AGRANA Research & Innovation Center

What AGRANA Research & Innovation Center does

AGRANA Research & Innovation Center GmbH (ARIC) is the centralised R&D subsidiary of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG, operating from a 4,000 m² facility in Tulln, Austria with approximately 85 staff. Founded in 1986 as Raiffeisen-Bioforschung GmbH and rebranded ARIC in 2014, the centre conducts research across three core segments aligned with AGRANA's divisions: sugar, starch (including bioethanol), and fruit (preparations and purees). Its technology infrastructure spans a pilot-scale technical centre (1–2,000 kg), fermentation bioreactors at 3L/30L/300L scale, chemical/enzymatic/physical starch modification lines, a Safety Level 2 microbiology laboratory, advanced analytical instrumentation (HPLC with RI/UV/VIS/FLD/CAD/MS, GC-FID, IC, ICP-OES, digital and quantitative PCR), and a digitalized sensory panel of 35 trained panellists conducting 100+ tests annually.

The centre's portfolio includes specialty modified starches, maltodextrines, potato fibre, the Agenovum® vegan egg replacement range, the AGENACOMP® 50% thermoplastic-starch bioplastic compound (TÜV-certified 100% home-compostable), and a joint-development process with Applexion for functional potato protein isolate. Notable proprietary instrumentation includes the ARIC Universal/ALKA/LISA+ system for sugar juice purification optimisation, supported by the OPAL software. ARIC holds the majority of the AGRANA Group's 107 patent portfolio (85 granted) spanning hop acids, rosin acids, BetaStab, silage methods, fatty acid applications, and bioplastics.

ARIC operates as an internal services provider, generating revenue primarily through intra-group R&D allocations from AGRANA's Sugar, Starch, Fruit, and Juice divisions, with secondary external third-party contract research and analytical services. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales with project-based engagement across dedicated technology departments (General, Biotechnology, Starch Technology, Sugar Technology, Fruit Technology). Approximately €7.1 million of AGRANA Group's €15 million annual R&D investment is deployed at ARIC. Distribution is global where AGRANA divisions operate (25+ countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Americas, Africa, and Oceania), though ARIC itself is a single Tulln-based facility.

Name

AGRANA Research & Innovation Center

Legal name

AGRANA Research & Innovation Center GmbH

Website

https://agrana-research.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AGRANA Research & Innovation Center (ARIC) is the centralised R&D subsidiary of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG, operating from Tulln, Austria with ~85 staff. It develops specialty starches, bioplastics, sugar and fruit process technologies, and provides contract R&D and analytical services to AGRANA's divisions and external clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Research and Development Services

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

Keywords

• Contract R&D services
• Food technology research
• Starch applications
• Fruit processing innovation
• Sugar technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulln

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Internal R&D Services for AGRANA Group: ARIC is a wholly owned subsidiary of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG providing R&D services exclusively to internal divisions (Sugar, Starch, Fruit, Juice). Revenue flows internally as part of the parent group's consolidated operations. No external commercial product sales.
2. Third-Party R&D and Contract Analysis Services: ARIC makes its specialised R&D expertise available to external companies, offering contract research, analytical testing, and application development in sugar technology, food technology, starch technology, microbiology, biotechnology, and fruit. Contract analyses are performed for third parties on request.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AGRANA Research & Innovation Center (ARIC) is the centralized research and development company of the AGRANA Group, providing specialized R&D, contract research, analytical testing, agricultural consulting, and pilot-scale process development services across sugar, starch, and fruit processing. It operates approximately 4,000 m² of laboratory and pilot-scale facilities in Tulln, Austria, serving internal AGRANA divisions (Sugar, Starch, Fruit, Juice) as well as external food and industrial clients worldwide.

Product overview

AGRANA Research & Innovation Center (ARIC) operates as a central R&D company for the AGRANA Group, focusing on three core areas: Starch (including bioethanol), Sugar, and Fruit. The portfolio includes specialty modified starches for food and non-food applications (AGENACOMP® bio-plastics, Agenovum® vegan egg replacements), sugar products under the Wiener Zucker brand, crystalline betaine (Beta Pura®), fruit preparations and purees, as well as byproducts like bioethanol, animal feed, and fertilizers. ARIC provides research, development, consulting, and analytical services to internal divisions and external clients, with approximately 85 staff working across 4,000 m² of facilities in Tulln, Austria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AGENACOMP®: Bio-plastic compound consisting of 50% thermoplastic starch and biodegradable polyester; home compostable; developed at ARIC and launched in 2018.
• Agenovum®
• Agenovum®-glutenfrei

Products and services

• Contract R&D and Application Development Services Project-based research and development services across sugar technology, food technology, starch technology, biotechnology, and fruit technology, delivered to AGRANA's internal divisions and external food and industrial companies for product innovation and process optimization.
• Contract Analytical and Microbiological Testing Services Analytical testing services using HPLC (RI, UV/VIS, FLD, CAD, MS), GC-FID, IC, ICP-OES, conventional and digital/quantitative PCR, and Safety Level 2 microbiology, including sensory evaluation, method development, and validation for external clients on request.
• Agricultural Consulting and Soil Analysis Services Variety trials, soil sample analysis using the Electro-Ultra-Filtration (EUF) method, and beet analysis consulting for sugar beet and other agricultural raw materials. Since 2000, approximately 200,000 soil samples covering roughly 3,000,000 hectares have been tested.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reverse osmosis pre-concentration in potato protein process increases dry matter from 2.5–4% to 8–14%, with >99% retention of both proteins and salts
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ApplexioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2025Multi-year partnership between ARIC and Applexion to develop an improved process for producing functional potato protein isolate for human nutrition. The process uses reverse osmosis pre-concentration followed by ultrafiltration, reducing chemical consumption and enabling water recovery. The resulting protein isolate is highly soluble with functional properties (emulsifying, gelling, foaming) suitable for diverse food applications.
• AciesBio (Kamnik, Slovenia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2023ARIC is a partner in the EU BBI JU Horizon Europe project SUSFERT, contributing by developing fermentation of siderophores by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa. AciesBio hosted the inauguration of an industrial-scale fermenter for siderophore production as part of the project. Nine sustainable fertilisers for phosphorus and iron supply were developed and validated in over 60 fertiliser trials.
• Plastics Cluster in Lower AustriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019ARIC partnered with the Plastics Cluster in Lower Austria for the BioSet project (4-year FTI-funded research project) on bio-based industrial adhesives from renewable raw materials. The project involves developing adhesives from potato, maize, and wheat starch through selective enzymatic oxidation and lignin crosslinking, targeting construction and chipboard applications.
• Metadynea and Murexin (project consortium partners)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Metadynea and Murexin, two Lower Austria leading companies, participate in the BioSet project consortium alongside ARIC and the Plastics Cluster. Both companies have the market proximity and commercial potential to translate research outcomes into practical applications.
• BOKU — University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, ViennacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019ARIC collaborates with BOKU (Institute of Food Science) in multiple research projects including BioSet (enzymatic starch oxidation), OptiSacch (bacterial populations in sugar beet extraction), and various doctoral and master thesis supervisions (e.g., Cordula Moser, Sophie Bauer). BOKU provides academic rigour and graduate talent pipeline.
• TU Wien — Vienna University of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019TU Wien collaborates with ARIC in the BioSet project, contributing mechanistic expertise on enzymatic oxidation of starch and lignin for adhesive development. The partnership provides fundamental research capabilities complementing ARIC's applied focus.
• Wood K+ (Wood K plus)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Wood K+ partners with ARIC in the BioSet project as a research institution providing expertise in wood-based materials and lignin chemistry, supporting the development of bio-based adhesives combining starch and lignin components.
• Beta Pura GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture between AGRANA GmbH and The Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC (the second-largest US beet sugar producer). Beta Pura operates a betaine crystallisation plant in Tulln — the world's third site where liquid betaine is extracted chromatographically from sugar beet molasses and crystallised. ARIC works interdisciplinarily on quality control, product development, and betaine yield optimisation for Beta Pura.
• AGES — Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (Wien)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARIC cooperates with AGES in maintaining a comprehensive system for sugar beet variety testing. AGES provides regulatory and scientific oversight for variety trials, supporting the evaluation of sugar beet varieties for yield, disease resistance, and suitability for sugar extraction.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Roquette: Global leader in starch and starch-derived polyols (including PLA/bioplastics) with extensive R&D in plant-based proteins and excipients; directly comparable to ARIC's starch modification, fermentation, and bioplastics (AGENACOMP®) programmes.
• Südzucker: Europe's largest sugar producer with integrated starch and fruit preparation activities; operates its own central R&D infrastructure (Zentrum für Angewandte Forschung, Obrigheim) covering sugar, starch, and bio-based ingredients — directly comparable to ARIC's sugar-starch-fruit mandate.
• Tereos: French sugar, starch, and ethanol cooperative with a central R&D centre (Tereos R&D, Moussy-le-Vieux) developing sugar beet processing, starch modification, and fermentation technologies — closely aligned with ARIC's core technical domains.
• Royal Cosun: Dutch cooperative with sugar (Suiker Unie), starch (Aviko), and bio-based ingredients businesses and a dedicated Cosun Research & Development centre — analogous integrated sugar/starch R&D model to ARIC.

Emerging players

• Corbion: Dutch specialty food ingredients and lactic acid/bioplastics (PLA) company with R&D focus on fermentation, food preservation, and biodegradable polymers; partial overlap with ARIC's bioplastics and food technology work.

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global agribusiness with a large food ingredients and bioindustrial R&D footprint (including fermentation, bioplastics, and plant protein work); broader in scope but addresses the same technical problems as ARIC.
• Ingredion: Global ingredient solutions provider with a major starch/sweetener portfolio and the Ingredion Idea Labs innovation network; overlaps with ARIC on modified starches, maltodextrines, and clean-label ingredient development.
• ADM: Global nutrition and agricultural origination company with central R&D covering starch, sweeteners, flavours, and bioproducts — comparable to ARIC in technical breadth across sugar, starch, and fermentation.
• Tate & Lyle: Global food and beverage ingredients company (sweeteners, texturants, starches) with established R&D in speciality starches and sugar reduction — comparable to ARIC's specialty starch and food application development.

Regional players

• Pfeifer & Langen: German sugar and food ingredients group (Diamant, KWS partnership, boiler confectionery sugar) with internal R&D; comparable sugar-process and food-application R&D mandate to ARIC, primarily DACH-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• Facebookfacebook.com/AGRANA.Group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agrana-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/agrana_fruit.starch.sugar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 AGRANA Research & Innovation Center