Astra-innovazione E Sviluppo Srl

What Astra-innovazione E Sviluppo Srl does

Astra Innovazione e Sviluppo Srl (ASTRA) is an Italy-based agrifood research, experimentation, and innovation services company headquartered in Faenza (Ravenna), with operations in Imola (Bologna) and Cesena (Forlì-Cesena). The firm was formed through the merger of CRPV LAB and Alimos and is controlled by Ri.NOVA, a cooperative entity that consolidates regional and European research programs. ASTRA operates an integrated service platform comprising four interconnected units: a GEP/GLP-certified Testing Facility (Centro di Saggio) authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health to conduct registration trials for plant protection products; three specialized laboratories covering chemical analysis (over 40 years operating in the wine sector under prior names ESAVE and CATEV), microbiological analysis (with a 500-strain yeast collection and freeze-dried starter production), and ISO-compliant quality and sensory analysis; an Agronomic sector managing genetic improvement, varietal evaluation, and biostimulant/fertilizer trials; and approximately 45 hectares of irrigated experimental farmland with 10,000 sq.m. of greenhouses, screen-houses, and breeding tunnels across three farms.

The company's business model is professional services revenue drawn from four streams: (1) paid research and experimentation services for public administration and private companies in the agrifood sector, including participation as an active unit in Operational Groups for Innovation (GOI) under EAFRD; (2) laboratory analysis services priced per sample (e.g., €10 per chemical analysis for grapes, musts, and wines, with the first sample free); (3) GEP/GLP-compliant field trials for efficacy testing, residue studies, and selectivity evaluations supporting regulatory submissions; and (4) coordination of EU-funded projects, notably the LIFE Programme projects Life POREM (€1,440,771.23 total cost) and Life MicroFighter (€2,178,541.40 total cost). Customers span agricultural input multinationals (Bayer CropScience Italia, ADAMA Italia, Nunhems, ICL Growing Solutions), large Italian agrifood operators (ApoFruit Italia, Jingold, Consorzio Agrario di Ravenna), public research institutions (CNR, ENEA, Universities of Bologna, Ferrara, Modena and Reggio Emilia), and large-scale retail distribution. Go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-direct with no intermediaries, supplemented by technical conferences, demo days at farms, university collaborations, and project-based dissemination channels. The firm holds 11–50 employees and a stated share capital of €81,674.68, with sole administrator Alvaro Crociani.

Name

Astra-innovazione E Sviluppo Srl

Legal name

Astra Innovazione e Sviluppo Srl

Website

https://astrainnovazione.it

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Astra Innovazione e Sviluppo Srl is an Italy-based, GEP/GLP-certified agrifood research and experimentation services provider operating laboratories, a certified testing facility, and ~45 hectares of experimental farmland across Faenza, Imola, and Cesena to serve agricultural input companies, agrifood producers, and EU/regional public research programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Experimentation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Services (700), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Pesticide Residue & Agrochemical Screening Services (Soil/Plant/Water) (AFACAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pathogen & Disease Diagnostics Services (Plant, Soil, Water) (AFACAKAG), Supplier Approval, Verification & Food Safety Risk Management (GFSI-aligned) (AFALADAH), Carbon, Sustainability & MRV Services for Farms (Baseline, Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) (AFACACAK)

Keywords

• Agricultural research services
• GEP GLP field trials
• Agroenvironmental laboratory analysis
• Plant protection testing
• Viticulture enology analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Faenza, Ra

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Experimentation Services: Services for public and private bodies including verification of product innovations (varietal evaluations, efficacy testing, quality monitoring, genetic improvement), development of process innovations, and verification of innovations for organic crops.
2. Laboratory Analysis Services: Chemical, microbiological, quality and sensory analyses provided to external users. Chemical analysis starting from €10 per sample for grapes, musts, and wines.
3. Field Trials and Testing: Field trials for efficacy testing, residue studies (GEP/GLP compliant), and experimental trials for agricultural producers and companies producing technical means for agriculture.
4. Government-Funded Projects: Participation and coordination of projects funded by public administration including regional, national, and European programs. Operates as active Unit in Operational Groups for Innovation (GOI).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Astra Innovazione e Sviluppo Srl is a service company providing research, experimentation, innovation, and dissemination services in the agrifood sector. Its core offerings include a GEP/GLP-certified Testing Facility (Centro di Saggio) for registration trials of active substances, three specialized laboratories (chemical, microbiological, and quality/sensory), agronomic crop trials, and management of approximately 45 hectares of experimental farmland across three operational sites in Emilia-Romagna.

Product overview

Astra Innovazione e Sviluppo Srl is a service company providing research, experimentation, innovation and dissemination services in the agrifood sector. The company operates as a platform of interconnected services comprising: (1) Centro di Saggio (Testing Facility) - GEP/GLP certified facility for agricultural product testing and residue analysis; (2) three specialized laboratories - Chemical, Microbiological, and Quality/Sensory Analysis laboratories; (3) an Agronomic sector for genetic improvement and crop trials; and (4) Farm management across three operational sites. The integrated offering enables end-to-end support from field trials to laboratory analysis for the fruit, horticulture, viticulture, seed, and extensive crops sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centro di Saggio (Testing Facility) GEP/GLP-certified testing facility authorized by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Health. Conducts registration trials of active substances used in agriculture, demonstration trials and experimental trials. Evaluates biological efficacy against adversities on tree and herbaceous crops and against weeds, toxicity and side effects on beneficial entomofauna, and performs residue analysis for plant protection product registration.
• Laboratorio Chimico (Chemical Laboratory) Chemical analysis laboratory with over 40 years of experience in the wine industry, performing control and support activities for research and experimental programs. Conducts analyses including alcohol by volume, volatile acidity, density, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, metals, vitamins, organic acids, anthocyanins, and residue analysis for grapes, musts, and wines.
• Laboratorio Microbiologico (Microbiological Laboratory) Microbiological laboratory performing control analysis of processing methods and finished products in winemaking and brewing. Maintains a service collection of 500 selected yeast strains distributed for industrial, research, and educational purposes and produces fermentation starters for wineries and breweries.
• Laboratorio Qualità e Analisi Sensoriali (Quality and Sensory Analysis Laboratory) Evaluates quality and characteristics of fresh and processed vegetable foods through integrated sensory, chemical-physical, and instrumental analysis. Includes panel training per ISO standards, sensory profile detection, varietal characterization, Taint tests, consumer tests, and shelf life testing.
• Settore Agronomico (Agronomic Sector) Agronomic research and experimentation services including genetic improvement of fruit and vines, evaluation of varietal characteristics, studies on the impact of agronomic techniques on crops and soil, fertilization and biostimulants. Operates on approximately 50 hectares of land within Emilia-Romagna, including trials across Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, Ravenna, Forlì, and Rimini.
• Gestione Aziende Agricole (Farm Management) Manages approximately 45 hectares of irrigated and predominantly flat agricultural land distributed across three farms (Tebano in Faenza, Mario Neri in Imola, Martorano 5 in Cesena) hosting orchards, vineyards, greenhouses totaling 10,000 sq.m., and open-field horticultural and arable crops for experimental and demonstration trials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces copper use in agricultural soils from 4 kg/ha/year to 2 kg/ha/year in Life MicroFighter project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ri.NOVA (Controlling Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRi.NOVA is the parent/holding company of ASTRA Innovazione e Sviluppo. It is a cooperative company involved in research and experimentation in crop production through development, management and reporting of regional, national and international projects. ASTRA serves as the operative arm for Ri.NOVA's research activities.
• University of BolognacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASTRA makes its facilities and technical expertise available for the Viticulture and Oenology degree course, particularly for oenology exercises accompanying university training modules.
• CNR (National Research Council of Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with CNR for national and international research projects including Life MicroFighter project.
• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Life MicroFighter project - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) collaborating on innovative zeo-biopesticide research.
• University of FerraraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration and student training.
• University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration.
• ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ENEA for public experimental research activities.
• Università degli studi di FerraraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Life MicroFighter project.
• Symbiagro SRLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProponent of Life MicroFighter project. Symbiagro is developing the innovative Zeo-Biopesticide product that ASTRA helps test and validate.
• Consorzio Agrario di Ravenna soc.coop. a r.l. (CAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Life MicroFighter project - Consorzio Agrario di Ravenna collaborating on field trials.
• Federacion de Cooperativas Agroalimentares de la Comunidad Valenciana (CACV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Life MicroFighter project - Spanish agricultural cooperatives federation.
• Sveuciliste u Zadru (UNIZD) - University of ZadarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Life MicroFighter project - Croatian university collaborating on international trials.
• Regional Phytosanitary ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partnerships with Phytosanitary Services for agricultural research.
• Rural Development AgenciesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Rural Development Agencies for project development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• STAPHYT: French-headquartered agricultural contract research organization offering GEP/GLP-compliant field trials, residue studies, and agrochemical efficacy testing across Europe. Closest direct peer to Astra's Centro di Saggio, with comparable service mix serving crop protection manufacturers.
• Phytocontrol: French agricultural laboratory specialized in pesticide residue analysis, contaminant testing, and food safety. Highly comparable niche peer to Astra's chemical and microbiological laboratories serving agro-food clients.
• Horta S.r.l. Italian spin-off providing decision support systems, sustainability assessment, and field trial coordination for crop production. Comparable on Italian agronomic R&D and EU project execution; narrower than Astra on laboratory services.
• AGREA (Centro di Consulenza e Analisi): Italian agronomic consulting and analysis center providing field trials, laboratory analyses, and technical assistance to agricultural producers in northern Italy. Closest Italian peer to Astra with overlapping geography and service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Mérieux NutriSciences (Bioagri): International food testing and agroscience services group offering field trials, residue studies, and food safety analysis. Comparable to Astra's laboratory and testing facility operations, particularly for crop protection and food quality clients.
• Eurofins Agroscience Services: Global CRO division of Eurofins providing regulatory field trials, residue analysis, and ecotoxicology for plant protection products. Overlaps with Astra's GEP/GLP testing and chemical lab capabilities but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• INTERTEK Agri & Food: Global quality assurance provider with agricultural services including GEP/GLP field trials, residue analysis, and laboratory testing. Overlaps with Astra on regulatory testing services for agrochemical manufacturers.
• SGS Agriculture and Food: Global inspection, verification, and testing company with a major agricultural services division covering residue analysis, GEP/GLP field trials, and laboratory testing. Comparable on laboratory and field-trial services for input manufacturers but operates at much larger scale.

Others

• CRPV (Centro Ricerche Produzioni Vegetali) - historical entity: Italian agronomic research organization (predecessor of current Ri.NOVA structure) historically engaged in field trials and innovation projects for fruit, vegetable, and wine sectors. Listed as adjacent/historical peer relevant for understanding Astra's lineage and Italian research services market.
• Ri.NOVA Soc. Coop. Astra's controlling cooperative entity, also engaged in agricultural research and experimentation in Emilia-Romagna. Included as adjacent entity because it shares management, project pipeline, and thematic focus with Astra while operating as a separate legal/cooperative structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ASTRAinnovazione
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astra-innovazione-e-sviluppo-srl

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Astra-innovazione E Sviluppo Srl