Lyon, November 7, 2013 – Gérard Collomb, Senator and Mayor of Lyon, President of Greater Lyon and Chairman of SEM Patrimoniale urban development company, Jean-Jack Queyranne, President of the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, former State Minister, Philippe Archinard, President of Lyonbiopole, Alexis Perret, Delegate General Manager of Nexity Immobilier d’Entreprise business property developer, inaugurated the new building of the Accinov platform in the presence of Jean-François Carenco, Prefect of the Rhône-Alpes Region and Rhône County, and Philippe Chêne, President of Accinov, along with Alain Mérieux, Chairman of Mérieux Institute, and Christopher Viehbacher, CEO of Sanofi.
With the only such platform in Europe, Accinov sets the standard for innovative start-up parks
Established by Lyonbiopole, the competitiveness cluster for health in the Rhône-Alpes region, Accinov was selected as an “innovative platform” through a call-for-projects process launched jointly by the DGCIS (General Directorate for Competitiveness, Industry and Services) of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment, alongside the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations development bank. The platform was also supported by local government: Greater Lyon and the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council through a State-Region project contract for the period 2007-2013.
The start-up park is designed for biotech companies developing breakthrough technologies and innovative products and services.
Accinov provides ready-to-use clean room labs offering bio-safety level (BSL) 2 facilities, as well as support services for advanced technology activities (bio-production, bio-analysis...).
“We are pleased to offer companies a one-of-a-kind platform that complements Lyonbiopole’s other infrastructures, in particular that of the Infectious Diseases Center. Accinov will host firms entering the market phase of their development. The aim is to boost the regional ecosystem of such firms by giving them a solid basis for development. These industrial-quality turnkey facilities give them a leading edge,” explained Philippe Archinard, President of Lyonbiopole. The platform opens officially in November 2013 and already hosts the core facility for bio-production protein engineering of the BIOASTER Technology Research Institute.
After 16 months of construction work, Nexity has just delivered to the owner, SEM Patrimoniale of Greater Lyon, a 6500 square-meter turnkey building of four stories, with 3 bio-production units, 24 BSL-2 clean room labs and offices. “We are very proud to have completed this ambitious project for SEM Patrimoniale. It demonstrates the wide range of skills offered by Nexity, from simple office buildings to highly complex sites with labs, clean rooms, bio-production units, cleaning, cooling and storage rooms,” added Alexis Perret, Delegate General Manager of Nexity Immobilier d’Entreprise business property developer.
Innovation in life sciences: a driving force for the economy of the Rhône-Alpes region
The Rhône-Alpes Regional Council will devote €1 billion in public funds to the Regional Innovation Strategy (SRI) for the period 2014 – 2020. This new strategy – an essential element for obtaining European financing – has three main objectives: improve the regional ecosystem of innovative firms, expand the fields of innovation to meet key societal challenges and identify promising fields of specialization. The Rhône-Alpes Region has chosen seven fields, selected for their competitive advantage at the European level. One of these fields is personalized health care and infectious or chronic diseases, an area comprising internationally recognized actors (in industry, research and training) working towards market applications with high potential for development and job creation.
“Every year, the Regional Council devotes €15 million to clusters and centers of excellence for the development of more than 350 innovative projects. With the launch of Accinov, the region will benefit from a shared platform for bio-production and bio-analysis which will boost clinical production of new treatments and build up industrial know-how in our local area, while promoting our expertise at a national level. I am proud of our contribution,” said Jean-Jack Queyranne, President of the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council.
Gerland: a center of innovation serving the Life Sciences in Lyon
Already known as a major site for innovation in life sciences and biotechnologies at a European and global scale, the Gerland district is home to a wide range of actors in the field: large pharmaceutical labs, small and medium biotech firms, research labs, higher education institutions, research organizations and other entities related to the field.
“When Lyonbiopole was created, we consulted with local firms on the need for specialized infrastructures devoted to biotech innovation in the Gerland district. We began by building the Infectious Diseases Center which gives companies access to BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs to conduct their research projects under optimal conditions.
Now we are stepping up our efforts: Accinov will enable start-ups and SMEs to advance more quickly from the research stage to the development of innovative biological services and products. The next step in our strategy is to build the first phase of the BIOASTER Technology Research Institute, to be completed in early 2015,” explained Gérard Collomb, Senator and Mayor of Lyon, President of the Greater Lyon Urban Community.
“The State has just presented an action plan with 34 targets, as part of its policy for promoting industry and competitiveness. Three of these targets concern the health sector: digital applications for hospitals, medical devices and medical biotechnologies. The opening of the Accinov platform fulfills this ambition by giving firms a competitive edge and the opportunity to create wealth in our national territory. Lyon is the perfect example of how research and industry can contribute to France’s development,” noted Jean-François Carenco, Prefect of the Rhône-Alpes Region and Rhône County.
About Nexity
THE NEXITY AMBITION: SMART REAL ESTATE SOLUTIONS FOR LIFE
For private individuals, companies and local authorities, Nexity offers the widest range of advice and expertise, products, services and solutions to meet all the needs and concerns of our clients.
Our businesses – transactions, management, design, development, planning, advisory and related services – are now optimally organized to serve and support our clients. As the benchmark operator in our sector, we are resolutely committed to all of our clients, but also to the environment and society as a whole.
Nexity is listed on the SRD and Euronext Segment A.
It is a component of the following indexes: SBF80, SBF120, CACMid60, CAC Mid& Small and CAC All Tradable Mnemo: NXI - Reuters Code: NXI.PA - Bloomberg Code: NXI FP
ISIN Code: FR0010112524
Press relations
Blandine Castarède – Director of communication and the brand / + 33 (0)1 71 12 15 52 -
bcastarede@nexity.fr
Emmeline Lesne – Communication officer / + 33 (0)1 71 12 10 36 - elesne@nexity.fr
About Greater Lyon
In the heart of the Rhône-Alpes region, Greater Lyon represents 58 towns, 1.2 million inhabitants and covers 52,715 hectares (203 square miles). At the center of trade between northern and southern Europe, the Lyon area is noted for its vibrant economy. The Greater Lyon Urban Community works in many ways to improve the lives of residents by managing aspects such as roads, cleanliness of public spaces, transportation, water supply, economic development and more.
Press relations
Elodie Ferru - 04 26 99 39 51 - eferru@grandlyon.org
About the Rhône-Alpes Region
The Rhône-Alpes is one of France’s 26 administrative regions. It has a population of more than 6 million people and is located at a natural crossroads for travel and trade at the national and European level.
The Regional Council is responsible for many functions which touch the lives of people living in the region. It finances high schools, organizes and finances regional train service, supports vocational training and apprenticeship programs, coordinates economic development (through policies for assisting companies) and also plays a role in promoting culture and sports, protecting the environment through sustainable development, and is involved in European and international exchanges.
Press relations
Violaine de Beausse - 04 26 73 42 90 - vdebeausse@rhonealpes.fr
For further information: www.rhonealpes.fr
About Lyonbiopole
Lyonbiopole, the only world-level cluster in the field of health to be ranked as “high performance,”* acts as a federating force for health in the Rhône-Alpes region by promoting care which is more responsive and tailored to the needs of patients. Building on the cluster’s industrial leadership, its entrepreneurial dynamics and proven know-how in the field of infectious diseases, phase 3.0 (2013-2018) will see expansion into new fields and closer collaboration with academic and clinical partners. The ambition of Lyonbiopole is to support innovative products, services and usages for personalized care of patients.
* in a 2012 evaluation of competitiveness clusters
Lyonbiopole press relations - H&B Communication
Florence Portejoie - + 33 (0) 1 58 18 32 58 - + 33 (0)6 88 84 81 74 - f.portejoie@hbcommunication.fr Anne Hardy -+ 33 (0) 1 58 18 32 51 – + 33 (0)6 13 56 23
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