Novalait - Catalyseur de recherche

What Novalait - Catalyseur de recherche does

Novalait - Catalyseur de recherche is a Quebec-based non-profit research catalyst founded in 1995 by Quebec dairy producers and processors. It operates as a co-investor platform that identifies industry research priorities, launches calls for proposals, evaluates projects, and funds the most promising initiatives across the Quebec dairy value chain. The organization is owned by its shareholders — Les Producteurs de lait du Québec (PLQ) representing producers, and Agropur coopérative and CILQ Recherche representing processors — and is governed by a board with representatives from each constituency. It does not sell commercial products; its budget is sourced from producer and processor contributions, federal grants (notably up to CAD $7 million from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada via the Carbon-Neutral Milk Living Laboratory), and partner research funding channels such as joint calls with CRIBIQ and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

The core technical capabilities sit in Novalait's funded research portfolio rather than in-house engineering. Projects span microbiology, membrane filtration, genomics, cheese technology, and eco-efficient processing, executed largely through Université Laval and other Canadian research institutions. Active programs include multiple industrial research chairs: Métabiolac (lactic acid bacteria with antimicrobial activities, now in a Phase II), the Leadership Chair in Cheese Technology Education, the Industrial Research Chair on Biosecurity in Dairy Production, and the Chaire de recherche en ingénierie environnementale des étables laitières. Flagship initiatives include the Carbon-Neutral Milk Living Laboratory spanning 20 dairy farms across four Quebec regions with a 2050 carbon-neutral target, the Quality Cheddar project using metagenomics and NMR for biomarker detection, SIMULAIT 2.0 simulation software for milk transformation processes, and biovalorization projects on skim milk and buttermilk. The headcount is approximately 5 employees, consistent with a lean grant administration and knowledge-transfer coordinator.

Novalait's go-to-market is industry-led research dissemination rather than product sales. Research outputs are delivered through the Forum Techno Novalait annual event, the Lait'Xpress newsletter, scientific publications, the bilingual website, LinkedIn and multimedia outreach, and via its partnership with Université Laval, with whom the majority of funded research is conducted. Knowledge transfer is handled by a dedicated officer (Maude Blouin) and the General Manager (Élise Gosselin). As of 2023, leadership comprises President David Poulin and General Manager Élise Gosselin, with Élise Gosselin also serving as Privacy Officer under Quebec's Law 25 compliance regime. The cumulative research investment since 1995 totals CAD $54.9 million, with CAD $12.5 million committed in FY2019-2020 across 19 projects and 4 research chairs.

Name

Novalait - Catalyseur de recherche

Legal name

Novalait inc.

Website

https://novalait.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Novalait is a Quebec-based non-profit research catalyst founded in 1995 by dairy producers and processors. It funds and coordinates applied dairy research across production and processing, executed largely through Université Laval, and disseminates results to the Quebec dairy industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Industry Research Coordination and Funding

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Dairy Nutrition Base Powder & Premix Manufacturing (Vitamin/Mineral/Functional Premixes) (AFAHAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Livestock & Poultry Nutrition (Feed & Premixes) (HLAMAHAD)

Keywords

• Dairy research funding
• Milk production research
• Dairy processing innovation
• Agricultural research coordination
• Industrial research chairs

Headquarters

HQ city

Québec City

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Novalait is a research catalyst that identifies dairy industry research needs with its producer and processor shareholders, launches calls for proposals to researchers and institutions, funds the most promising projects, and transfers results to the Quebec dairy sector. Its portfolio spans dairy production (animal health, welfare, fertility, milk quality, sustainability) and dairy processing (cheese technology, membrane filtration, eco-efficiency, ingredient valorization), with results delivered through research chairs, the Carbon-Neutral Milk Living Laboratory, the Forum Techno event, and direct industry engagement.

Product overview

Novalait is a research catalyst organization for Quebec's dairy industry, established in 1995 by milk producers and processors. It operates as a unified platform that funds and manages research projects addressing industry priorities in milk production and dairy processing. The portfolio includes research chairs (Métabiolac for antimicrobial bacteria, Leadership Chair in Cheese Technology, Dairy Farm Biosecurity Chair), the Carbon-Neutral Milk Living Laboratory for sustainability research, and various processing and production projects covering cheese quality, biofilm management, milk protein valorization, buttermilk processing, and software tools like SIMULAIT. Novalait disseminates results through Forum Techno events, the Lait'Xpress newsletter, and annual reports, creating a comprehensive ecosystem for dairy innovation knowledge transfer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Project Funding and Management Core service in which Novalait identifies dairy industry research needs with its producer and processor shareholders, launches calls for proposals to researchers and institutions, evaluates and selects the most promising projects, and manages funding disbursement. Projects span milk production (food, nutrition, health, welfare, fertility, reproduction, quality) and dairy processing (technological properties, indicators, control tools, eco-efficiency) for the Quebec dairy industry.
• Forum Techno Novalait Annual research event that brings together over a hundred researchers, producers, processors, and partners to present results of Novalait-funded dairy processing research projects, featuring student poster competitions and scientific presentations. Held in conjunction with venues such as the Symposium sur les bovins laitiers.
• Carbon-Neutral Milk Living Laboratory (Laboratoire vivant – Lait carboneutre) Collaborative research initiative operating on 20 dairy farms across four regions of Quebec, testing and developing best practices to reduce the environmental footprint of dairy production. Backed by up to $7M from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, it targets carbon-neutral on-farm dairy production by 2050 with results shared across Quebec and Canadian producers.
• SIMULAIT 2.0 (simulation software commercialization) Project bringing a simulation software tool for predicting milk transformation process performance to commercial standard, with applications being expanded to cheese manufacturing processes. Target users are dairy processors seeking predictive modeling of transformation process outcomes.
• Leadership Chair in Cheese Technology Education (Chaire de leadership en enseignement en technologie fromagère) University teaching chair at Université Laval developing cheese technology programs, courses, and internships, and continuing education for cheese-making professionals, designed to train skilled workers and reduce cheese variability through improved manufacturing processes.
• Métabiolac Industrial Research Chair Industrial research chair (including Métabiolac II on lactic acid bacteria bacteriocins) harnessing lactic acid bacteria with antimicrobial activities to develop natural alternatives to synthetic antibacterial agents and antibiotics, for both food production and bovine mastitis prevention.
• Dairy Farm Biosecurity Industrial Research Chair Industrial research chair studying biosecurity practices on Canadian dairy farms, using machine learning and statistical analysis to identify factors influencing the implementation of biosecurity measures across provinces (Quebec, Ontario, Alberta).

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 projects and 4 research chairs funded in fiscal 2019-2020 with $12.5 million in total commitments
• +1 more outcomes

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 capability8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Producteurs de lait du Québec (PLQ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Co-founding shareholder and key industry partner of Novalait. PLQ producers and processors created Novalait in 1995 to jointly invest in research. PLQ benefits from Novalait-funded research addressing farm-level sustainability, milk quality, animal health, and productivity. PLQ President Daniel Gobeil endorsed the Carbon-Neutral Milk Living Laboratory investment.
• Agropur coopérativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor dairy processor and co-founding shareholder of Novalait. Agropur representatives (including Alex Berthiaume as Vice-Chairman) serve on the Novalait Board of Directors. Michel Couture, President of Novalait, is also a director of Agropur coopérative laitière. Agropur contributes to defining research priorities and benefits from processing-focused research outcomes.
• CILQ Recherche (Conseil des industriels laitiers du Québec)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents dairy processors as a shareholder in Novalait. Representatives Jean-Marc Bertrand and Charles Langlois serve on the Novalait Board. CILQ Recherche ensures processor perspectives are embedded in Novalait's research priority-setting and project selection process.
• CRIBIQ (Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research funding partner launching joint calls for proposals (e.g., the 118th call in 2024-2025) to co-finance innovative collaborative research projects in dairy production and processing. CRIBIQ and Novalait co-fund projects aligned with Quebec dairy industry priorities. Contact: Laila Ben Said, Innovation Director.
• Dairy Farmers of CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational dairy producer organization collaborating with Novalait and Université Laval on research clusters focused on dairy science, including projects on liquid dairy protein concentrates and other processing innovations. Partners on research contributing to national dairy sustainability goals.
• Université LavalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary academic research partner hosting multiple Novalait-funded research chairs and projects. Key faculty include Guillaume Brisson (food science), Simon Dufour (herd health), Steve Labrie (cheese technology), Julien Chamberland (cheese technology leadership chair), and others. Université Laval conducts the majority of Novalait-funded research including the Métabiolac Chair and CLE en technologie fromagère.
• Carbon-Neutral Milk Living Laboratory partnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-partner initiative involving scientific researchers, dairy producers, and industry stakeholders. Takes place on 20 dairy farms across four regions of Quebec. Results will be shared with all Quebec and Canadian producers to advance Producteurs de lait du Québec's sustainable development objectives. Partners include AAFC, PLQ, researchers, and participating dairy farms.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lactanet: Canadian dairy herd improvement and data services organization serving producers with research-driven advisory; directly comparable Canadian dairy R&D platform with similar shareholder/producer base.
• Dairy Australia: Australian dairy industry research and innovation body funded by farmer levies and government; serves the same research-catalyst role for Australian dairy producers and processors as Novalait does for Quebec.
• DairyNZ: New Zealand dairy farmer-funded research organization that invests levy dollars in dairy production and processing R&D; directly comparable mandate and funding model to Novalait.

Others

• CRIBIQ (Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec): Quebec industrial research consortium that co-funds collaborative R&D projects with Novalait (e.g., joint calls for proposals); adjacent enabling partner rather than direct dairy-research competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Dairy Research (University of Wisconsin–Madison): Large U.S. dairy research center at UW-Madison covering dairy processing, cheese, and ingredients; broader portfolio and university-based operating model versus Novalait's industry-catalyst role.
• AgResearch (New Zealand): Crown Research Institute conducting agricultural and dairy R&D across pasture, animal, and food science; much larger scope and government-backed mandate compared with Novalait.

Emerging players

• Centre de recherche en sciences animales de Deschambault (CRSAD): Quebec-based applied research center focused on dairy and bovine production; overlapping mandate in Quebec dairy research with smaller, more farm-production-oriented scope than Novalait.
• Centre d'expertise fromagère du Québec (CEFQ): Quebec cheese technology expertise center serving artisanal and industrial cheesemakers; intersects with Novalait's cheese-technology research portfolio (e.g., NMR/metagenomics cheddar project).

Regional players

• AHDB (Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) – Dairy: UK statutory levy-funded dairy R&D and knowledge exchange body; similar producer-funded R&D catalyst model but serving British dairy producers.
• Teagasc: Irish national agriculture and food development authority operating Moorepark dairy research center; comparable producer-funded dairy R&D mandate but serving the Irish rather than Quebec market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=-dGv09VOu_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLEfromagerieUL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novalait

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Novalait - Catalyseur de recherche