France’s government is putting €54 billion toward the growth of priority industries, including the biotech sector, learned a high-level delegation to Paris organized by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) in April.
The delegation, co-organized by Business France, an arm of the French government that fosters business relations globally, highlighted the importance of Franco-American biotech collaboration to support innovation. During two days of meetings with key government and industry stakeholders, participants deepened connections with the goal of fostering greater collaboration between the U.S. and French sectors.
Led by Scott Koenig, CEO of MacroGenics, BIO Board Member and Co-Chair of the International Work Group of the Board, and John Murphy, BIO’s Chief Policy Officer, the delegation included participants from BeiGene, Amgen, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and PTC Therapeutics.
“Over the course of two days, we were thrilled to learn that the French government and industry are working together to further strengthen France’s biotech sector,” said Murphy. “BIO is keen to support our French industry partners and the government as they implement the goals of France 2030 as cross-border collaboration with allied countries is critical to the success of the U.S. biotech sector.”
Insights from the French biotech ecosystem
France 2030 is the French government’s plan to transform and revitalize various key sectors of the French economy through innovation and technology. The plan allocates €54 billion to drive advancements in ten strategic areas, including energy, automotive, aerospace, and health, with a particular focus on green and digital transitions.
In the biotech sector, France 2030 puts a focus on funding research and development, supporting start-ups, and fostering public-private partnerships. As the delegation learned, the plan will earmark a sizable amount towards the development of five biotech clusters, each an “ecosystem of innovative players in the field of health,” including companies, labs, and research centers. The group met leaders of one of these—the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster—during a meeting at the Sanofi headquarters hosted by BIO Board member Deborah Glasser, Sanofi’s Head of North America Commercial Operations for Vaccines, as well as other executives from the company.
Delegates discussed key policy issues that affect the ability of U.S. companies to do business in France. These included ongoing discussions around the revision of the EU Pharmaceutical Legislation, data privacy challenges and cross-border data flows at the EU and France levels, and pricing and reimbursement issues.
Highlights included meetings with several government officials, including Roland Lescure, France’s Minister of Industry and Energy, as well as health advisors to President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace. The group also met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Digital, the U.S. Embassy, and the Health Innovation Agency, which was established under the Prime Minister’s office to advance innovation and access to innovation.
Additional meetings of note included LEEM, the pharmaceutical association in France, as well as the leadership of Business France and stakeholders including venture capitalists and hospital representatives to understand the full breadth of the industry. The group also visited the PariSante Campus, a hub for companies in the data/AI spaces, and co-hosted a reception with France Biotech, Business France, and PariSante Campus.
“The recent visit of BIO to Paris marks a significant milestone in the Franco-American biotech collaboration,” said Jérôme Revole, Managing Director for Healthcare at Business France North America. “The discussions with a wide range of high-level officials and key stakeholders of the French Healthcare ecosystem over these two days have set the stage for a growing collaboration on important topics of mutual interest.”
Business France is organizing the French delegation and pavilion at the 2024 BIO International Convention—visit bio.convention.org to learn more and register today.
