Conservatoire botanique national de Brest

What Conservatoire botanique national de Brest does

Conservatoire botanique national de Brest is a French public institution (établissement public) founded in 1975, headquartered in Brest, Brittany, and designated under the national network of botanical conservatories. It carries out four integrated missions across western France: knowledge and conservation of wild flora and threatened habitats; technical and scientific expertise for public policymakers and natural-space managers; management of a botanical garden open to the public (~400,000 annual visitors) housing the world's largest collection of threatened plant species and tropical greenhouses; and public environmental education (~4,800 students annually through workshops). Its territorial scope spans Brittany, Normandie (Caen antenna), and Pays de la Loire (Nantes antenna), with additional international conservation programs in Madagascar, Mauritius, Haiti, Uganda, Sicily, and Greece.

Its core technology stack is a portfolio of interoperable geospatial and scientific databases: eCalluna (flora distribution web app), GeoCalluna (cartographic viewer), Carnet de terrain (field observation notebook), BIG Habitats (mutualized habitat database), Turboveg (phytosociological database), and a documentation catalogue with the Jean Lozac'h herbarium. Outputs include departmental flora atlases, the E.R.I.C.A. scientific journal, Cahiers scientifiques et techniques, wetland vegetation identification guides (Orne, Dives, Sée, Sienne, Vire, Seulles, Touques, Douve, bocage normand), and the Carte des grands types de végétation de Bretagne mapping 27 major vegetation types released as GIS datasets via WMS/GeoServer. Predictive habitat cartography is published as a service to PNR and Natura 2000 partners.

The business model is a public-sector hybrid. Revenue streams include (i) recurring institutional funding from Brest Métropole, Région Bretagne, Finistère, Université de Bretagne occidentale, FEDER, Fonds vert, DREAL, and the water agencies (Loire-Bretagne, Seine-Normandie); (ii) one-time garden admissions and meeting-room rentals; (iii) donations and mecenas patronage (Ulule crowdfunding, L'Arche aux plantes); and (iv) fee-based expert consulting for Natura 2000 site managers, PNR, and local authorities. Governance is by a Comité syndical under a Syndicat mixte structure. The institution is not a commercial entity — it is publicly funded, mission-driven, and operates as the reference botanical data custodian for western France.

Name

Conservatoire botanique national de Brest

Legal name

Conservatoire botanique national de Brest

Website

https://cbnbrest.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conservatoire botanique national de Brest is a French public botanical conservatory (founded 1975, Brest) providing flora and habitat expertise, geospatial databases, and public garden/education services to government agencies, Natura 2000 managers, and the public across western France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Conservation Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation Administration (BPAIAMAG), Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL), Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)

Keywords

• Botanical conservation services
• Vegetation mapping data
• Environmental consulting services
• Citizen science programs
• Plant species research

Headquarters

HQ city

Brest

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Institutional Funding: Core funding from public institutions including Brest Métropole, Région Bretagne, Finistère department, and Université de Bretagne occidentale. Additional support from European funds (FEDER), national funds (Fonds vert), and government agencies (DREAL, Agence de l'eau).
2. Garden Admissions and Venue Rental: Revenue from public garden visits (garden and tropical greenhouses) and meeting room rentals at the Conservatoire facilities.
3. Donations and Patrons: Crowdfunding campaigns (Ulule), donations through L'Arche aux Plantes, and mecenas (patron) programs supporting specific conservation projects.
4. Expertise and Consulting Services: Fee-based technical and scientific assistance to natural space managers, Natura 2000 site managers, and local government agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Conservatoire botanique national de Brest is a French public institution that conducts botanical research and conservation of threatened plant species. It operates the world's largest collection of threatened plant species in its public botanical garden in Brest, runs geographic information systems (eCalluna, GeoCalluna, Carnet de terrain, BIG Habitats) for flora and habitat mapping in western France, and provides expert consulting, technical identification guides, citizen science programs, and educational workshops. It coordinates regional antennas in Brittany, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire, and runs international conservation programs in Madagascar, Mauritius, Haiti, Uganda, and other countries.

Product overview

The Conservatoire botanique national de Brest operates as a public botanical research and conservation institution offering a portfolio of web-based applications and public-facing services. Its core digital products include eCalluna (plant species distribution consultation), GeoCalluna (cartographic application), Carnet de terrain (field observation entry), Catalogue documentaire (bibliographic database), and a data portal. These are complemented by physical/public offerings: the Conservatory Garden (the world's largest collection of threatened plant species), educational workshops (approximately 4,800 students per year), and participatory science programs (En'Quête de plantes via Baludik). The institution also publishes atlases and floras for multiple French departments, the E.R.I.C.A. scientific journal, and technical identification guides for wetland vegetation. Geographic data is distributed via WMS/GeoServer. Conservation programs span prairie habitats (Bretagne), wetland vegetation (Normandie), and international species recovery projects (Madagascar, Mauritius, Haiti, Sicily, Uganda, Oman).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eCalluna Web application for consulting the distribution of flowering plants and ferns in western France, providing geographic data on plant species distribution.
• Carnet de terrain
• GeoCalluna
• BIG Habitats
• Catalogue documentaire
• Jardin du Conservatoire botanique national de Brest The conservatory garden open to the public, featuring the world's largest collection of threatened plant species, tropical greenhouses, walking trails, and audioguides; receives nearly 400,000 visitors annually.
• Ateliers pédagogiques
• En'Quête de plantes (Baludik)
• Guides de détermination des végétations de zones humides
• Carte des grands types de végétation (CGTV)
• Atlas et flores départementaux
• Revue E.R.I.C.A.
• Location de salles
• Fiches espèces
• Enquêtes participatives (Végétoires participatifs)

Quantifiable outcome

• 4800 students educated annually through pedagogical workshops
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and secondary.

• Université de Bretagne occidentalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with University of Western Brittany for research collaboration, student training, and scientific exchange in botanical sciences.
• Région BretagnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing institutional funding, co-financing of conservation programs, and support for botanical garden operations.
• FinistèrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council partnership for regional botanical conservation and environmental programs.
• Brest MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan government hosting the botanical garden and providing support for conservation activities and public education.
• Chambres d'agriculture de BretagnemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Reference Farms Network for wetland research, combining agronomic and botanical expertise to study relationships between agricultural practices and wetland conservation.
• GRETIA - Groupement d'étude des invertébrés armoricainssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner providing invertebrate expertise for multi-disciplinary studies on natural environments.
• INRA - Institut national de la recherche agronomiquemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agricultural research institute partnering on studies combining agricultural practices with biodiversity conservation.
• Forum des Marais atlantiquesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtlantic wetlands forum partnering on wetland vegetation guides and conservation coordination in Pays de la Loire.
• DREAL BretagnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional environment directorate supported the habitat conservation responsibility evaluation and Natura 2000 coordination since early 2000s.
• Groupe mammalogique breton (GMB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create the geo-visualizer 'Végétations et mammifères de Bretagne' combining vegetation mapping with mammal ecological corridors data.
• Arche aux plantescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal foundation supporting plant conservation programs, crowdfunding campaigns, and international conservation projects including Mauritius and Madagascar.
• SAGE (Gestionnaire de l'AP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProtected area manager in Madagascar partnering on forest restoration and endemic tree conservation programs since 2012.
• Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational botanical garden providing technical support and field missions for Madagascar conservation and Mauritius plant reintroduction programs.
• Université d'AntsirananasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMalagasy university participating in conservation programs through student involvement and field research.
• OPDFM (Organisation des Paysans pour le Développement de l'Unité 2 de la Forêt des Pins)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farmers organization in Haiti partnering on reforestation and community-based conservation in Pine Forest.
• VegenovsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationBiotech company providing technical expertise for in vitro multiplication of endangered plant species in international conservation programs.
• Association des techniciens de bassins versants bretonsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Breton watershed technicians partnering on wetland indicator plant species recognition guides.
• Département de Loire-AtlantiquemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council co-financing digital botanical walks 'En'Quête de plantes' through the Baludik application.
• Conservatoire du littoralmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoastal land conservatory partnering on digital botanical walks and conservation of coastal plant species.
• Université de Port au PrincesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHaitian university collaborating on botanical inventories and ethnobotanical surveys in the Pine Forest region.
• PNR Normandie-MainemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional nature park commissioning vegetation mapping for 19 major vegetation types in their territory.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Missouri Botanical Garden: Active partner of CBN de Brest on Madagascar and Mauritius conservation. Similarly operates a public botanical garden, runs international plant reintroduction programs, and publishes botanical research. Direct overlap in capacity-building and island/oceanic species recovery.
• Conservatoire botanique de Franche-Comté: Another regional botanical conservatory within the French national network. Same statutory role, same data infrastructure approach (flora databases, habitat mapping), and same government funding model. Comparable operating scale and service portfolio.
• Conservatoire botanique national du Bassin parisien (MNHN): Another officially designated National Botanical Conservatory within the French national network, sharing the same statutory label, public-service mission, scientific remit, and funding model as CBN de Brest. Direct head-to-head on data, mapping, and consulting services for public agencies.
• Forum des Marais atlantiques: Atlantic wetlands coordination association partnering with CBN de Brest on wetland vegetation guides. Operates in the same Pays de la Loire / Brittany region with overlapping wetland conservation, mapping, and technical advisory mandate.
• Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier: Historic French botanical garden affiliated with the University of Montpellier. Operates an active public botanical garden, herbarium collections, and Mediterranean plant conservation programs analogous to CBN de Brest's western France portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• New York Botanical Garden: One of the world's largest botanical gardens with extensive plant collections, research programs, and conservation partnerships. Comparable in mission (conservation, research, public education) but operates at much greater scale and with a broader research portfolio.
• Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris): France's flagship natural history institution housing herbaria, botanical gardens, and scientific research. Overlaps in botanical research, taxonomy, and public education, with broader scope across zoology and earth sciences.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical institution with global threatened-species collections, scientific research, and ex-situ conservation programs. Operates at vastly greater scale but shares the core mission of plant conservation, herbarium science, and public botanical garden operations.

Others

• Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI): International association coordinating botanical garden conservation efforts globally. CBN de Brest is a member institution; BGCI enables network access, shared standards, and international project funding comparable to those CBN de Brest accesses.

Regional players

• Conservatoire du littoral: French public agency protecting coastal natural sites. Direct partner of CBN de Brest on coastal plant conservation and En'Quête de plantes digital walks. Adjacent focus on habitat conservation with overlapping expertise in threatened species and protected area management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/les-plantes-de-louest-de-la-france-103737721761465
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conservatoire-botanique-national-de-brest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Conservatoire botanique national de Brest