Life sciences

A thriving business ecosystem

France BioValley health innovation cluster

As Europe’s only trinational health cluster, the BioValley biocluster in the Upper Rhine region offers unmatched opportunities for collaboration between companies and academic institutions. It focuses on four key areas: innovative medicines and therapies, medical technologies, diagnostics, and e-health.

The cluster’s goals are to foster the development of cutting-edge medical technologies, advance next-generation biological and biochemical drugs, drive the adoption of e-health solutions, and improve diagnostic tools.

The Nextmed campus

Nestled within the Strasbourg Civil Hospital, the Nextmed campus spans over 30 hectares, bringing together doctors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and patients to create the future of healthcare. With a focus on innovative patient care solutions, especially through digital technology and AI, Nextmed is at the crossroads of hospital-university functions, including patient care, education, fundamental research, and R&D.

Since 2023, the new eXplora building offers 5,000 m² of space for companies in the health sector, marking the first phase of a 27,000 m² project dedicated entirely to hosting cutting-edge health businesses.

Nextmed fosters an optimal environment for collaboration between researchers, industry experts, entrepreneurs, and clinicians. It provides comprehensive support from idea development to market launch, covering all stages from incubation to acceleration.

This dynamic hub complements other key facilities such as the pH8 business incubator and the BioCluster des Haras, both dedicated to health and innovation.

The Strasbourg Innovation Park

Established in 1983 as a crossroads for research and innovation, the Strasbourg Innovation Park fosters the growth of high-tech companies.

Spanning over 170 hectares, the park offers an ideal setting with state-of-the-art infrastructure, connecting the University, businesses, and various services. It’s home to renowned institutions such as the International Space University (ISU), Biosynex, Novalix, Transgene, Quidel Ortho, Domain Therapeutics, Polyplus Transfection and many more.

The park’s objectives include:

• Providing top-tier facilities and infrastructure for businesses
• Facilitating public-private partnerships to encourage research and technology transfer
• Supporting the creation, incubation, and housing of startups
• Offering tailored project support services
• Providing targeted financial aid
• Hosting the EASE factory-school, a one-of-a-kind educational site in Europe focused on hands-on learning of good manufacturing practices
• Offering Bioparc spaces: mixed office-laboratory areas designed for research and innovation, particularly in biology and chemistry.

The park is an ideal ecosystem for innovative service-oriented activities and cutting-edge production units.

Dedicated business incubators

The Quest for Health program, part of the Grand Est region’s SEMIA incubator, focuses on nurturing startups in the biotech, medtech, and e-health sectors. Companies like Spartha Medical, RDS, and Hypno VR—rising stars in biomedical innovation—have successfully emerged from this incubator.

In 2012, the Strasbourg Eurometropolis launched pH8, a specialized incubator designed to support startups in health, new technologies, and creative industries. Today, pH8 is home to over 30 businesses, including notable names such as Doctolib, Firalis, and Kwit.

Technological platforms and R&D centers supporting businesses

Numerous laboratories and research institutes offer their cutting-edge facilities to local businesses across various sectors, including:

• Surgical Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery: IRCAD, IHU
• Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology: IGBMC, IBMC
• Neurosciences: INCI, Neurex
• Chemistry: ISIS
• Biomaterials: Institut Charles Sadron, Institut des Sciences des Matériaux de Mulhouse
• Robotics and Imaging: ICube
• Biomedicine: CRBS
• Medical Devices: Gepromed

In 2021, the University of Strasbourg was designated as a University Innovation Hub (PUI) by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation. This recognition enhances the visibility and clarity of its knowledge and technology transfer offerings, fostering relationships and partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Additionally, the University of Strasbourg spearheads the CoRTecS initiative, a network of scientific research platforms and services available to public research stakeholders and socio-economic entities, providing a significant advantage for the swift and effective development of innovative projects.

Main life sciences companies in Alsace

The synergy among various players in Alsace fosters a virtuous cycle of economic dynamism, where large international groups leverage the region’s excellence, while numerous startups flourish with the support and infrastructure available.

Here are some prominent companies in the sector located in Alsace:

Higher education and research

The University of Strasbourg serves as the catalyst for Alsatian excellence in life sciences, providing students with numerous learning opportunities in fields such as cellular and molecular biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, and bioimaging.

Among the four Nobel laureates currently active in Alsace is Jules Hoffmann, who received the Nobel Prize in “Physiology or Medicine” in 2011 for his work on genetic immunity. He is a professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Strasbourg and an emeritus research director at CNRS.

In collaboration with Nextmed, the university also engages in clinical research, promoting innovation and the discovery of new health solutions. Within the university, cutting-edge institutes provide practitioners with training and skill enhancement. Notably, the Strasbourg Hospital-University Institute is recognized for its excellence in the digestive system and serves as a world reference center for hybrid minimally invasive imaging-guided surgery.

Notable institutions include:

• ESBS – Strasbourg Trinational School of Biotechnology (www.esbs.u-strasbg.fr)
• INSA – National Institute of Applied Sciences in Strasbourg (www.insa-strasbourg.fr)
• Faculty of Life Sciences
• Faculty of Dental Surgery
• Faculty of Pharmacy
• Faculty of Medicine, Midwifery, and Health Sciences
• IGBMC – Institute for Training and Valorization of Research

Eucor – The European Campus

Eucor is a trinational association of five universities in the Upper Rhine region, which borders Germany, France, and Switzerland. Its members include the universities of Basel, Freiburg im Breisgau, Haute-Alsace, Strasbourg, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Together, these institutions leverage the expertise of approximately 17,000 researchers, 9,900 doctoral candidates, and 120,000 students in a region renowned for its economic strength and research capabilities, situated in the heart of Europe.

Eucor also promotes the Knowledge Transfer Upper Rhine (KTUR) initiative, which aims to enhance the effectiveness, systematic approach, and sustainability of cross-border knowledge and technology transfer between public research institutions and businesses.