Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016 BIOTECHFINANCES STRATEGIC INFORMATION FOR BIOTECH DECISION-MAKERS AND INVESTORS

“LYON HAS A REAL ACE TO PLAY IN MEDICAL DEVICES” Jacques de Chilly, former MD of Aderly, Greater Lyon’s economic development agency, now heads economic and international development for Lyon Metropolis, with emphasis and ambition on medical devices.

BIOTECH FINANCES: Why is strengths in biotechnology, diagnostics Lyon Metropolis strengthening and life sciences. The crossovers with its position in medical devices? medical technology are plentiful. Big Jacques de Chilly: Lyon Metropo- companies value our position and they lis overall strategy in the life sciences are in talks with us about relocating to has until now mainly been focused on and expanding in the Lyon area. In the infectious diseases, neurology and can- past we have already supported dialysis cer. But the changes we have seen in leaders Baxter and Fresenius in their society, especially an aging population, investment plans. Fresenius Group in have led to 6% growth in the medical fact completed three projects in a row, technology sector, outpacing phar- worth €100 M altogether. maceuticals. Medical devices involve crossing boundaries between industry, BF: What are the challenges for academia and research to leverage the years ahead? the necessary skills. Lyon-based busi- JdC: We need to bring in new players, nesses and engineering schools are new investors to the region. It means particularly active in the fields of me- lending further support to the whole of chanics and materials. The medical the life sciences community, through device sector also features in the stra- innovation clusters like Lyonbiopôle tegy of a regional hub made up of local and i-Care Cluster, funding for core and city councils: Lyon Metropolis, facilities like the Accinov platform Saint-Etienne Metropolis, ViennAgglo or the technology research institute and CAPI. Lyon and Saint-Etienne BIOASTER. It also means working in complete each other and combine even closer collaboration with cancer their skills in the mechanics, textiles, research centers, university colleges, plastics and health sectors. and the University of Lyon Foundation. And we mustn’t forget the start-ups BF: And of course the digital which are the small and medium-sized sector... businesses of the future. Our objective Jacques de Chilly JdC: There are indeed crossovers is to coordinate the various city and here on a regional level between the local councils especially for textiles and digital sector and nanotechnologies, medical technology in Saint-Etienne. “The changes we have medical imaging and bioinformatics, Lyon is fortunate in that it lies at the the latter being prominent in Grenoble crossroads of a number of life science seen in society have led to and Lyon. All the technological and capabilities. We really do have an ace industrial elements are available for to play internationally for establishing 6% growth in the medical rolling out a real strategy for medical ourselves firmly in the medical device technology sector.” devices. And this actually plays to our sector and taking the lead.

COMPANY TESTIMONIALS INTERVIEWS

1• Michel Thérin, (Medtronic-Covidien) 2 1• David - p 3. 2• Dietrich Wolf, (Eye Tech Care) - 2 4 6 Kimelfeld, p 3. 3• Denys Sournac, (Medicrea) - p 4. (VP Lyon 4• Etienne Binant, (Biom’Up) - p 4. Metropolis) - p 2 5• Elisabeth Ducottet, (Thuasne) - p 5. 1 3 5 2• Emmanuel 6• Emmanuel Blanc, (Edap TMS) - p 5. 1 Blanc, (i-Care

Summary Cluster) - p 2 FEATURED ARTICLE ENQUIRIES TO SET UP IN LYON METROPOLIS Florence Agostino-Etchetto, head of the Lyonbiopôle cluster Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a unique public/private Jean-Charles Foddis, ecosystem for medical devices in France, pages 6-7 Adriana C. Toma, Nathalie Laurent, (Invest in Lyon) page 8 INTERVIEWS Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016

THE INDUSTRIOUS WINNING STRATEGY OF LYON METROPOLIS

David Kimelfeld is the Vice-President of Lyon Metropolis – the authority for the Greater Lyon area – and in charge of economic development. He explains Lyon’s growth strategy for life sciences and medi- cal devices. “Our strategy draws on Lyon’s long-standing medical tradition, on figures like Alain Mérieux, and also on the Lyonbiopôle cluster which has played a pivotal role in shaping the sector and attracting large corpo- rations. Without such a coordinated approach, Sanofi might never have decided to maintain and relocate some of its head offices in Lyon or to invest in its new facility at Neuville-sur-Saône. At the same time the region has witnessed the growth of a number of technology and R&D platforms like the Accinov platform and the BIOASTER Technology Research Institute, all of which contribute to the region’s business appeal. This vibrant hub has also spurred undoubtedly influenced the decisions of German group Fresenius the growth of start-ups like Adocia, Biom’up, Medicrea... and the homeopathy lab Boiron to further invest in their plants in Lyon-Gerland Biodistrict is another core component of our stra- Lyon area. tegy. The investment made in road networks and public areas, Another sign of our high global visibility is the confirmed presence and in an wholly open-air campus with direct connections to the of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This city’s main hospitals, has really put Lyon on the map of the Euro- agency is part of the World Health Organization (WHO) and is pean and global healthcare industry. Other areas near Lyon are due to move into new premises within Biodistrict Lyon in 2020. also benefiting from the international strategy. The region’s appeal There is no other agency like it in the world.”

“OUR INDUSTRY PLAYERS ARE DEVELOPING REAL HIGH-LEVEL CAPABILITIES” Emmanuel Blanc heads i-Care Cluster, an initiative to federate and support all health technology businesses that design, manufacture and commercialize medical devices and solutions based on health information technology. Here he delivers his expert insight into how the region is positioning itself in this cutting-edge sector. BIOTECH FINANCES: What is special about the regional BF: Do French businesses have critical mass? businesses involved in medical devices? E.B.: This is the big difference with German businesses. French ones Emmanuel Blanc: Lyon is particularly strong in the digital sector, cover an extremely broad range of products, from tubulation to and for electronic patient records. Grenoble has a strong robotics sector ultrasound, but more big names are needed like BioMérieux for in vitro and Saint-Etienne is long tradition in textile innovation. The region is diagnostics, or medium-sized companies like Trixell in Grenoble, or currently experimenting the use of cutting-edge technologies under its Thuasne in Saint-Etienne. New medium-sized companies need to come digital healthcare scheme called Digital Healthcare Territory and led by to the fore, and this is the reason of being of clusters like i-Care. There is the Regional Health Agency. On the world stage too, Auvergne-Rhône- much potential for development in the thousand or so French companies Alpes is shaping up well; it is home to large international groups such as working in medical devices. Medtronic (former Covidien), Fresenius, Baxter and Gambro. BF: What are the challenges for the years ahead? BF: How do regional businesses compare to other European E.B.: The main challenge is financing innovation and streamlining clusters in particular? reimbursements for medical procedures. If we expect to boost the me- E.B.: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is mirroring the Paris region which ranks dical technology sector, we’ll have to further develop research and help top for medical devices nationally. But France needs to continue its efforts hospitals invest in innovation and purchase new technology. Our industry as it remains a challenger. We need to redress our trade balance that is in players are developing real high-level capabilities, what we need to do now the red by €800 M in the medical device sector, and ensure our regions is ensure this is leveraged effectively. take a greater market share. We may not be in the same league yet as Lausanne for instance, but we do have the means to substantially raise BF: What do you want to achieve with events like Medica? our game. What will help us here is our healthcare system; industry and E.B.: It’s quite a unique opportunity to reconnect with all the suppliers of business leaders are able to collaborate with clinical teams and labs from medical devices, meet with the main sub-contractors and find new ones. Inserm and CNRS which are particularly skilled in ultrasound and i-Care Cluster uses the event as a way to reach out to similar organizations in medical imaging. If we are able to bring these academic, clinical and in- Germany and Switzerland, thus helping to strengthen our region’s foothold dustrial worlds closer together, then we’ll have a real trump up our sleeve. in the market and to enhance our European and international visibility.

2 BIOTECHFINANCES • 2015-2016 Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016 COMPANY TESTIMONIALS

Medtronic-Covidien diversifies into hemostatic gauzes THE INDUSTRIOUS WINNING STRATEGY Michel Thérin, VP R&D of Medtronic-Covidien (Trévoux R&D innovation center) OF LYON METROPOLIS Sofradim Production has which helps stop bleeding during surgical been controlled by the giant operations mainly on the spleen, liver and Medtronic ever since the kidneys. This is a major diversification for a latter took over Covidien of company otherwise known for its parietal which Sofradim had been a subsidiary. reinforcement implants range. Now Sofra- With 85,000 employees, the global leader dim is hoping to establish itself in the hemos- in medical devices has a $27 M turnover. tasis market. Valued at €8 B, it has a 5- 10% “Cross-fertilizating annual growth rate. Medtronic’s techno- This innovation logies with those we came about through excel at may well a patent and a deliver success for “Cross-fertilizating technology deve- the future,” affirms Medtronic’s loped by CNRS. Michel Thérin, pre- Michel Thérin is sident of Sofradim technologies with particularly keen Production, who those we excel at may on collaborative employs 280 people, a work with research third of which work on well deliver success labs of technical product development. for the future.” and engineering To boost company schools in Lyon growth, he is current- and Saint-Etienne ly looking to obtain and with the CEA businesses and service providers, especially clearance in Europe in Grenoble. He in the field of materials characterization, in over the coming months for an inno- is mindful of the partnerships he can set order to actively involve them in these endea- vative product, a resorbable hemosta- up with hospital teams which possess vors despite a possible slowdown tic gauze. An investment of €15 M has “top-class technical facilities”. He also in momentum due to having been made to mass produce this product stresses how he reaches out to local more stakeholders on-board.

Eye Tech Care sets sights on China Dietrich Wolf, CEO solution for treating glaucoma with focused typically were before. After raising €4.5 M ultrasound. Reaching out to the Chinese in early 2015, the start-up which recorded market is fairly unusual for French earnings of €650,000 for 2014, is once start-ups which mostly target the US. “But again looking to attract higher levels of we think we can create value faster in China, funding including from abroad by the end and with less investment,” Wolf says. of the year. The CEO explains, “This is “With 28% of the world’s patients, many of to step up our sales and marketing drive whom have advanced glaucoma requiring for the brand and to better prepare for surgery, China repre- product licensing sents a key market for in China and the glaucoma treatment. US.” This inter- Our easy-to-use tech- national develop- nology offers an ideal “With 28% of the ment isn’t however alternative,” Wolf world’s patients, overshadowing its points out. Putting operations in France forward these argu- China represents and the Lyon area. ments, Eye Tech a key market for The company conti- Care has entered nues to work closely the approval process glaucoma treatment.” alongside inves- of the China Food tors and suppliers, and Drug Admi- research teams nistration (CFDA) (Inserm) and clinical for its EyeOP1® system. In Europe, an partners (Lyon and Grenoble hospitals). Following on from Europe extension of the CE marking has been “Membership of the Lyonbiopôle brings and the US, Lyon-based granted to the system’s new version which a strong impetus to what we are about,” start-up Eye Tech Care is more user-friendly and comes with Wolf adds. “On top of that, we have is now targeting China. optimized settings. gained interesting insights from a business Founded in 2008 and managed by CEO These advancements mean the company to meet with Chinese practio- Dietrich Wolf, the young company deve- can expand its business operations beyond ners and to pave the way for our lops and markets EyeOP1®, an innovative France and Europe where its markets operations in their country.”

BIOTECHFINANCES • 2015-2016 3 COMPANY TESTIMONIALS Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016

Medicrea invents patient-specific implants Denys Sournac, CEO

In October 2016, Medi- rods, and more recently, 3D interverte- crea will be relocating from bral cages. “This has come about through La Rochelle, on France’s our Unid platform concept,” Sournac Atlantic coast, to Van- states. “In order to provide patient-specific cia in the Lyon region, thus bringing treatment while catering for the needs of together its head office, production units surgeons, we use special design software and R&D teams. “We are investing €16 M alongside specific machining or printing in the move which will be decisive for our processes. The beauty of Unid lies in its future.” Explains Denys Sournac, CEO of ability to go beyond our conventional this company with a products.” 100 staff which has The 3D printing been listed on En- project is still in terNext since 2006. “The US market its experimental “By converging on stage and pending one site, we will be remains a priority approval. A 3D titan able to optimize our for us.” printer has required industrial capability, €1.3 M worth of continue to innovate, investment already. and integrally manage In 2013, some 400 most of our production.” patients had surgeries using these perso- The company pumps €2.5 M into R&D nalized rods in France and the US. These every year. But for the CEO, what inspires rods represent 10% in turnover which has engineers to develop ground-breaking increased five-fold since 2009 bringing products such as the Pass LP is how it up to €23.9 M in 2014 of which 60% production processes are managed and has been generated in the US. “The US knowing what surgeons need. market remains a priority for us.” the Since 2010 Medicrea has been develo- CEO adds. “This is why we are looking to specific process. We know that ping a range of surgeon-friendly implants. be more visible to investors over there and American surgeons value this These products consist of custom-made highlighting the benefits of our patient- approach very much.”

Biom’Up, a gem in Lyon’s ecosystem Etienne Binant, CEO is a comprehensive local ecosystem that mostasis market, a segment worth $2 B,” saw their development, from being incu- Binant explains. The proceeds of the bated at Crealys all the way to their initial financing round will be used primarily funding round. The spin-off from the to finance a large clinical study of a new National Institute for Applied Sciences of hemostatic product – Hemoblast – which Lyon certainly has what it takes to become is able to stop light to moderate bleeding one of the global market leaders. during surgery in less than six minutes And this poten- maximum. The study tial has been pic- was cleared by the ked up by life “We now have Food and Drug Admi- science investors’ the resources needed nistration (FDA) in radars. In its recent August and involves financing round- to position ourselves 400 patients main- table, Bpifrance in this market, a ly from the US. If Large Venture, successful, the product European in- segment worth more could be commercia- vestment com- than €2 B.” lized by late 2016 with pany Gimv and large-scale manufactu- the Danish foundation Lundbeckfond ring in a new factory set up by Biom’Up, Ten years after it was Ventures put up €18.3 M alongside its starting in 2017. Parallel to this, the founded, Biom’Up has long-standing shareholders InnoBio, start-up from Lyon is continuing to pulled off one of the year’s SHAM, ACG management which topped market another product, an anti-adhesion most amazing feats when it up with €12 M. Lastly, a further €1 M was collagen membrane for surgery. This solid managed to secure €31.3 M. Specializing brought in by the management team led by foundation has enabled the company to in resorbable, collagen-based biomate- CEO Etienne Binant. employ some 50 people and rials, the company boasts an unblemished “We now have the resources and partners record a turnover of €4 M for 2015, track record. Also driving them forward needed to position ourselves in the he- up 30% on the previous year.

4 BIOTECHFINANCES • 2015-2016 Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016 COMPANY TESTIMONIALS

Thuasne taking its digital revolution to new heights with connected soles Elisabeth Ducottet, CEO

Still quick on the draw embraces the digital revolution dear to after almost a hundred Elisabeth Ducottet. The medical textile and seventy years of ope- industry went through a modernization rations, the Saint-Etienne- process which brought about automated based business is keeping pace with the looms; it certainly doesn’t want to miss times while remaining true to itself. It has out now on the galaxy 3.0. “We need shifted from traditio- to take this digital nal textile products revolution further like the dressings in order to produce used by WWI sol- medical devices with diers, to technical “We need to take more functiona- products (medical this digital revolution lity - offering greater and sports orthosis), accuracy, connec- while expanding into further in order to tivity, and flow of the broader realm produce medical information,” insists of high value-ad- Thuasne’s CEO, ded medical devices. devices with more who is delighted Today the family functionality.” with the brainstor- business, led by Eli- ming going on in the sabeth Ducottet, Auvergne-Rhône- has gone digital and Alpes region, home partnered with a start-up to develop to a number of technical institutes and connected therapeutic soles. The aim is research labs such as the CEA. Thuasne first to design a gauge to test the pressure is working especially closely with Ecole of the foot arches, and then to develop des Mines in Saint-Etienne. The school innovation cluster Techtera, of which a device to track and alert people who has set up a biomechanics lab which is Thuasne is a member, and French suffer from neuropathy. As part of a welcome development for pushing Tech with the “design à Saint-Etienne” Thuasne’s drive for open innovation, the ahead with new products. Other key label and which also has a hand in partnership with the start-up – FeetMe – enablers in the region include the transforming our medical devices.

Edap TMS focuses on partnership in innovation Emmanuel Blanc, Development Director development director. “With 80% of our nues go up from €24 M to €30 M. “We sub-contractors in and around the city we lose money every year,” explains Emma- have solutions at our very doorstep.” As nuel Blanc, “due to 10% to 12% of our president of the regional i-Care Cluster, turnover being fed into R&D. We have Emmanuel Blanc also appreciates “the started seeing a reversal in the model outlook brought in by connections with whereby medical technology required less other industry players.” clinical development expenditure than Right from the start, Edap TMS has pharmacy: we have invested €100 M for grown through its the HIFU technology.” close ties with resear- However, the out- chers from Inserm look for Edap TMS (LabTau*) and with “We have is bright. LabTau is physicians from invested € 100M exploring how to apply Hospices Civils de HIFU technologies to Lyon. Their colla- for the HIFU treat liver cancer, in boration has enabled technology.” conjunction with anti- them to come up cancer center Léon- with a method for Bérard in Lyon. “Fur- treating urolithia- thermore, Edap TMS sis using extracorporeal shock wave has now managed to obtain clearance Since it was founded in lithotripsy, and another for prostate from the FDA in the US for its product,” 1979, high-tech medical cancer using high intensity focused states Emmanuel Blanc, who is delighted. company Edap TMS has ultrasound (HIFU). Japan, the only other country been based in Vaulx-en- By marketing these products to hospi- where approval is pending, is Velin near Lyon. “We integrate dif- tals, 80% of which are abroad (8 subsi- likely to follow suit. ferent technologies and the Lyon area diaries and offices), Edap TMS now has (*) Laboratory of Therapeutic Applications of is great for that,” says Emmanuel Blanc, a 150-strong staff and has seen its reve- Ultrasound

BIOTECHFINANCES • 2015-2016 5 FEATURED ARTICLE Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016 AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES, A UNIQUE PUBLIC/PRIVATE ECOSYSTEM FOR MEDICAL DEVICES IN FRANCE Is Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes a region of excellence for medical devices? “It is certainly a global benchmark for medical innovation,” says Florence Agostino-Etchetto, head of the Lyonbiopôle innovation cluster, a key driver of the region’s healthcare sector “a result of all the ongoing work done in the economy, policymaking and academic research”.

Spanning fields such as infectology, Avril, a researcher at Centre Ingénierie nanotechnologies, specialized textiles and and Santé de Mines Saint-Etienne specia- more. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region lizing in treatments for aortic aneurysm. brings together 15% of the French sector’s This innovation-driven ecosystem is home businesses. These include big names to France’s largest number of researchers like: Sanofi Pasteur, Merial, bioMérieux, in biomedical engineering, which repre- Genzyme Polyclonals, Fresenius, Mylan, sents some 2,000 masterminds across the Thuasne, Gibaud, Sigvaris, Covidien (recently whole region working away at disruptive taken over by Medtronic), Roche Diagnostics, solutions and technologies. “Auvergne- Eurofins Optimed, Endocontrol... Rhône-Alpes ranks second in the country “Further to this solid regional foothold, we for the number of scientific publications have a mature network of small and medium- produced, just behind the greater Paris sized businesses and innovative start-ups,” area. We carry a strong reputation,” says Agostino-Etchetto points out. These young Avril who, this year, was awarded a grant innovators are attracting foreign investors for his project Biolochanics developed in like Biom’Up has (specialized in collagen- partnership with Yale University in the based medical devices) when it managed to US. This grant comes after an earlier one secure nearly €32 M through the Gimv and awarded to his colleague Pierre Badel last Lundbeckfond Ventures funds. Another December, and together they total €3.5 M example is Amoeba (green biocide), which over five years. Florence Agostino-Etchetto was incubated by Crealys in 2010. It was The new “made in Saint-Etienne” listed on Euronext in the summer of 2015 treatment is expected to substantially work hand in hand. In fact a networked and since then it has seen its share price reduce the number of the 30,000 deaths skills base along with a multidisciplinary, and increased by... 210%! recorded every year in Europe due to cooperative approach to the private sector enlarged aorta. This broader program constitute a major feature of the Auvergne- A MULTIDISCIPLINARY for aneurysms and aging of tissues brings Rhône-Alpes region,” adds Thierry Hoc, APPROACH together 14 regional partners including Saint- a researcher at Ecole Centrale Lyon. This Etienne University Hospital, Ecole Centrale seen, for example, by the imminent opening “Apart from this strong industrial presence, Lyon and Hospice Civils de Lyon. “The of an industrial department, at Mines Saint- the region’s key strength lies in its public- region assembles a number of biological, Etienne school, in medical textiles fully private ecosystem,” explains Stéphane engineering and medical faculties that all financed by the firm Thuasne.

Driving forces in Lyon’s medical devices ecosystem Over 300 businesses operate in the main medical technology vaccines for humans and animals, bacteriological diagnostics and sectors in Lyon. They include: Becton Dickinson, bioMérieux, licensing systems. It is also Europe’s number one hub for manufac- Depuy France, Edap TMS, Saphir medical, Floréane, Medical turing vaccines and France’s second largest employer in life sciences. Implants Group, Praxim, Micro Vitae, Medicrea, Biom’up, Fresenius, Medtronic, Tornier, Allergan, Groupe Lépine, Stryker, GRENOBLE: biotechnology and structural biology Tekka, Gambro, Baxter, Fresenius, Aguettant, Roche, GE Between Lyon and Grenoble, “There has been a long love-hate Healthcare, Animascope, Voxcan, Gibaud, Sigvaris, Thuasne, La- tradition,” says Patrick Boisseau of CEA-Leti, “but the rivalry is boratoire Tetra, Biomet. a thing of the past”. Today Grenoble is known for its capabilities in biology, chemistry, IT, nanotechnologies and physics thanks to MAIN SECTORS AND KEY FIGURES FOR MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES its research powerhouses: CEA, Université Joseph Fournier and Surgery 2,600 jobs 54 businesses ; dialysis 2,800 jobs 48 busi- Grenoble INP. nesses ; medical imaging 600 jobs ; medical textiles 2,600 jobs 27 businesses ; diagnostics 18 businesses SAINT-ETIENNE METROPOLIS: medical technologies Saint-Etienne and the Loire department account for a third of the ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region’s potential in medical technology, LYON METROPOLIS: infectology, biotechnology and medical especially orthopedic implants, medical and sports textiles, home- devices. help and biotechnology. The Lyon Metropolis area has become the European leader in Sources: DIRECCTE / Région Rhône-Alpes

6 BIOTECHFINANCES • 2015-2016 Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016 FEATURED ARTICLE

These crossovers uniting labs and busi- this public sector involvement. Worth nesses are even more prominent in €68.8 M, the fund was set up a few weeks Grenoble which is known in the region ago to support innovative businesses in the Rhône-Alpes: for nanotechnologies and assisted surgery. region. Behind the new measure are three “Here, all research projects have to partner different sources of capital: Bpifrance, the healthcare industry with industry,” says Patrick Boisseau, head European Regional Development Fund of the nanomedicine program at CEA- (ERDF) and the Rhône-Alpes Regional in figures Leti lab which has a 250 research staff Government. Beneficiaries will be able to working on health technology programs. receive loans as business capital. “Secu- “Every year we have at least 150 contracts ring high levels of non-dilutive capital is 183 underway with major clients, start-ups and challenging for our region’s innovative projects approved between 2005 and even our own spin-offs’. start-ups whose cash flow is crucial to their 2015 by Lyonbiopôle cluster, worth €870 M in business success,” explains Marie-Adeline funding including €390 M from public sector A DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRY Peix, who is in charge of managing Bpifrance’s regional partnerships. “As schemes. The extensive support system available part of Bpifrance, our role is to streamline to innovators is another key asset of the support schemes and ensure they deliver region. The regional network includes tailored solutions for both young and clusters, incubators, and expert hot spots mature businesses and for all types of which all come together to deliver value projects at all stages of development.” 150 laboratories across the region with 9,000 and contribute to the 2014-2020 regional innovation strategy under which life BETWEEN €50,000 AND €1 M researchers including 2,000 working in sciences and nanotechs feature among infectology (50% public sector), and 4,000 the region’s seven hi-tech target sectors. The FIRA will be invested over a 5-year in nanotechnologies of which 300 specialize However, there are issues that the regional period, thus coinciding with the European in healthcare applications (CEA, LETI...) in ecosystem needs to address in order to Union’s financing timeline. Through the Grenoble. enhance its image for foreign investors. scheme, interest-free loans of between “The region’s healthcare/health techno- €50,000 and €1 M will be allocated to around logy sector is a high-value economic driver, 500 businesses for a maximum period of but it needs to become easier to navi- 8 years. It’s good news for biotech but also 2 gate,” states Bertrand Bergue of ARDI, for businesses operating in the medical Academic Research Communities dealing the region’s agency for development and devices market as they won’t have to justify with healthcare, disability, quality of life innovation. “Some of the top funders from their turnover to apply. “To be eligible, an and aging. They develop partnerships between outside the region would like to invest, and applicant must first have a concrete innova- so we are working to reassure them about tion project, be located in the Rhône-Alpes industry and academia to finance and manage how the region can offer a safe and suppor- region, and possess equity or quasi equity. research projects. tive environment for their endeavors.” That’s it.” concludes Peix. “Although it’s better to have at least three years’ worth of EUROPEAN COMPETITION financial statements to apply for FIRA loans, In addition : we do have the discretion to finance younger Another challenge facing the birthplace of projects by spin-offs from established •80,000 jobs in healthcare including: French medical devices and life sciences is groups, entrepreneurs who we have already •30,000 in medical devices sector the commercialization of certain innova- supported in the past, or high-potential R&D •800 businesses in medical technology tions. It’s a challenge for France and other initiatives.” •2 WHO centers/1 laboratory BSL4 countries, as it is for regions developing By implementing this measure, the Jean Mérieux medical devices such as Auvergne-Rhône- national bank and the Rhône-Alpes 2nd largest university hospital in France with Alpes, says Gérald Comtet, manager of the Regional Government hope to build • regional i-Care Cluster focused on health innovation capacity in new areas and advance Hospice Civils de Lyon (staff of 22,000) technology. We perform well in design, the commercialization of new generation •40 hospitals safety and clinical applications, but our products. “Our priority will go to the high- •Over 15,000 life sciences students healthcare system, and those of other potential sectors within the Region that have and 150 research graduates per year. countries, don’t have budgets adapted to been identified under the Regional Innova- financing new devices. In other words, tion Strategy » Peix points out. A welcome Sources: MIPRA 2013/2014 / innovators or would-be innovators can feature for entrepreneurs is that there are Lyonbiopôle, Aderly. sometimes be put off by the lack of funding. no collective selection rounds for FIRA aid; “Sooner or later, businesses at the seed instead projects will be selected on an ongoing Catalonia,” Patrick Boisseau explains. stage will have to seek funding,” states basis according to whether they meet the There is also the Genève-Lausanne Nathalie Cohet, entrepreneur advisor at criteria set out. Investors are already looking corridor which is attracting scores of high- Pulsalys, an accelerator combining the ahead to a possible FIRA 2 whose scope is level researchers from around the world. competencies of Lyon Science Transfer being defined as France’s regions boundaries “Rhône-Alpes has a lot going for it as well and Crealys for the Lyon/Saint-Etienne are being redrawn to some extent. as the potential to rank among the best,” area. “The public sector and especially The overall objective of the Auvergne-Rhône- Boisseau goes on. “With ARDI, we are local and regional policy-makers are Alpes region is to keep pace with the front- putting together a plan to show Europe playing their part by providing support running regions at a time when powerful hubs our human and material capabilities. schemes, and the private sector has to are emerging throughout Europe. Our long-term challenge is to enhance build on this.” The FIRA – the Rhône- “Today’s competition comes from regio- our appeal in order to keep up with the Alpes Innovation Fund – exemplifies nal hubs such as Baden-Württemberg or competition.”

BIOTECHFINANCES • 2015-2016 7 ENQUIRIES TO SET UP IN LYON METROPOLIS Special Issue • Medical Devices Lyon Metropolis 2015-2016

Aderly / Invest in Lyon Agency is the Lyon Investment and Promotion Agency OUR VOCATION: To research, advise and accompany businesses in their plans to set up in Lyon or its surrounding area.

Jean-Charles Foddis, Executive Director [email protected]

Adriana C. Toma, Nathalie Laurent, Inward Investment Advisor Senior Inward Life Sciences ADERLY, Invest in Lyon Agency Investment Advisor [email protected] Place de la Bourse Life Sciences 69289 Lyon Cedex 2 - France [email protected] Phone number : +33 (0) 472.40.57.30 Fax number : +33 (0) 472.40.57.35 [email protected] www.investinlyon.com Photos : MRC Production, Egérie Production, : MRC Photos

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