From Bertin & Co (Bertin & Cie) to Bertin Technologies, or, the adventure of a biotechnologically modified company

In September 1998, Bertin & Co, founded by the engineer Jean Bertin in 1956, filed for bankruptcy. The cession of important French military and civil programmes, which during the 1960's had promoted the development of this company specialising in innovation and technological development, exposed its basic weakness. At the request of the shareholders and just one year after his arrival, Philippe Demigné took over the running of the company which he tried to save from collapse. The company re-emerged under the name of Bertin Technologies and underwent a radical commercial and cultural transformation. In a short time, it won back all its former clients, expanded its market and its skills, and brought in younger staff. Thanks to a strategy based notably on the combination of engineering science and life sciences, Bertin Technologies has grown strongly and had positive results in 2000 and 2001. Nevertheless, its position should be consolidated in a situation where the status of innovative small and medium-sized companies in the high technology field is not particularly stable.