Avignon: new building for the Inrae “bee” research center
Researchers in apidology (study of bees) at Inrae (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment) have a “new hive” to carry out their various investigations (among others: the health of the bees, the selection of the herd and the quality of the honey).
An extension of 528 m2
Indeed, the research department dedicated to bee health now benefits from a new 528 m extension building2of which 214 m2 of laboratories. This building was built at the end of October 2022 on the Inrae site, at Agroparc, in Avignon. The goal is to offer better working conditions to all teams of researchers, in a global context of decrease in the number of honey and wild bees. The building also makes it possible to bring together all the Inrae teams in the same structure, in order to facilitate their cooperation.
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This extension of the bee research unit was carried out and financed within the framework of a 3A Finance Plan Contract (Avignon, Agrosciences, Abeilles), supported by the Paca Region, and associating Inrae and theUniversity of Avignon. This project intends to give more visibility to the Agrosciences center of Avignon.
A “Coeur de Centre” building combining Inrae and the University
In addition to this new extension, the project also provides for the construction of a large “Coeur de Centre” building of 2,150 m2 floor, currently in the construction phase. It will house a 150-seat amphitheater, a co-working workshop with companies, as well as reception and office spaces, and will be open to the outside. It will allow the development, in the same place, of the Inrae laboratories on bee health and of Avignon University, with the cardiovascular Pharm-ecology laboratory (LaPEC). In addition, Inrae and Avignon University will have three shared research platforms.
A total investment of €7.46 million
For the entire project (extension of the bee research unit and the “Coeur de Centre” building), €7.46 million was invested (€4 million by Inrae, €2.5 million by the Region, €450,000 by the department of Vaucluse and €230,000 by Grand Avignon). To note that the INRAe Avignon bee research center is one of the largest in the world.