
Animation of the Biopharmaceuticals ecosystem

About this good practice
French pharmaceutical industry needs to diversify and take the shift to bioproduction to remain competitive at European and mondial level. The huge influx of biopharmaceuticals within therapeutic arsenals and pharmaceutical companies pipelines is associated with the emergence of new scientific, medical and socio-economic issues that warrant a greater mobilization of the academic world. France is lagging behind in this field, but the Region Centre-Val de Loire has key assets to meet such expectations: scientific tradition in the field of vaccination, commitment of the MAbImprove LabEx dedicated to one of the most dynamic biopharmaceutical fields – therapeutic antibodies- and cutting-edge platforms and specialized teams to provide innovative solutions to biopharmaceutical development issues.
3 key actions have been identified :
- Support of entrepreneurship in drug innovation,
- Promotion of collaborative innovation and bioproduction in the Region CVL
- Promotion and animation of the Biopharmaceutical Dynamic in the Region CVL
Actions implemented :
- Creation and upkeep of a regional database but also national pool of potential stakeholders (private and public)
- Support for the creation of startups and technology transfer from the laboratory level to the market
- Afterworks : to generate osmosis between private and public actors for new collaborative projects
Expert opinion
The programme has for objective to strengthen the biopharmaceutical ecosystem in Region Centre-Val de Loire. In emerging sectors like biotechnologies for instance, the innovation process requires repeated face-to-face interactions to facilitate the spread of tacit knowledge between research centres and the private sector. The programme has implemented three actions such as : (1) the creation of a national and regional database listing the relevant stakeholders, (2) support to start-ups through knowledge transfer mechanisms, and (3) informal events to promote knowledge transfer between research centres and the private sector.
Some insights from the good practice:
-In emerging innovative sector, soft innovation policies can be created to promote informal networks, science-industry linkages, and the spread of tacit knowledge between research centres and innovative SMEs and start-ups.
-Soft innovation policies must be part of a policy-mix that includes financial and regulatory instruments to be more effective.
Resources needed
1 full-time equivalent
160 k€/year
Evidence of success
Annual events:
Each Afterworks (private/public) : 70 persons attendees
one Congress on the bioproduction each year : 160 persons attendees
7 création of New startups at the end of the program
Dynamic promotion towards the economic network by new formation setup.
Creation of the Loire Valley Invest seed fund in 2017.
Potential for learning or transfer
The need for common places between academic researchers and private company dedicated to the biotechnology seems a crucial point for the major development collaboration allow to add high values and the emergence of startups. It is also necessary to couple these places to a regional investment fund for early phases of startups.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
POLEPHARMA
