DISCOVER
Creation
The project of Infectious Disease Center was conceived as soon as the cluster was accredited in 2005. Christophe Mérieux, who was then Lyonbiopole’s Président, suggested with Gérard Collomb, Grand Lyon President, to build a facility hosting the cluster’s R&D projects.
The project was later supported by the State and local authorities within the State-Region Project Contract (CPER) 2007/2013 and by Lyonbiopole’s board represented by its actual president, Philippe Archinard. For 4 years, the clusters dynamic has been built around the concept of healthcare shield and today the Infectious Disease Center is one of the key element available to deploy Lyonbiopole’s strategy.
The Infectious Diseases Center was conceived to answer three expressed and basic needs
1> Dynamise regional innovation by encouraging exchanges between public and private research organizations et by providng easier access to technical platforms
2> Host collaborative R&D teams
3> Integrate structuring networks.
The infectious Disease Center, the only one platform of its kind in Europe, brings together key expertise in the field of infectious diseases by welcoming researchers ffrom all horizons in an excellence environment.
The vocation of the Infectious Disease Center is to to give momentum to collaboration between industrial and scientific players, to facilitate the deployment of certain key projects for the cluster’s development and, finally, to share resources and facilities (the Biosafety Level 3 lab, technical platforms and more).
The aims of the Infectious Disease Center are to start new research projects and new industrial activities. It will provide services to encourage collaborative projects between the cluster’s public and private members and host, for a given period of time, projects and research teams accredited by the cluster.
Through its unique organization, the Infectious Disease Center hopes to attract research teams from around the world to the region.
In conclusion, the Infectious Diseases Center strengths are:
> Incorporation of public and private research teams
> Joint work on collaborative projects
> Shared high-level facilities
> Protected environment (laboratories and IT resources)
> Original concept original helping to boost the visibility of the cluster and of the region around the world.
They speak about...
« Lyonbiopole is continuing its development in a professional, determined manner by focusing on the excellence of its R&D in the field of infectious diseases. Its capacity to detect collaborative projects and assist them up to accreditation and funding does not stop there. Its commitment to helping projects get off the ground can be seen in the way it provides its partners with dedicated infrastructures, in line with best practices worldwide. »
Daniel Vasmant
French Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment - DGCIS – Industry Department - Head of the Office of Healthcare, Biotechnology and Agribusiness Industries