CREA Mont-Blanc -- Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems

What CREA Mont-Blanc -- Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems does

CREA Mont-Blanc (Centre de Recherches sur les Écosystèmes d'Altitude) is a French nonprofit scientific association (association loi 1901) founded in 1996 by Anne Delestrade and headquartered in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Its mission is to study the impacts of climate change on alpine biodiversity and to operate long-term ecological monitoring programs across the Mont-Blanc massif and broader French Alpine territories. The organization combines academic field research with citizen science, integrating into institutional research networks such as CNRS's Zone Atelier Alpes (ZAA) and the ORCHAMP long-term monitoring network, alongside partners including LECA, LESSEM-INRAE, CBNA, and ASTERS-CEN74.

CREA's product surface is built around the SPOT platform (Sciences Participatives en montagne Ouvertes à Tous), which hosts nine participatory science programs — notably Phénoclim (phenology of mountain plants since 2004), Wild Mont-Blanc (camera trap wildlife monitoring since 2018, ~36-50 devices across 1,200m-2,700m generating ~150,000 images/year), Snow Cover, Floraison d'Altitude, and the Vertical Flora program. Complementary offerings include the Atlas du Mont-Blanc web platform for research dissemination and indicator visualization, the Observatoire du Mont-Blanc facility (Joseph Vallot's 19th-century scientific chalet, reinvested in 2025 with conference and training capacity), and thematic projects such as SoPheno, HerbiLand, ORION (satellite-derived biodiversity indicators), and JADE (participatory mountain tourism). AI/ML is applied principally through a computer-vision pipeline for automated wildlife classification, developed with mécénat de compétence from Devoteam Re:volve.

CREA Mont-Blanc operates a grant-funded nonprofit model with no commercial pricing. Revenue is sourced from a diversified public-private mix spanning European (Interreg Alcotra TourScience Plus), national (ADEME PIA), regional (Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), departmental (Haute Savoie), intercommunal (ComCom Chamonix, ComCom Pays du Mont-Blanc, Conseil Savoie Mont-Blanc), foundation (Fondation Alpes Sauvages), and corporate mécénat (Orange, Devoteam Re:volve) channels. It is governed by an independent Board of Directors, managed day-to-day by a Coordination Committee, and operates with a team of 17 staff. The organization holds the 2017 UN Momentum for Change award and the European Union Prize for Citizen Science.

Name

CREA Mont-Blanc -- Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems

Legal name

Centre de Recherches sur les Écosystèmes d'Altitude

Website

https://creamontblanc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CREA Mont-Blanc is a French nonprofit research association founded in 1996 and based in Chamonix, studying climate-change impacts on alpine biodiversity through long-term ecological monitoring and a portfolio of nine citizen-science programs hosted on its SPOT platform, funded by public grants and institutional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Alpine ecosystem research
• Citizen science programs
• Biodiversity monitoring
• Climate change research
• Ecological data collection

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

CREA Mont-Blanc is a nonprofit research center that conducts long-term ecological monitoring of alpine ecosystems in the Mont-Blanc massif through scientific research and citizen science programs. Its core offering is the SPOT platform, which hosts nine participatory science programs (Phénoclim, Wild Mont-Blanc, Snow Cover, Floraison d'Altitude, Vertical Flora, etc.) enabling public volunteers to collect biodiversity and climate observation data, complemented by the Atlas du Mont-Blanc for research dissemination and the Observatoire du Mont-Blanc as a research and event facility.

Product overview

CREA Mont-Blanc operates a unified citizen science ecosystem centered around the SPOT platform, which serves as the primary digital interface connecting citizen observers with scientific research programs. The portfolio includes nine participatory science programs (Phénoclim, Wild Mont-Blanc, Snow Cover, From Spawn to Frog, Salute the Trees, Floraison d'Altitude, Vertical Flora, Beautiful Encounter, and Striking Colours) that enable public participation in mountain ecosystem monitoring. Complementary offerings include the Atlas du Mont-Blanc online resource platform for research dissemination and the Mont Blanc Observatory facility for in-person scientific engagement. Together, these products enable systematic observation of alpine biodiversity, phenology, and climate change impacts across the Mont Blanc massif and wider Alpine regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPOT: Platform for Participatory Sciences in the mountains Open to All, featuring nine citizen science programmes including Phénoclim, Wild Mont-Blanc, Snow Cover, and others.
• ATLAS Mont-Blanc
• Phénoclim
• Wild Mont-Blanc
• JADE
• SoPheno
• HerbiLand
• ORION

Products and services

• SPOT Platform (Sciences Participatives en montagne Ouvertes à Tous) Online platform that enables public participation in mountain ecosystem observation through nine structured citizen science programs, connecting thousands of citizen observers with CREA Mont-Blanc researchers studying alpine biodiversity and climate change impacts.
• Atlas du Mont-Blanc Interactive online resource platform providing access to CREA Mont-Blanc research results, climate change impact indicators, habitat maps, and scientific studies on Mont-Blanc ecosystem evolution, featuring data visualization tools and educational content for researchers, policymakers, and the public.
• Observatoire du Mont-Blanc (Vallot Observatory) Historic research facility in Chamonix serving as CREA Mont-Blanc's base of operations and as a third-place venue. After renovation in 2025, the Observatoire now hosts conferences, seminars, and training sessions, with a new eco-designed building for the research team and a pedagogical/scientific garden planned for 2026.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Communauté de Communes Vallée de Chamonix-Mont-BlanccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• ComCom Pays du Mont-BlanccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Espace Mont-BlanccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Fondation Alpes SauvagescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Département Haute Savoie (74)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Conseil Savoie Mont-BlanccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• ORCHAMPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific research network for alpine ecosystem monitoring and coordination
• Zone Atelier Alpes (ZAA) - CNRScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS network for long-term ecological research in alpine environments
• LECA - Laboratoire d'Ecologie AlpinecoreTechnology or Integration
• LESSEM - INRAEcoreTechnology or Integration
• CBNA - Conservatoire botanique national alpincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• ASTERS - CEN74coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• OrangeminorOthers
• Devoteam Re:volveminorOthers
• Club des Sports de ChamonixminorGTM or Marketing Partner
• AltitudeminorGTM or Marketing Partner
• MaobiminorGTM or Marketing Partner

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mountain Wilderness: International NGO advocating for the protection of natural mountain environments across Europe. Thematically aligned with CREA's conservation and biodiversity mission, though focused on advocacy rather than primary research.
• CBNA — Conservatoire botanique national alpin: French national alpine botanical conservatory responsible for flora conservation and knowledge in the Alps. A CREA strategic partner with directly comparable conservation research mission.
• WSL — Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research: Swiss federal research institute conducting long-term monitoring of forest, snow, and mountain ecosystems across the Alps. Comparable in mandate, longitudinal datasets, and alpine focus.
• LECA — Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine: CNRS alpine ecology research lab based in Grenoble conducting long-term ecological research in mountain environments. Directly comparable scope and thematic focus; CREA lists LECA as an integration partner.
• EURAC Research: Bolzano-based research center with major programs on alpine environment, climate change, and mountain regions. Highly comparable geography and thematic focus across the broader Alpine arc.
• ASTERS — Conservatoire d'espaces naturels de Haute-Savoie: Regional natural-area conservancy managing protected habitats and biodiversity in Haute-Savoie. A CREA strategic partner operating in the same geographic territory with comparable conservation remit.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment. Much larger and broader in scope; hosts LESSEM, a direct CREA partner unit, and is a comparable French public research actor.
• CNRS — Centre national de la recherche scientifique: France's largest public scientific research organization. CREA partners with CNRS networks (Zone Atelier Alpes, ORCHAMP, LECA); operates at a fundamentally larger scale and broader research mandate.
• MNHN — Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle: France's national natural history museum and research institution, with broad biodiversity, conservation, and public-engagement activities. Comparable mission areas but vastly larger scope and footprint.

Others

• Zooniverse: The largest online citizen-science platform, used by CREA's Wild Mont-Blanc program for camera-trap image classification. Enabling infrastructure rather than a direct competitor, but a key peer in the participatory-science ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/creamontblanc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWJTizJOA_m_CnBrdnZIIqw
• Facebookfacebook.com/creamontblanc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creamontblanc
• Instagraminstagram.com/creamontblanc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about CREA Mont-Blanc -- Research Center for Alpine Ecosystems