AVA officially unveiled its new identity in Ebene, Mauritius. This launch marked the start of a new era for the group, founded in 1998 in the United States by French entrepreneur Vincent Lagarde. The President of Ava Group shares his confidence that Mauritius is well-positioned to become a major player in the medical device market, which is projected to grow exponentially in Africa and Asia in the coming years. The AVA Group has made a major investment in Mauritius with the AVA Technopark, a 60,000 square meter scientific park located in Côte d’Or.
On April 27, AVA officially unveiled its new identity at Maeva Tower, Ebene. This launch marked the start of a new era for the group, founded in 1998 in Boston, U.S.A, by entrepreneur Vincent Lagarde. Two years later, the company relocated to Mauritius along with ten employees and the rest is history. The group currently employs over 700 people. It presently manages close to Rs 1 billion in assets, with a turnover of Rs 1 billion.
Over the last two decades, Lagarde has achieved remarkable feats by launching companies in a number of industries, Xtruline (extrusion unit), Abiolabs (microbiology and DNA testing unit), Tobili Investments Ltd (real estate) and Umbrella C (business solutions provider) operating in scientific research to hospitality and real estate. With the aim of injecting more coherence into these entrepreneurial projects and creating an ecosystem that is favorable to growth and innovation, these organizations and interests were brought together last year under the banner of AVA, a new entity.
Vincent Lagarde is a trained Plastics Engineer. After completing a scientific baccalaureate and advanced Math preparatory classes (referred to as a prépa), he enrolled in the Ecole Nationale des Arts & Industries, specializing in Plastics Engineering. He holds a dual degree in Polymer Science and Engineering (ENSAIS & EAHP, France). His expertise in polymers began during an innovative time period, which enabled him to create his first coronary dilatation catheter in 1993. From 1993 to 1998, he served as a Senior Project and Development Manager at Nycomed Amersham, where he developed patented technologies still in use today. Lagarde was inspired by his grandfather, the proprietor of a shipyard in Toulon supplying the French navy, and even caring for Calypso, Captain Cousteau’s legendary vessel. He has set AVA’s vision to have a positive impact on the lives of future generations, with the mission of creating value and encouraging sustainability through innovative initiatives.
“Creating AVA has been a dream come true for me, the development of collective synergies for the benefit of a greater goal than ourselves: that of actively participating in the building of a better world, more advanced and better able to address the issues of our time, and moreover more cohesive, more efficient, and fairer “, Vincent Lagarde said at the launch of the group.
For 25 years, the AVA Group has been actively producing cutting-edge medical devices through Natec Medical, investing heavily in the development of new technologies and various processes to advance medicine and science. The name AVA, meaning “giving life” in Hebrew, reflects the group’s values under the acronym L.I.F.E: Leadership, Innovation, Family, Excellence.
AVA Technopark
The group is also the promoter of AVA Technopark, a 60,000 square meter scientific park located in Côte d’Or. The primary goal of this infrastructure, equipped with the most advanced technological tools, is to accelerate medical and scientific progress while making the country one of the main providers of quality solutions in the health sector. “Through these first-class new facilities, we are confident that we will attract major international companies to Mauritius to develop their products in a top-notch environment,” Vincent Lagarde says.
Lagarde explains that AVA will actively participate in the development of the country and the emergence of a new, solid, reliable and prosperous economic pillar. “The market for medical devices is set to grow exponentially in Africa and Asia in the coming years. Mauritius is ideally positioned to become an essential player in this sector”, he says.