Healthcare Industries and Technologies

500 plants (including subcontractors)
13,000 employees

Numerous university research units
2 clinical investigation centres

1 engineering school specialising in biomedical engineering
6 engineering schools

A high-performing ecosystem supporting the evolution of healthcare industries and technologies

Burgundy–Franche-Comté excels in delivering concrete responses to today’s major challenges such as population ageing, the rise of chronic diseases, personalised healthcare needs, prevention, and more. With the presence for over a century of leading pharmaceutical companies (Urgo Group, Vétoquinol…) and a strong network of SMEs often stemming from the microtechnology tradition, highly skilled in the design of medical devices and sub-assemblies (Micro-Méga, Proteor, Statice…), Burgundy–Franche-Comté benefits from a long-standing heritage in healthcare-related industries.

These companies interact within a comprehensive ecosystem that includes:

• healthcare and research institutions: Dijon University Hospital, Besançon University Hospital, the Georges-François Leclerc Cancer Center (CGFL),
• the French Blood Establishment Burgundy–Franche-Comté (EFS),
• numerous research centres and laboratories: CTM, RIGHT, ICMUB, ICB, EpiLab, FEMTO-ST, LINC, CIAD-Lab…
• the regional pharmaco-imaging hub Pharm’Image,
• the three competitiveness clusters involved in healthcare (PMT, Vitagora and Polymeris),
• universities and engineering schools.

A forward-looking ecosystem that helps position Burgundy–Franche-Comté as a region firmly committed to the medicine of the future.

3 areas of excellence

Medical devices & e-health

Pharmaceuticals – Chemistry – Cosmetics

Biotherapies & bioproduction

A pioneering spirit for research and innovation

In these fields, the region stands out for its strong capacity for innovation. Cooperation between research laboratories and industrial partners enables the emergence of numerous innovations.

Some examples of innovative companies and start-ups:

• Alcis: endovascular catheter equipped with a valve for aortic prosthesis implantation
• Archeon Medical: medical device for mechanical ventilation monitoring
• Crossject: needle-free auto-injector
• Imasonic SAS: ultrasound transducers
• EOS Imaging <a href="https://www.eos-imaging.com/fr/ : cutting guides for orthopaedic surgery
• Proteor: bionic leg prosthesis
• Urgo / Adhara: artificial skin project
• Carla Bioth: innovative immune cell therapies

A network of partners to support businesses

-> 3 competitiveness clusters

• PMT – A competitiveness cluster since 2005, PMT brings together the regional health technology sector. It organizes local medtech and biotech, pharma, and bioproduction sectors. It manages the PMT Santé cluster and the startup accelerator Propulseur. PMT partners with France Biolead, France Biotech, AIS, Polepharma, and Medicen.
• Vitagora – Professional association for the agri-food sector and cross-industry solution providers. Vitagora’s mission is to foster development, industrial performance, and innovation for its members.
• Polymeris – Competitiveness cluster for rubber, plastics, and composites.

-> Business groups

• PMT Santé – Health cluster led by PMT, PMT Santé brings together companies, research labs, and higher education institutions in the field through a regional action plan.
• Santenov Dijon Bourgogne – SANTENOV aims to unite, represent, and enhance the visibility and attractiveness of Dijon’s and Burgundy’s health ecosystem; it also promotes the emergence and development of innovative products and services. Santenov partners with Polepharma and Leem.
• TIS – The Innovative Health Technologies cluster of Nord Franche-Comté highlights members’ expertise, particularly in orthopedics and additive manufacturing.

Dedicated zones to host your projects

• Temis Santé in Besançon

• The Santenov Technopole and its building Campus#2, the future flagship health hub in Dijon

Medical Devices & e-health

Equipment for dentistry, surgery, therapy, ultrasound imaging, surgical assistance, bone or dental prostheses, neurological valves… Regional companies design and manufacture parts for the sector’s major principals, or produce finished products.
Electronics, micro-mechanics, micro-robotics, IT, plastics processing, surface treatment, optics, additive manufacturing, miniaturization – these and many other skills are mastered to develop innovative instruments for analysis, diagnosis or treatment.
instruments for analysis, diagnosis and treatment.

A few emblematic companies:

CISTEO MEDICAL, CROSSJECT, DIXI MEDICAL, EOS IMAGING, FCI, FILAB, GROUPE URGO, ILSA, IMASONIC, IMMUNODIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS, MEDICOAT, MICRO-MEGA, MOVMEDIX, PROTEOR, PROTHEOS, GILSON PLASTICS, SOPHYSA, STATICE, ZIMMER BIOMET…

Pharmaceuticals – Chemicals – Cosmetics

The pharmaceutical and chemical industries encompass the research, manufacture and marketing of medicines for human and veterinary medicine. Burgundy-Franche-Comté has a strong local presence in drug manufacturing, thanks to the presence of major pharmaceutical groups. Thanks to the expertise of the VITAGORA competitiveness cluster, nutrition is a major area of innovation for a number of companies in the sector.

A few emblematic companies:

ADHEX PHARMA, ASTREA PHARMA, CENTER PHARMA, CORDEN PHARMA, CROSSJECT, DELPHARM, GALIEN PHARMHOLDING, SPPH, VÉTOQUINOL…

Biotherapies & biomanufacturing

Biotechnology, which began with the discovery of DNA, is now seen as the medical technology of the future. In the healthcare sector, they are contributing to the understanding of living organisms for diagnostics, vaccines, in vitro fertilization, genetic engineering and innovative therapeutic drugs.

A few emblematic companies:

ADHARA (Groupe URGO), ADVESYA, BIOMNIGENE, CARLA THERAPEUTICS, CELLAVEN, CELLQUEST, COVALAB, CHEMATEC, DIACLONE, FILAB, INVENTIVA, ICTA, LYMPHOBANK, MACOPHARMA, MED’INN PHARMA, ONCODESIGN PRECISION MEDICINE, ONCODESIGN SERVICES, RD BIOTECH, SMALTIS, SON SAS, …

Crédit: Studio Mustard – groupe Guiton

Adhex Pharma

• Project type: relocation
• Business: pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and manufacture of patches and oral films
• Location: Chenôve (21)
• Partners: State, Conseil régional de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (CR Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), Dijon Métropole
• Expected job(s) : 40

AdhexPharma, an independent pharmaceutical company, stands out in the sector for its specialization in the development and manufacture of oral patches and films. By taking charge of the entire process, from idea to market, AdhexPharma offers its customers, including pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the opportunity to simplify their outsourcing chain. AdhexPharma’s services encompass drug development partnerships, industrial production and licensing opportunities. In 2023, AdhexPharma undertook a major project to relocate production from Germany to Chenôve (Côte-d’Or). Faced with the saturation of its current facilities, spread over two 5,000 m2 buildings, AdhexPharma opted for a strategy of expansion through densification. The project involves the construction of a new unit with a total surface area of 8,000 m2. With the aim of using land sparingly, the new structure will comprise two superimposed levels dedicated to production, a pharmaceutical storage area and a tertiary activity level comprising offices, quality control and R&D laboratories, all in compliance with the RE2020 standard. The Agence Économique Régionale (AER BFC) played a crucial role in assisting AdhexPharma with this relocation project, notably by helping the company to identify and secure the necessary financing.

Gilson Plastics

• Type de project: on-site extension
  
• Activity: production of parts, consumables and assembly of plastic systems for the medical sector
• Location: Moirans-en-Montagne (39)
  
• Partners: DREETS, Business France
• Expected jobs: 30

Gilson Plastics, a subsidiary of the American company Gilson, specialises in the production of parts, consumables and assembly of plastic systems for the medical, diagnostic and life science industries. The only French manufacturer of pipette tips and capillary pistons, it is supported by the State for its “France Relance” project to increase its capacity and create a national centre of excellence. This investment, which was facilitated by the Agency, is part of a socially and environmentally responsible approach, allowing the creation of several dozen jobs on the Moirans-en-Montagne site.