ENGLISH TEXTS largest equine research cluster. The four entities— Anses, Cirale-Maisons Alfort Veterinary School, Labéo, and Biotargen— are united under the Scientific Interest Group Centaure. Around 100 researchers are at work here, including 18 research directors, the highest rank in the profession.” Epidemiologist Aurélie Merlin, head of the digestive parasitology team at Anses, highlights“ the growing collaboration between institutions, with shared knowledge and resources.” A brilliant research engineer, she works on the complex issue of resistance to dewormers— one of the major challenges in livestock management. Just one of many scientific projects currently underway at Équine Vallée...“ An ecosystem like Normandie Équine Vallée doesn’ t exist anywhere else in the world,” says Hervé Morin.“ Public investment will attract private funding. From 68 permanent staff on-site in January, we’ ll soon reach 120. Normandie Équine Vallée will be an economic driver.” Over a hundred companies- 80 % of them local- worked on the final phase of construction. In the coming days, Goustranville will welcome a new“ living space” including a business incubator, coworking areas, a fitness center, and a food hall- designed to foster a true community within Normandie Équine Vallée.
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ONE PROJECT, TWO SITE
Normandie Équine Vallée is a mixed syndicate created in 2010 by the Normandy Region and the Calvados Department. The Goustranville site, owned by the Region, houses the new university equine hospital, as well as CIRALE( Imaging and Research Center for Equine Locomotor Disorders), a globally renowned center for studying locomotion issues and underperformance in sport and racehorses. The Anses Animal Health Center, where autopsies are conducted, is also located there, along with the National Federation of Horse Racing and its anti-doping lab( C’ est une unité de recherche du laboratoire de la FNCH qui y est situé et non le laboratoire, qui lui est en région parisienne). The Normandy Horse Council and the regional equestrian committee will soon move to Goustranville, as will the Hippolia Cluster. The Saint-Contest site, about 30 kilometers away, is owned by the Calvados Department. Inaugurated in 2016, it focuses on equine health and biotechnologies. It recently underwent major expansion. It hosts Labéo and Biotargen( a University of Caen research unit), the
RESPE( Equine Pathology Epidemiological Surveillance Network), and several start-ups specializing in biosafety and equine genetics.
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LABÉO, A RESEARCH HUB AT THE HEART OF THE EQUINE INDUSTRY
Breeders usually recognize Labéo from the logo printed on the arteritis and metritis test results required before breeding. But this public interest group( GIP), based in Saint-Contest— one of Normandie Équine Vallée’ s two sites— has many other roles in the horse world and beyond. Potable water and bathing water analysis in Normandy? Labéo does it. Same for the waters around the La Hague nuclear plant. Even scallops fished in the English Channel are tested there before reaching our plates. Labéo also conducts health analyses for two million cattle and 100,000 horses per year. It’ s the lab that performs parentage testing for all stud-books. It’ s also where virus samples from animal outbreaks are analyzed to determine the most effective treatments. Equine research is a major pillar for Labéo, employing
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