Aerial-CRT

What Aerial-CRT does

Aerial-CRT is a French, associative-status Technology Resource Centre (CRT) and Agro-Industrial Technical Institute (ITAI) headquartered at the Illkirch Innovation Park near Strasbourg, founded in 1986. It operates a single integrated site that combines high-energy radiation processing, dosimetry, microbiology (L2/L3), physico-chemistry, 400 MHz NMR, sensory analysis, and the Louis Rey pilot freeze-drying laboratory, serving food, pharmaceutical, medical device, advanced materials, environmental, and cosmetics clients through R&D contracts, accredited testing, dosimetry calibration, training, and product sales.

The technical core is the feerix® facility, a high-energy electron beam and X-ray processing platform built on an IBA Rhodotron TT300 accelerator with dual beam lines (10 MeV electrons, 5/7 MV X-rays) up to 100 kW, marketed as a globally unique configuration. Aerial complements this with proprietary dosimetry software (Aerode® for industrial dosimetry QC, Aerede® for EPR/alanine dosimetry, Dosasap for CTA dosimeter readout) validated against FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and ISO/ASTM standards, and supports them with COFRAC-accredited laboratories (testing No. 1-1883, calibration No. 2-1564) plus DGCCRF, ANSM, INAO, and ANSES authorizations that permit regulated work such as Clostridium Botulinum handling in L3 and Listeria monocytogenes testing.

Aerial monetizes primarily through professional services — over 200 industrial contracts annually, ~150 multi-year research programs, and 400+ trainees over 35 years — supplemented by sales and licensing of its dosimetry software/equipment globally (channel-served in the US by Rotunda SciTech). The organization is publicly co-funded (French Ministry of Agriculture, ERDF, Grand Est, Strasbourg Eurométropole) and operates under IAEA Collaborating Centre designation (since 2016, renewed 2022) and a Joint Laboratory with IPHC (CNRS/University of Strasbourg) launched in November 2022, which together structure its R&D pipeline and international positioning across 50+ countries and 1,000+ industrial partners.

Name

Aerial-CRT

Legal name

Aerial CRT

Website

https://aerial-crt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aerial-CRT is a French Technology Resource Centre (CRT) and IAEA Collaborating Centre operating an integrated facility for high-energy radiation processing, dosimetry, microbiology, NMR, sensory analysis, and freeze-drying, serving food, pharmaceutical, medical device, and advanced-materials clients through R&D services, accredited testing, training, and proprietary dosimetry software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Research and Technology Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), X-Ray Apparatus & Tubes & Related Irradiation Apparatus (3844)

akta.pro primary industry

Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Radiation processing services
• Dosimetry systems software
• Industrial research development
• Food safety testing
• Freeze-drying formulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Illkirch

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. R&D and Technical Services: Project-based R&D contracts, technical consulting, and expertise services for industrial clients. Aerial provides research, development, testing, and validation services across radiation processing, microbiology, physico-chemistry, NMR, sensory analysis, and freeze-drying. Over 200 industrial contracts per year and nearly 150 multi-year research programs conducted.
2. Training Programs: Tailored inter- and intra-company training programs across all domains of expertise including radiation processing control, dosimetry, freeze-drying, sensory analysis, microbiology, and physico-chemistry. Over 400 trainees supervised over 35 years.
3. Dosimetry Equipment and Software: Sale and licensing of proprietary dosimetry systems (Aerode, Aerede, Dosasap) and related equipment for radiation processing quality control. Products distributed globally to laboratory and industrial environments, validated per FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and ISO/ASTM standards.
4. Radiation Processing Services: Irradiation testing, optimization, and process validation services using high-energy electron beam, X-ray, and complementary facilities (LEEB, Van de Graaff, X-ray cabinet). Services cover medical device sterilization, material enhancement, food irradiation, and environmental applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aerial-CRT delivers applied R&D, technical services, and accredited testing in radiation processing, dosimetry, microbiology, physico-chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, sensory analysis, and freeze-drying for industrial and institutional clients. Revenue is generated through project-based R&D contracts, technical consulting, training programs, sale/licensing of proprietary dosimetry software and equipment, and irradiation processing services.

Product overview

Aerial-CRT operates as a comprehensive research and technology center offering radiation processing services and analytical testing across multiple domains. The core portfolio centers on the feerix® high-energy radiation facility (electron beam and X-ray up to 100 kW), complemented by specialized dosimetry systems including aerode® and aerede® software for quality control. Supporting infrastructure includes L2/L3 microbiology and physico-chemistry laboratories, NMR spectroscopy (400 MHz), sensory analysis, and the Louis Rey freeze-drying laboratory. Services span medical device sterilization, food irradiation, material enhancement, and bioscience applications with IAEA Collaborating Centre designation and COFRAC accreditation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• feerix®: High-energy electron beam and X-ray radiation processing facility using Rhodotron® TT300 technology by IBA Industrial. Provides R&D, testing, education and training capabilities for radiation processing applications.
• aerode®
• Aer'ede®
• dosasap
• Louis Rey Freeze-Drying Laboratory

Products and services

• feerix® Radiation Processing Facility High-energy electron beam and X-ray radiation processing facility featuring IBA Rhodotron TT300 with dual beam lines (10 MeV electron beam and 5/7 MV X-rays) up to 100 kW power, used for R&D, sterilization, material enhancement, food irradiation, and environmental applications by industrial clients.
• LEEB (Low-Energy Electron Beam Facility) Low-energy electron beam irradiation system (80-200 keV, 5 kW) for surface treatment, coating curing, and thin-film processing applications, offered as a service to industrial clients.
• Van de Graaff Accelerator Medium-energy particle accelerator (0.5-2.5 MV, 0.3 kW) offered as a service for radiation processing research and applications.
• Low-Energy X-Ray Cabinet Low-energy X-ray irradiation system (10-160 kV, 3 kW) offered as a service for research and quality control applications.
• Louis Rey Freeze-Drying Laboratory Lyophilization service facility with Telstar Lyobeta 25 pilot freeze dryer in ISO7 environment, providing formulation development and freeze-drying protocol optimization for therapeutic and diagnostic products for biotech and pharmaceutical clients.
• NMR Laboratory Services 400 MHz (9.4 Tesla) high-field NMR spectrometer platform with liquid, semi-solid HR-MAS, and solid CP-MAS probes offered as a service for food authenticity, material characterization, metabolomics, and pharmaceutical analysis.
• Microbiology Laboratory Services (L2/L3) Biosafety level 2 and 3 microbiology testing services with bioscreen systems, flow cytometry, PCR/qPCR, and NGS capabilities for pathogen detection, shelf-life testing, and predictive microbiology for food and pharmaceutical clients.
• Physico-Chemistry and Nutrition Laboratory Services Analytical chemistry testing services with HPLC-MS², GC-FID/MS, UV-Vis/NIR/MIR spectrophotometry, and DSC equipment for nutritional quality assessment and food authenticity verification for food and consumer product clients.
• Sensory Analysis Laboratory Services COFRAC-accredited sensory testing services with 13 white testing booths, consumer and expert panels for product quality tracking and consumer alignment studies for food and consumer product clients.
• Irradiated Food Detection Services DGCCRF-approved detection services using thermoluminescence (EN 1788), gas chromatography (EN 1784/1785), and ESR spectroscopy (EN 1786/1787/13708) for irradiated food regulatory compliance testing.
• Radiation Processing Control and Dosimetry Services IAEA Collaborating Centre services including dosimetry system calibration (alanine, GEX Windose, CTA, FWT, Gafchromic), IQ/OQ/PQ qualification, and training programs for radiation sterilization and processing.
• Training Programs Tailored inter- and intra-company training programs across all domains of expertise including radiation processing control, dosimetry, freeze-drying, sensory analysis, microbiology, and physico-chemistry, delivered at Aerial's facilities or on customer sites.
• aerode® Industrial Dosimetry Software Standalone industrial dosimetry software product for irradiation treatment quality control, supporting IQ/OQ/PQ procedures and routine monitoring, with DBase/SQL/Excel storage compatibility and compliance with ISO/ASTM and FDA CFR 21 requirements. Sold/licensed to radiation processing facilities globally.
• aerede® EPR Dosimetry System Standalone EPR dosimetry software and system controlling the MS5000 EPR spectrometer, providing alanine dosimetry calibration, dosimeter management with barcode traceability, and compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, ISO, EN, and ISO/ASTM standards. Sold/licensed globally.
• dosasap CTA Dosimetry Equipment Standalone PC-controlled dosimetry equipment and software for CTA dosimeter readout, supporting dosimetry system calibration, electron beam analysis, and dose uniformity measurement, compliant with ISO/ASTM and FDA CFR 21 Part 11. Sold/licensed to radiation processing facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 industrial contracts delivered annually
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core, minor and regulatory.

• ANR MetaSimFood ConsortiumstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Aerial participates in the ANR MetaSimFood project (funded by French National Research Agency), which aims to improve quality, safety, and sustainability of fermented vegetables and beverages using synthetic ecology and modeling approaches. Consortium partners include Institut Micalis (coordinator), SayFood, MaIAGE (INRAE, Paris-Saclay), Laboratory of Oenology (ISVV, Bordeaux), and CRIM-BIA (INRAE). Aerial contributes expertise in food microbiology and provides access to feerix irradiation facilities.
• IPHC (Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2022Launched a Joint Laboratory (Laboratoire Commun) with IPHC structured around three scientific axes: (1) Dosimetry and industrial applications of irradiation techniques, (2) Radiolysis of biomolecules, radiobiology and radiotherapy, (3) Food and environmental sciences and development of specific analytical methods. The partnership leverages mutual technical and scientific resources and complementary instrumentation for advanced research serving the Grand Est innovation ecosystem.
• BrukerstrategicTechnology or Integration · 18 October 2019Partnership confirmed for continued focus on the dosimetry market following Bruker's acquisition of Magnettech's EPR (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance) business. Aerial and Bruker are committed to customer satisfaction and continued development of dosimetry solutions. The collaboration is expected to strengthen and structure resources at the international level, leading to technology innovations aligned with Aerial's development strategy.
• IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Aerial has been designated as an IAEA Collaborating Centre since 2016 (renewed in 2022), recognizing its expertise in electron beam and X-ray ionization treatments and associated dosimetry. This role supports global radiation processing initiatives, best practice development, and international research collaboration. Aerial participates in IAEA conferences and contributes to global standards development.
• Rotunda SciTechminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted partner in the United States for Aerede EPR dosimetry products. Rotunda SciTech distributes Aerial's EPR dosimetry solutions in the US market, supporting the radiation processing community with localized sales and support.
• IBA IndustrialstrategicTechnology or IntegrationIBA Industrial is the supplier of the Rhodotron TT300 accelerator, which is the core technology of Aerial's feerix radiation processing platform. The feerix facility with its dual beam lines represents a unique configuration enabled by IBA's Rhodotron technology for high-energy electron beam and X-ray applications.
• ANSES (Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerANSES recognizes Aerial for its excellence in Listeria monocytogenes growth testing in food products. Aerial collaborates with ANSES on food safety and microbiology research, contributing to national food safety standards and regulatory compliance per EU regulation CE 2073/2005.
• ACTIA (Actia Association)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAerial serves as leader and co-facilitator of the ACTIA-QUALIMA RMT (Réseau Mixte Technologique) and UMT MAIA, contributing to the agro-industrial technical institute network focused on food quality and safety. ACTIA connects technical institutes across France for collaborative research and innovation in the agri-food sector.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with CNRS through the Joint Laboratory with IPHC. CNRS representatives participate in the laboratory's governance and strategic direction. The partnership enables mutualization of technical and scientific potential between Aerial's industrial research capabilities and CNRS's fundamental research expertise.
• University of StrasbourgstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the University of Strasbourg through the Joint Laboratory with IPHC. The University participates in the laboratory's governance with its Vice President for Research. This collaboration connects Aerial's applied industrial research with the University's academic research capabilities.
• DGCCRF (Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes)regulatoryOthersOfficially approved by DGCCRF for the detection of irradiated food products, applying internationally recognized standardized methods (thermoluminescence EN 1788:2001, gas chromatography EN 1784/EN 1785:2003, ESR spectroscopy EN 1786/EN 1787/EN 13708) to ensure regulatory compliance with EU Directive L66/16 (1999).
• Sym'Previus NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational collaboration with the Sym'Previus network for predictive microbiology, using modeling tools to predict microbial behavior and support food safety risk assessment for clients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bruker: Global analytical instruments manufacturer supplying EPR and NMR platforms. Aerial's dosimetry software (Aerede) is built on Bruker's MS5000 EPR spectrometer, and the two parties have a strategic dosimetry partnership, making Bruker both supplier and broadly comparable in measurement instrumentation.
• Sartorius: Provides bioprocessing and laboratory analytics for pharmaceutical and food industries. Comparable in adjacent freeze-drying / lyophilization expertise and analytical laboratory instrumentation for life sciences customers.
• Steris: Global sterilization and infection prevention services company operating gamma, E-beam, and X-ray contract sterilization facilities. Overlaps with Aerial's medical device sterilization validation and contract irradiation services.
• Thermo Fisher Scientific: Global leader in laboratory analytical instruments (spectrometers, chromatography, NMR-adjacent platforms). Comparable as a supplier of analytical instrumentation used by Aerial's physico-chemistry and NMR laboratories.
• Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA): French public research organization with deep radiation processing, dosimetry, and nuclear science capabilities. Comparable as a multidisciplinary radiation R&D resource operating in France.

Regional players

• ANSES: French national food safety agency that recognizes Aerial for Listeria monocytogenes testing. Comparable in food microbiology and regulatory reference function, though ANSES is a public agency rather than a commercial R&D provider.

Others

• Sym'Previus: National French predictive microbiology network in which Aerial participates. Comparable in providing food safety modeling and microbiological risk assessment tools to industrial clients.
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL): UK national measurement institute operating accredited dosimetry and calibration services. Comparable on the calibration, reference standards, and measurement traceability side of Aerial's accredited dosimetry lab.
• Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN): French national institute for radiation protection and nuclear safety. Comparable in radiation measurement, dosimetry, and associated regulatory scientific support.

Direct peers

• IBA Industrial: Supplies the Rhodotron TT300 that powers Aerial's feerix facility, and operates its own commercial electron beam and X-ray sterilization services. Direct overlap in radiation processing customer base and accelerator technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aerial-crt

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aerial-CRT