French firms team up

IMV Technologies designs, manufactures and distributes the technical and material solutions to help breeders improve their population and is well-known for solutions in preservation, activation and cryopreservation of aquatic species semen. IMV products have now become a standard for aquaculture cryobanking, including for French national breeding programs.

Founded in France in 2013, Genotop helps hatcheries implement their breeding programs (growth, yields, resistance to disease). From the design to the indexation of breeding values, the company provides audits, training and consultancy for 15 species in 45 countries.

Gilles de Robert de Lafregeyre, CEO of IMV Technologies, said: “We observed the access to genetics was not as easy in aquaculture as it was for terrestrial species. However, the potential of genetic improvement in aquatic species is high. We want to unlock this situation and transfer our knowledge in reproduction together with an integrated support in genetic management.”

Richard Le Boucher, founder of Genotop and now Aquaculture Manager at IMV, added: “This is a major issue for aquaculture hatcheries to address challenges of genetics. However, a good reproductive management system is often an underestimated lever. The experience of IMV, associated with Genotop’s vision and approach, will undoubtedly boost the productivity of the sector.”