Shiseido Fibona EMEA Open Innovation Challenge 2024 awards ceremony
Shiseido is working to future proof its suncare using molecules extracted from the cell membrane of bacteria to filter out the harmful rays of the sun.
France is home to the Shiseido European Innovation Center (EIC) based in Ormes Cosmetic Valley and co-ordinates the EMEA arm of the group’s Fibona Open Innovation Program.
In line with its focus on sustainability, the EIC runs an annual competition for environmentally conscious start-ups.
This year’s challenge, revolving around sustainable suncare, explored innovations in UV filters and new ingredients. It was won by innovative biotechnology start-up Bacfarm. The company will get to work with pioneering Shiseido Group brand Gallinée skincare on a proof of concept creating sun filters using molecules extracted from the cell membrane of bacteria.
Speaking to me of the choice, Dr Marie Drago, Chief Creative Officer at Gallinée said that she and the judging panel had been particularly struck by Bacfarm’s out of the box thinking when it comes to leveraging naturally occurring phenomena.
“They’re using nature to do what it already does,” she said. “It’s green technology, you don’t need fertilizer, you just grow it in the lab. This is the first sun protection that isn’t mineral or chemical, no one’s ever managed to do this.”
“Bacteria can even survive radiation in space,” she added of its capacity to filter out harmful rays. “It makes a lot of sense.“
According to a study by Fortune Business Insights & WGSN, the global market for sun care has grown by 7.9 Billion USD while Mintel notes that “consumers are demanding products that not only deliver on performance but also prioritize environmental responsibility.”
Following editions in Japan, Korea and China, the Fibona EMEA Open Innovation Program was initiated in 2019 and launched the start up competition in 2023. Focused on transparency and traceability, it was won jointly by blockchain outfits Arianee and Provenance.
“At Shiseido we believe in innovation through collaboration, both leveraging R&D from inside, via our own ecosystem but also externally, cross fertilizing our expertise with external knowledge,” says Christophe Hadjur, Vice President EIC & Sustainability EMEA.
It was with this in mind also that Shiseido acquired microbiome based skincare start-up Gallinée some two years ago when it was the first beauty brand to operate in the space. Gallinée now boasts 23 products across skincare, body, scalp and oral hygiene.
On the other side of the spectrum, the group launched French beauty start-up Ulé from scratch in the same year. “We developed Ulé from inside based on a concept that didn’t yet exist on the market,” Hadjur said, noting that “the distance from farm to production is only 300km.”
Ulé uses plant based ingredients grown via indoor vertical farming and is pesticide free.
Another Shiseido project, this time in the field of neuroscience has been under development for the last five years. Leveraging transfer of emotion, it’s based on the idea that emotion can be communicated via natural body odor. “We want to make products to amplify people’s happiness,” he said. It’s hoped to come to fruition in 2025 or 2026.
Beauty brands are increasingly harnessing neuroscience in the pursuit of wellbeing. Neuraé, the recently launched skincare brand from the Sisley stable is based on the connection connexion between the skin and the emotions. It aims to address negative emotions and their impact on the skin.
