Digital, Data & Tech challenges at Lesaffre
Artificial intelligence is now developed at the highest level of our organization with a dedicated department. Our Digital, Data & Tech (DD&T) team already includes over 120 professionals, forming part of a global network of more than 200 experts across the Group. This DD&T department is the engine of our digital transformation, with a mission to accelerate customer engagement, build new research and innovation capabilities, optimize operations, and transform our support functions.
Artificial intelligence serving the Lesaffre Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)
As a leader in bioengineering and bioprocesses, RD&I naturally lies at the heart of our success. Lesaffre began exploring artificial intelligence in the field of computational biology over seven years ago.
At the Lesaffre Campus, home to the largest biofoundry in Europe, we accelerate biological design and microorganism prototyping through genetic engineering. Once modeled, produced, and stored, these microorganisms can be duplicated at will.
Since then, the Digital, Data & Tech department, along with the BioData and BioEngineering teams at the Lesaffre Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), have developed an innovative approach to protein engineering using AI-guided Protein Language Models (PLMs). This cutting-edge technology provides valuable insights into the structure and function of proteins, streamlining the optimization process and significantly reducing research costs.
To learn more: Optimizing protein production with AI-guided protein engineering – Lesaffre
Customer proximity as a driver for artificial intelligence at Lesaffre
Beyond its innovative appeal, at Lesaffre, artificial intelligence must respond to the real-world challenges faced by our clients. The recent launch of Dr Bread perfectly embodies this philosophy. Dr Bread is a conversational agent designed for professional bakers, offering personalized advice directly through our Lesaffre & Me app.
Thanks to generative AI, we have leveraged our full expertise and technical documentation to deliver a tailored service to bakers. By simply describing their baking issues within the app, artisan bakers gain immediate access to customized and actionable solutions that address their specific needs.
Already deployed in three countries — including France — Dr Bread will soon be available in 27 additional countries and in five languages.
Download Lesaffre & Me App: Lesaffre & Me App
Artificial intelligence at the core of our industrial excellence
For over a century, we have cultivated industrial excellence in the field of microorganisms, initially focusing on different types of yeast, and later expanding to bacteria, phages, and fungi.
As part of our DD&Tech strategy, we developed an AI-powered tool designed to support our engineers in analyzing production data, identifying new performance drivers, and testing them in real conditions — all while maintaining human control over the process.
Today, this solution is deployed across several plants worldwide and has already delivered significant improvements in yield and energy savings at our industrial sites. By 2028, thanks to our Industry 4.0 expert network and artificial intelligence, we will have implemented it across 30 of our sites — representing 80% of our production volumes — reinforcing our pioneering role in the industry.
At the dawn of a new industrial and technological era, Lesaffre is affirming its position as a major player in fermentation by placing artificial intelligence at the heart of its development strategy. More than just a technological tool, AI represents a true driver of transformation for our Group — one that powers our entire value chain, from the lab to customer experience, and through to the operational excellence of our industrial sites.