Ladies and gentlemen, my dear friends,
As the Chairman of MEDICEN Paris Region competitiveness cluster, which had the honour to coordinate the local host committee this year, I am delighted to be with you today at the two thousand fifteen BIO-Europe Spring Conference. I would like to thank all of you for your presence. I would like to thank in particular Paris Region Entreprises, the Ile-de-France region and its President, Mr. Jean-Paul Huchon, the City of Paris and its mayor, Mrs. Anne Hidalgo and the French Minister of Economy and Industry, Mr. Emmanuel Macron.
Thanks to their commitments and efforts, this is the first time Paris is hosting such a major life science industry event where global leaders of biotech companies can gather during three days of meetings.
Health and well being on a daily basis for the benefit of the world population: this is what brings us here and what we are all fighting for. Biotechnologies have indeed the ability to play an essential role in the continuous improvement of illnesses’ treatment. I am convinced that France and the Paris region remain key players in those areas.
France itself stands as a global centre of attraction in biomedical research and innovation. Our academic excellence has been proved by several great scientists, such as Fields Medal winner Cédric Vilani, Lasker-Debakey Prize winner Alim-Louis Benabid or Jules Hoffmann who was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in two thousand eleven. We have one of the most generous tax systems for research and the French State has spent more than twenty billion euros on research in two thousand thirteen.
Besides, the Paris Île de France region specifically is a well-known cluster of excellence for personalised medicine and the leading scientific region in Europe in the field of healthcare innovation with almost thirty thousand jobs.
Such assets are extremely important at a time when competition in healthcare research and innovation has become rougher and more international than ever.
This brings me to the core of what I wanted to address today: the changing face of innovation and your role in it. Innovation today is a global process without borders. A bunch of whole new connections are now necessary to succeed: a new tie between basic research and patients, a closer link between life sciences and technology as well as stronger bonds between basic private research and public research efforts.
Above all, innovation processes are faced with an apparent paradox. In spite of the globalization effects, some regions possess a clear advance with cutting-edge technologies and a unique intelligence of specific scientific issues. Our goals must be clear: federate those regional areas of expertise and develop long-lasting partnerships as a way to mutualize skills and competences on an international level.
In order to build this global network, MEDICEN has already established several partnerships with foreign counterparts. MEDICEN co-organized workshops with the Berlin-Brandeburg BioTOP cluster and signed a cooperation agreement in two thousand twelve with Maryland Biotechnology Center to promote the emergence, development and promotion of inter-industrial cluster projects. These partnerships are the best ways to make others benefit from our own expertise.
MEDICEN is the most preeminent competitive cluster in France in the areas of healthcare and personalised medicine. We specialize into five strategic fields of action: In vitro diagnostic, diagnostic and interventional imaging systems, regenerative medicine and biomaterials, ICT for Health and translational medicine.
We have the unique ability to bring together large pharmaceutical companies, SANOFI in particular, whose contributions are essential in terms of research, investments and global reach, as well as small/medium businesses, public laboratories and educational institutions. MEDICEN creates a unique ecosystem in the Paris region that allows us to mutualize our knowledge and develop synergies with one common goal: health innovation.
Since research and innovation are collaborative processes, we need to put together all the resources we can from all the different actors in the biomedical industry, both public and private, to design healthcare solutions for today and for tomorrow.
In a world of constant change, MEDICEN provides its members with guidance and many services, ranging from support for research and development efforts, easier access to financing as well as coaching for international development.
This offer is particularly essential for our Small and Medium Entreprises members. In France, as in many other places in the world, more than nine out of ten businesses are SMEs. Among our two hundred twenty-nine adherents, there are approximately one hundred eighty small and medium businesses that can profit from MEDICEN’s ecosystem.
Many of them have already developed wonderfully innovative solutions in healthcare and translational medicine. Our ambition is to keep supporting our SMEs’ development both at home and abroad. They are the leaders of tomorrow and it’s our mission to help them succeed and expand. Some of them will be on MEDICEN’s stand today and tomorrow to demonstrate the know-hows they have acquired.
You have all come here to bring your knowledge and meet potential scientific partners. The BIO-Europe Spring Conference offers you the fantastic opportunity to meet other attendees and develop high calibre partnering opportunities.
May you all do business together and contribute to the progress of our industry.
Thank you all.