Frédéric Bourgaud

About Frédéric Bourgaud

Frédéric Bourgaud is one of the founding figures of Plant Advanced Technologies PAT, a French plant biotechnology company established in Nancy in 2005 around a technology originating from the University of Lorraine and INRA. Within the group, he has held key responsibilities in both scientific leadership and industrial development. PAT’s governance documents identify him as a director, deputy chief executive officer, and Vice-President for Research, as well as managing director of Cellengo, the company’s microbial fermentation subsidiary. His career is closely aligned with PAT’s scientific DNA. From the beginning, he helped shape the PAT Plant Milking® platform and the company’s proprietary technologies aimed at identifying, optimizing, and producing rare plant biomolecules. PAT focuses on cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and fine chemicals, with a strong R&D profile and globally protected know-how. As head of research and innovation, Bourgaud has supported a strategy built on deep-tech innovation, the valorization of high-value natural ingredients, and the industrialization of more sustainable processes. A notable milestone was the creation of Cellengo in 2020, a wholly owned subsidiary designed to develop biomolecules through microbial synthesis and industrial fermentation, targeting cosmetics, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and bio-pesticides. This move reflects PAT’s ambition to expand its ability to produce rare molecules while remaining aligned with green chemistry principles. His scientific expertise has also been highlighted in major research communications. In 2021, he was identified as PAT’s Chief Research and Innovation Officer and a co-author of a PNAS study on a new class of plant defense enzymes. In 2023, he led a seminar on metabolic engineering and was elected to the French Academy of Agriculture, further underscoring his standing as a recognized expert in plant biotechnology and the bioeconomy. Alongside Jean-Paul Fèvre, he received the Montgolfier Award in 2019, recognizing their contribution to scientific and industrial innovation.