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

An efficient ecosystem to support the evolution of health industries and technologies

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté excels in providing concrete responses to current challenges such as the ageing of the population, the development of chronic diseases, individualised health needs, prevention, etc. With the presence for more than a century of pharmaceutical gems (Urgo Group, Vétoquinol, etc.) and a network of SMEs often stemming from the microtechnology tradition, experts in the design of medical devices and sub-assemblies (Micro-Méga, Proteor, Statice, etc.), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté has a long standing history of health companies.

These companies interact with a complete ecosystem that includes :

• healthcare and research establishments: Dijon University Hospital, Besançon University Hospital, Georges-François Leclerc Cancer Center (CGFL),
• Établissement Français du Sang Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (EFS),
• numerous research centers and laboratories: CTM, RIGHT, ICMUB, ICB, EpiLab, FEMTO-ST, LINC, CIAD-Lab…
• the Pharm’Image regional pharmaco-imaging cluster,
• the 3 competitiveness clusters involved in healthcare (PMT, Vitagora and Polymeris),
• universities and engineering schools.

This forward-looking ecosystem is helping to make Bourgogne-Franche-Comté a region resolutely committed to the medicine of the future.

3 areas of excellence

Medical devices & e-health

Pharmaceuticals – Chemicals – Cosmetics

Biotherapies & biomanufacturing

A pioneering spirit in research and innovation

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

Here are just a few examples of innovative companies and start-ups:

• Alcis: endovascular catheter with valve for aortic prosthesis insertion
• Archeon Médical: DM for monitoring mechanical ventilation
• Crossject: needle-free auto-injector
• Imasonic SAS: ultrasound transducers
• OneFIT Médical: cutting guides for orthopedic surgery
• Proteor: bionic leg prosthesis
• Urgo / Adhara: artificial skin project
• Advesya: development of a biomedical product

A network of partners to support companies

-> 3 competitiveness clusters

• PMT – A competitiveness cluster since 2005, the PMT (formerly the Microtechniques cluster) federates the regional health technology sector, which is based on excellence in microtechniques. It structures the local medtech sector on the one hand and the biotech, pharma and bioproduction sectors on the other. It supports the PMT Santé cluster and the Propulseur start-up gas pedal. PMT is a partner of France Biolead and France Biotech, AIS, Polepharma and Medicen.
• Vitagora – Vitagora’s mission is to promote the development, industrial performance and innovation of its members.
• Polymeris – Competitiveness cluster for rubber, plastics and composites.

-> Groups of companies

• PMT Santé – Health cluster led by the PMT, PMT Santé leads the entire community made up of companies, research laboratories and higher education schools in the field, through a regional action plan.
• Santenov Dijon Bourgogne – SANTENOV’s mission is to federate, embody and reinforce the visibility and attractiveness of the healthcare ecosystem in Dijon and Burgundy more widely, and to encourage the emergence and development of innovative products and services to meet healthcare challenges. Santenov is a partner of Polepharma and Leem.
• TIS – The Cluster of Innovative Health Technologies of the North Franche-Comté region, highlights the expertise of its members, particularly in orthopaedics and additive manufacturing.

A location to welcome biotech startups

• Temis Santé in Besançon

• The Santenov technology park and its Campus#2 building, the future totem of Dijon’s healthcare sector

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.