Country Focus
Biotechnology in France
The biotech sector in France faces something of a paradox. On the one hand, the French research landscape has been in a state of upheaval for some years. New advancement programs and funding structures have been established and new clusters have formed. On the other hand, there is still a striking shortage of money and the medium-sized sector is barely finding the money to advance the development of their active substances. On a legal level, only research on human embryonic stem cells has so far come under authoritative direction. A genetic engineering law is still pending and is likely to be passed in 2006 whereas the ‘Pacte pour la Recherche’ (research pact) came into effect in april this year.
Centers of Excellence Competition „Pôles de compétitivité“
In 2004, in a development much like the BioRegions competition in Germany, the French government initiated the Centers of Excellence competition ‘Pôles de compétitivité’. In February 2005, research establishments and companies were asked to integrate themselves into thematic clusters and to submit their suggestions for a ‘pôle de compétitivité’. Unlike Germany, the Centers of Excellence included all fields of research and was not limited exclusively to biotechnology. Around 30 applications were expected but a total of 105 applications were ultimately received, with 26 biotechnologically related clusters. From these suggestions, the Interior Ministry Committee for Land Planning and Development (CIADT - comité interministériel pour l'aménagement et le développement du territoire) eventually selected 67 which, since July 2005, can carry the title of ‘pôle de compétitivité’. The geographical distribution is as follows:
Research projects that form under the umbrella of such Centers of Excellence can count on an additional financial support. The Agence Nationale de la Rechereche (ANR), for example, has put aside a total of 205 million euro - 40 per cent of their budget - for such purposes. Additionally, every ministry will be assigning at least 25 to 30 % of its funding budget to companies or mechanisms taking part in Center of Excellence projects. Moreover, tax exemptions and as well as a minimization of social security contributions have been granted to the participating companies.
The focus of the Biotech Centers of Excellence: Nutrition and Health
Of the 67 selected projects, the CIADT have selected six as particularly worthy of support as they have a global visibility. Of these six, two are biotechnologically relevant: Lyonbiopole (virology - Rhône Alpes region) and MédiTech Santé (infection biology, cancer - Ile de France region). Nine other Centers of Excellence were classified as ‘projects with world-wide appeal’, with three being biotechnologically relevant: Innovation thérapeutique (Noninvasive surgery, molecular biology - Alsace BioValley region), Europol'Agro (use of agricultural products for non-agricultural processes - Champagne Ardenne, Picardie regions) and Végétal spécialisé (Functional Food - Pays de la Loire). Of the remaining projects, there are approximately 15 further Centers of Excellence with biotechnological backgrounds. The majority is occupied with the connection between nutrition and health for a wide variety of Functional Foods-approaches.