Eurolyo: a legacy of expertise in freeze-drying
For more than 30 years, Eurolyo has embodied recognized expertise in industrial freeze-drying in France. Located in Chartres, in the Eure-et-Loir region, the site has supported the development of numerous innovative projects for demanding industries such as cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and food processing.
Since 2017, Eurolyo’s operations, teams, and know-how have been fully integrated into Groupe Berkem, strengthening the Chartres industrial site while preserving a valuable technical legacy. The Eurolyo name remains closely tied to the history and identity of the Chartres site, now a fully integrated industrial site within Groupe Berkem.
Eurolyo: An industrial journey began in 1995
Eurolyo was founded in 1995 as a company dedicated to freeze-drying. At the time, this technology was still rarely used outside the pharmaceutical industry. Eurolyo was an early pioneer, applying this gentle drying process to new industrial applications.
From the outset, the company combined scientific rigor with a strong human-centered culture. The freeze-dryers—the core assets of the business—were given female first names (Laure, Lise, Léa, Lily, etc.), reflecting a desire to humanize a complex technology and build a strong connection between teams and their equipment.
A historical expertise sustained by the Chartres teams
Over the years, the Chartres site—historically known as Eurolyo—has grown around a dedicated team overseeing a fleet of 12 freeze-dryers. The site is also equipped with sieving and milling units, and clean-room operations enable specialized processes that ensure product purity, quality preservation, and product stability.
This human-scale organization has fostered strong operational agility and long-term, close relationships with industrial partners. Knowledge transfer, precise control of freeze-drying parameters, and customized project support remain defining strengths of the site and continue today within Groupe Berkem, building on the expertise developed since 1995.
Eurolyo’s Integration into Groupe Berkem
A major milestone was reached in 2018 with the acquisition and integration of Eurolyo into Groupe Berkem.
This integration secured the long-term development of the Chartres site’s historical expertise while embedding it within a broader industrial strategy. The site is now part of a group specializing in plant-based chemistry, including plant and marine extraction, formulation, and associated technologies, serving the health, beauty, and nutrition markets.
While joining Groupe Berkem, the Chartres site has retained the technical and cultural DNA shaped during the Eurolyo years. The Eurolyo name remains well known, both internally and among long-standing partners.
Groupe Berkem enriched by the Eurolyo legacy
Following the merger of Groupe Berkem’s main subsidiaries in 2023 to streamline its organization, the Chartres site has benefited from new investments, operational synergies, and expanded development opportunities. Eurolyo’s historical freeze-drying expertise is now part of a broader industrial offering.
This evolution is reflected in the deployment of new equipment at the Chartres site and the continued development of team capabilities, particularly around PhytoVec® technology, developed by Laboratoires ERIGER, now integrated into Groupe Berkem. Combining this plant-based vectorization technology with freeze-drying opens the door to high-value applications, especially for cosmetic and nutraceutical active ingredients.
Varied and sometimes unexpected projects that enrich the site
Across both the Eurolyo period and its integration into Groupe Berkem, the Chartres site has been recognized for the diversity of projects it has handled.
While its core business remains focused on freeze-drying for the cosmetics, nutraceutical, and food industries, certain projects highlight truly distinctive expertise. One notable example is the preservation of historical archives dating back to 1765, made possible through freeze-drying following flood damage—demonstrating the site’s ability to address sensitive heritage-related challenges.
Other more unusual projects—such as freeze-drying caviar or biological specimens—further illustrate the teams’ technical mastery and their ability to handle complex and delicate materials.
Eurolyo: A legacy that endures
Eurolyo’s story is one of a know-how that has endured and evolved over time. From an independent freeze-drying specialist to an industrial site integrated into Groupe Berkem, the Chartres site reflects a carefully managed evolution built on continuity and the enhancement of core capabilities.
Today, the Eurolyo name remains a strong historical reference at the heart of an industrial site that continues to grow with ambition and innovation. Eurolyo’s expertise strengthens Groupe Berkem’s Health, Beauty & Nutrition activities, expanding its tailor-made development capabilities and its ability to support the most demanding projects.
