Michelin ResiCare Reaches a new milestone in the industrialization of its innovative bio-based resins with the establishment of a first Industrial production line for Its DragonFly project in Nesle
Michelin ResiCare is taking a new step forward in the industrialization of its bio-based resins by announcing the installation of a first industrial production line for its DragonFly project at Ajinomoto's industrial site in Nesle (Somme, France).
Following Cerisea, which aims to establish Europe's first 5-HMF production value chain, the DragonFly project will secure a second strategic pillar essential to the production and industrialization of bio-based molecules. DragonFly's objective is to industrialize the fermentation-based production of a bio-based aromatic monomer, intended for use in the resins developed by Michelin ResiCare.
The partnership between Michelin ResiCare and Ajinomoto, signed last April, marks the operational launch of this new phase of the project. Construction began in may 2026 at the Nesle site, with a key milestone ahead: the commissioning of the industrial production line, scheduled for the beginning of the second quarter of 2027. This facility will validate the technology under real-world operating conditions.
A major industrial breakthrough for bio-based chemistryThanks to the technology developed through the DragonFly project, France will, for the first time, have a competitive industrial value chain unique in the world and capable of producing this strategic molecule from bio-based feedstocks, rather than petrochemical sources.
The fermentation process relies on a microorganism strain developed in collaboration with Alderys (a Givaudan Group company), one of the project's key technological building blocks. Its performance was validated at industrial scale through a previous initiative, BioImpulse.
Work carried out to date indicates the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of this molecule by up to 96% compared with its fossil-based equivalent.
These bio-based resins will serve a wide range of applications, including construction and furniture, composites, electronics, automotive and transportation, aerospace, and space industries.
The selection of Ajinomoto's site in Nesle is based both on the opportunity to leverage existing industrial infrastructure and on Ajinomoto's recognized expertise in developing and operating industrial fermentation processes to produce high-value-added molecules.
A key step toward safer and more sustainable chemistryDragonFly is a key enabler for the industrialization of the solutions developed by Michelin ResiCare. Combined with the CERISEA project dedicated to bio-based 5-HMF, it helps secure the supply of two strategic monomers used in the company's next-generation resins, while strengthening European industrial sovereignty over critical raw materials.