LYON Announces World-Class Research Structure

LYON, FRANCE--(Marketwired - Jun 25, 2014) - ONLYLYON, the trademark and strategic marketing program for the international promotion of Lyon, France, in conjunction with Lyonbiopole, the one-stop shop for healthcare innovation in Rhône-Alpes, France, is announcing several initiatives to further position Lyon as a competitive, leading international cluster of biotechnology.

With over 5,000 private sector health care jobs and more than 2,700 researchers spanning both the public and private sectors, Lyon is an international capital of biotechnology. Industry leaders such as Sanofi and BioMérieux choose Lyon as their headquarters and continue to expand operations in the region. Biotechnology companies are drawn to Lyon thanks to the public investment in infrastructure and an attractive research climate.

Lyonbiopole
Lyonbiopole is committed to facilitating industry growth in the Rhône-Alpes region. The group aims to support the emergence and development of innovative technologies, products and services in the fields of infectious disease, cancer, nutrition, metabolic diseases and neurosciences. Lyonbiopole provides access to high-level dedicated infrastructure through the Infectious Diseases Center (22,000 sq. ft. of BSL P2/P3 labs).

Accinov
Backed by $25 million investment from the French state and local authorities, Accinov is the new innovation platform of Lyonbiopole dedicated to biomanufacturing. The innovation platform is designed to welcome companies on a flexible time basis, with state-of-the art and ready-to-use cleanroom laboratories dedicated to GLP/GMP biomanufacturing, bioanalysis, process or medical devices development and other high added value activities.

IRT BIOASTER
BIOASTER is an interdisciplinary Technology Research Institute, with its own advanced technology platforms. BIOASTER brings together industry and public research teams to solve bottlenecks in industrial R&D and help advance products in infectious diseases and microbiology, including the growing field of the microbiota.

As a brand new Public Private Partnership model, BIOASTER not only provides scientific and technological expertise, but can also invest financially in collaborative projects. BIOASTER benefits from significant French Government Funding and is supported by internationally recognized Private Companies (Sanofi, bioMérieux, Danone), and Academic organizations (Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, INSERM and the CEA). In addition, more than 40 small and medium sized Biotechnology companies play a role in its development. A new building of around 40,000 sq. ft., hosting state of the art BSL P2/P3 laboratory space is scheduled to start operations in 2015.

Aguettant
Established in 1903, Aguettant has a long history in the biotechnology sector. The group is opening a production and laboratory center to increase its R & D and further accelerate its international development. With $30 million invested in the center and an expected $120 million in turnover, the new facilities should be operational by mid-2015.

Sanofi expansion
Sanofi is creating a resource center to consolidate support functions, and continues to expand their operations in the region, with a $14 million investment in facilities. The group already has one quarter of their workforce concentrated in Lyon.

Already the number one center for vaccines in all of Europe, the recent and up and coming announcements of investment in the Lyon biotechnology cluster promises the region will continue to be an international center for industry innovation.

About Lyonbiopole
As a biocluster, Lyonbiopole is the one-stop shop for healthcare innovation in Rhône-Alpes, France. It aims to support the emergence and development of innovative technologies, products and services 4 main strategic areas: human medicine, veterinary medicine, in vitro diagnostics, medical devices and medical technologies. Focused on infectious diseases since its creation in 2005, Lyonbiopole is now supporting ambitious projects and companies in other fields like cancer, nutrition, metabolic diseases and neurosciences. In 2013, Lyonbiopole was representing a community of 139 members: 4 world-class leaders as Lyonbiopole's founders (Sanofi Pasteur, bioMérieux, Merial, BD) -- 19 research centers including 3 Hospital University Centers and almost 116 SMBs. 

More information: www.lyonbiopole.com

About ONLYLYON
ONLYLYON is the marketing strategy created in 2007 by a wide range of local partners (19 institutional and economic partners active on a global scale) to develop the reputation and attractiveness of Lyon on the international scene. The strategy aims to make Lyon a recognized European economic force, by capitalizing on its leadership in numerous fields: health, chemicals and environmental industries, innovation and urban development as well as its historic assets (Unesco Heritage, tourism, gastronomy, etc).