaborating with Pole Cristal and GIE Elevages de Bretagne on the Eco Energy Milk program and Tank 2020 project, contributing expertise in livestock farming and dairy production systems.
• GIE Elevages de BretagnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic interest group representing Breton livestock farming, lead partner in the Eco Energy Milk program. Collaborated with Pole Cristal on designing testing methodologies and conducting campaigns for milk pre-coolers and heat recoverers.
• LactalisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy industry partner in the Tank 2020 collaborative project, contributing industrial perspective and use case requirements for innovative milk cooling technology.
• VEGENOVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVEGENOV partnered with Pole Cristal on the Petri'SAGE project (supported by Carnot AgriFood Transition, ANR, and Brittany Region), addressing condensation issues in plant tissue culture under LED lighting.
• LGCGM (Laboratoire de Génie Civil et Génie Mécanique) — Université de RennescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity research laboratory collaborated with Pole Cristal and Groupe Atlantic on the high-performance CETHI project using R290 propane refrigerant, contributing to component sizing, prototype assembly, and performance testing.
• ICB (Institut Charles Trottier) / UTBMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS-associated laboratory collaborated with Pole Cristal on additively manufactured thermal functionalization of plates, including phase change material integration and heat pipe development. ICB produced samples via laser micro-fusion.
• IGEOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGEO (Associate Director Dominique Duda) presented a thermal comfort application case study in tertiary buildings at the University of Rennes during Pole Cristal's 2025 General Assembly and Technical Day.
• Axima Réfrigération (Groupe Equans)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAxima Réfrigération presented an industrial process heat pump application case (NH3 supercompression for +85°C process hot water) during Pole Cristal's 2025 Technical Day.
• Dalkia Froid SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDalkia Froid Solutions (part of Groupe Terrena) presented a cold and heat production case study via heat pump and heat recovery with performance commitment contracts at the Galliance industrial site.
• AFCE (Alliance Froid Climatisation Environnementale)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFCE partnered with Pole Cristal to produce 11 practical information sheets on low-GWP refrigerant solutions for the RACHP sector, helping professionals navigate F-GAS III regulations.
• CRESITT IndustrieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRESITT Industrie (electronics-specialized CRT) partnered with Pole Cristal and GREMI (CNRS-University of Orléans) on a feasibility study for autonomous refrigerated containers for urban cold chain delivery.
• GREMI (CNRS – Université d'Orléans)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch laboratory (CNRS and University of Orléans) partnered with Pole Cristal and CRESITT Industrie on autonomous refrigerated container design, contributing electronics and materials expertise.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden): Swedish research institute with substantial HVAC, refrigeration, and energy testing capabilities. Operates as a publicly funded applied research partner for Nordic and European industrial clients, with overlapping thermal R&D scope to Pole Cristal.
• Fraunhofer ISE: Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems — a large German applied research institute covering heat pumps, refrigeration, and building energy. Collaborates with Pole Cristal on MCPAC (chaire at IEA Heat Pump Conference 2026) and is the most prominent pan-European peer for thermal R&D at significantly greater scale.
• TNO: Dutch applied research organization with significant thermal, refrigeration, and energy efficiency R&D programs serving European industrial clients. Functions as a larger, internationalized analog of the Pole Cristal R&D-center model.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives): Major French public research organization with significant thermal, hydrogen, and energy systems R&D programs. Much larger scale, but competes for the same French public R&D funding pools (ADEME, ANR) and works on overlapping heat-pump and refrigeration technology.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with significant HVAC/refrigeration compliance and performance testing services. Competes with Pole Cristal for testing-driven engagements and is a natural commercial alternative for industrial clients.
• IFP Energies nouvelles: French public research and training organization covering energy, transport, and environment — including thermal systems, heat pumps, and process efficiency. Comparable in public-mission profile and Carnot-style positioning, with broader energy scope.

Direct peers

• Nobatek / INEF4: French national institute for building energy transition, already a strategic MCPAC consortium partner with Pole Cristal. Overlapping thermal-engineering, heat-pump, and building-decarbonization R&D scope, serving the same French construction/HVAC client base.
• CETIAT: Centre Technique des Industries Aérauliques et Thermiques — a French technical center providing testing, R&D, and training services for HVAC, refrigeration, and aerraulic industries. Direct peer to Pole Cristal with very similar B2B technical-center model serving French HVAC manufacturers.
• CETIM: Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques — French mechanical industry technical center offering contract R&D, testing, and prototyping to industrial manufacturers. Comparable in mission (industrial R&D for manufacturers), funding model (partially public), and Carnot network affiliation.
• INES (Institut National de l'Énergie Solaire): French national solar energy institute with significant heat pump and thermal systems R&D activity. Similar Carnot-affiliated R&D center model in France, with comparable public funding mix and B2B service delivery to HVAC and energy clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/polecristal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCFPWFYMu_zl0Vejcre5BZIw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/p%C3%B4le-cristal?originalSubdomain=fr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pole Cristal