In October 2024, Ecollant, which became REC in 2025, took part in the Deeptech Tour in Dijon. The event marked another milestone in our journey within the Burgundy-Franche-Comté Deeptech ecosystem and gave us the opportunity to share the progress of our nylon and polyamide recycling project.
Ecollant at the 2024 Deeptech Tour in Dijon
On 16 October 2024, we were in Dijon, at the Cité des Ducs de Bourgogne, for the third edition of the Deeptech Tour, organised by Bpifrance and the French State. This national tour, which took place from 2023 to 2025 in several French cities, aimed to showcase Deeptech players and foster exchanges between researchers, entrepreneurs, students, investors and innovation ecosystem stakeholders.
For Ecollant, this stop in Dijon had a very special significance.
Dijon was indeed one of the territories that supported the early stages of our entrepreneurial journey.
Deeptech: where breakthrough technologies are born
Deeptech companies develop technologies based on scientific and research advances, with the ambition of addressing major industrial, environmental and societal challenges. The Deeptech Tour therefore brought together researchers, PhD students, start-ups, students, investors and support organisations.
The 2024 programme included pitch sessions, round tables, testimonials, Deeptech start-up demonstrations and networking opportunities. For REC, this approach strongly resonates with our own journey: developing an innovative technology to address a concrete industrial challenge: the recycling of polyamide contained in complex textiles and materials.
A national plan to support the emergence of Deeptech start-ups
The Deeptech Tour was part of the French State’s Deeptech Plan, operated by Bpifrance, whose ambitions include supporting the emergence of 500 start-ups from research laboratories each year and helping build tomorrow’s technology leaders. The initiative relies on regional ecosystems to bring innovation stakeholders closer together and facilitate the transition from research to entrepreneurship and ultimately to industrialisation.
This approach is particularly important for industrial Deeptech projects, whose development requires time, investment, scientific and technical expertise, as well as the right support to progress through the different stages of technological maturity.
On stage to share our Deeptech journey
During the Dijon event, we had the opportunity to take the stage and share our journey, as well as the support we received from the regional ecosystem. We shared our experience and the various forms of support that helped us develop our project, including the contributions of Emmanuel Cordelle and Jordan Gibier on Deeptech-related topics.
This presentation was also an opportunity to showcase the latest developments in our textile recycling and nylon transformation project. At that time, Ecollant was continuing to develop its technology to recover polyamide from complex textiles, with the ambition of transforming this waste into a new raw material.
From textile recycling to an industrial technology
The project originally developed under the name Ecollant has since reached several new milestones. Founded in 2019 in Auxerre as Ecollant, the company became REC in 2026 and is now based in Joigny.
REC is now entering a new phase of development, focused on the industrialisation of its process for recovering polyamide from complex textiles. This evolution illustrates the typical journey of an industrial Deeptech company: starting with a technological challenge, developing an innovation, testing it and progressively bringing it towards industrial deployment.
At REC, our technology is designed to recover PA6 and PA6.6 polyamide contained in various complex materials and produce recycled material that can be reintroduced into industrial applications.
Discover REC’s history and journey
A new milestone for REC
Our participation in the 2024 Deeptech Tour was therefore much more than simply attending an event. It reflected the progress already achieved by Ecollant and the collective momentum supporting the development of our nylon and polyamide recycling technology.
Two years later, the project has entered a new phase. Ecollant has become REC. Our industrial site is now based in Joigny. And our ambition is to continue industrialising a technology capable of transforming polyamide-containing waste into new resources for industry. We are proud to continue moving forward with the ecosystem that has supported us since our early days.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed (and continues to contribute) to this Deeptech and industrial journey. Dijon was one of our starting points.
Joigny is now a new milestone in our industrialisation journey. And the adventure continues.
FAQ – REC at the 2024 Deeptech Tour in Dijon: From Incubation to Industrialisation
What is the Deeptech Tour, and why did Ecollant participate in 2024?
The Deeptech Tour is an event organised by Bpifrance and the French government to raise awareness of companies developing technologies based on scientific research and to encourage exchanges between entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and innovation stakeholders. On 16 October 2024, Ecollant, now known as REC, took part in the event in Dijon to present its entrepreneurial journey and the progress of its project to recycle polyamide from complex textiles.
What is Industrial DeepTech?
An Industrial DeepTech company develops technology based on a significant scientific or technical innovation, with the aim of applying it to practical uses. Unlike a project that can be deployed primarily in digital form, an Industrial DeepTech company often needs to design and validate a process, bring together scientific and technical expertise, invest in equipment and prepare for large-scale production. REC falls into this category with its technology for recovering polyamide from complex textiles and materials.
How can an innovation developed in the laboratory be scaled up to industrial production?
Scaling up to industrial production requires several stages: validating the process, testing its reproducibility, ensuring the quality of the resulting material, securing supplies and preparing equipment and commercial outlets. Costs, investments, regulatory requirements and environmental impacts must also be anticipated. For a DeepTech company like REC, the challenge is to turn a polyamide recycling innovation into a reliable industrial process suited to increasing volumes.
Why is polyamide recycling a technological challenge for the textile industry?
Polyamide, also known as nylon, is used in a wide range of products, including tights, lingerie, sportswear, technical textiles and carpets. However, these products often combine several materials, particularly polyamide and elastane, which are difficult to separate using conventional processes. REC is developing a physicochemical process designed to recover PA6 and PA6.6 polyamide from these complex materials and produce recycled polyamide pellets that can be reintroduced into industry.
Why are regional partnerships important for a DeepTech startup like REC?
Regional partnerships enable a DeepTech company to access the expertise, infrastructure and networks it needs to grow. They facilitate collaboration with scientific organisations, business support structures, industrial companies and investors. In textile recycling, partnerships with collectors, sorting centres and users of recycled materials are also essential for identifying suitable waste streams, organising material preparation and developing commercial outlets. The journey from Ecollant to REC illustrates the importance of this ecosystem in progressing towards industrialisation.
