Health and life sciences
Discover a health ecosystem focused on excellence in Lyon, combining research, industry and innovation
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The health and life sciences sector.
Building on a rich scientific tradition, Lyon and its region are home to a leading European ecosystem in the health sector, combining academic and clinical excellence, the presence of industrial leaders, and a dense network of companies, innovative start-ups and contract research organizations (CROs) to support them.
Top 10
among the top 10 European health hubs
No. 1
French region for R&D and production jobs in health
800
life science companies in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
Specialized sectors.
Dermocosmetics
A global center of excellence in skin biology, the Lyon region has a complete dermocosmetics value chain, ranging from active and other ingredients to the marketing of finished products.
Leading companies in the area
A world leader in healthcare, Sanofi is one of the main industrial players in the Lyon region with four R&D and production sites.
A world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, the group has its headquarters as well as several R&D and production sites in the Lyon region.
French headquarters of the specialist in veterinary vaccines, incorporating several R&D and drug production sites.
The French headquarters of the pharmaceutical group, with industrial sites dedicated to the production of active ingredients, as well as the distribution of drugs and diagnostic reagents.
The French headquarters of the pharmaceutical group specializing in generic medicines, with a production site in Ain and a packaging site near Lyon.
One of the world’s leading CROs, specializing in the development of new medicines, has its France/Europe headquarters and two R&D sites located north of Lyon.
French headquarters of the multinational company specializing in medical technologies, offering solutions for orthopedics, spinal surgery, neurosurgery and other fields.
The world leader in medical devices, with three production sites in the Lyon region: implants for ventral hernias, spinal implants and surgical suture needles.
A leader in medical technologies with two sites in the Lyon region: Fresenius Medical Care SMAD (dialyzers) and Fresenius Kabi (injectables and parenteral technologies).
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Reasons to invest in Lyon and its region.
Join a complete ecosystem
Resolutely collaborative, the Lyon health ecosystem covers the entire value chain, combining outstanding academic and clinical research in immunology and infectious diseases (vaccines, diagnostics, etc.), oncology, neurology, tissue engineering and health nutrition, over twenty industrial leaders, a dense fabric of start-ups developing innovative solutions, as well as a complete network of R&D service companies (CRO, CDMO, CMO, etc.).
Access the best talent
Thanks to its dense academic, research, and industrial fabric, Lyon and its region constitute one of the main European employment markets in the health industries, offering a vast pool for training, attracting and recruiting talent and future leaders. R&D, production and marketing activities benefit from lower costs than in the Paris region, which represents a strategic advantage for any company wishing to establish a presence and develop in the sector.
Benefit from generous R&D subsidies
In France, R&D activities and innovative production benefit from many tax or direct aid measures in the form of grants, including one of the best research tax credits in the world, generic and thematic subsidy programs covering all phases of research, and support for industrial pilots and first plants. There are regional grants for POCs and reindustrialization.
Iconic places.
Lyon-Gerland Biodistrict
The center of biotechnology in Lyon, the Lyon-Gerland Biodistrict brings together 70 major players and 5,000 life science professionals, including 3,000 researchers. It is home to world leaders such as Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim and Viatris, innovative SMEs, research and university centers, cutting-edge infrastructure such as the P4 Laboratory, as well as two international institutions: the WHO Academy and IARC.
Purpose-built real estate
Bioparc
Lyon’s second-largest health intelligence hub, with 30,000 m² of labs and offices and around thirty biotech/medtech companies, in the heart of the eastern hospital district in the city’s eighth arrondissement: four HCL hospitals (Edouard Herriot, neurology, cardiology, pediatrics), the Léon Bérard cancer center, the Vinatier psychiatric hospital, the medicine and pharmacy faculties.
Purpose-built real estateCompanies that have chosen the Lyon region.
Articles you may be interested in.
The eight sectors of excellence.
