BioWin and Medicen focus on developing medical imaging and digital health in Europe

Gosselies and Paris, September 7, 2017 – At the end of August two top European healthcare clusters, BioWin and Medicen Paris Région, created development opportunities for their members focused on two growing industries – medical imaging and digital health. Between them, BioWin and Medicen account for 2,394 SMEs and 29 multinational companies. In total, some 350 projects run by members and accredited by these clusters have been granted over €2 billion ($2.4bn) in public and private funding.

Around thirty participants, half of whom were from the Paris region, took part in the meeting of clinicians, academics and manufacturers held on August 26 and 27. This provided an opportunity to discuss and look in greater depth at the progress and challenges in medical imaging and digital health. These are key industries the European Commission is seeking to promote between now and 2020, notably initiating a public consultation on digital technology in healthcare in July.

These areas are interconnected and play a key role in meeting objectives in terms of personalized medicine and improving patient treatment and follow-up. They cover a whole value chain that brings together stakeholders involved in radiotherapy, proton therapy, artificial intelligence, deep learning and mobile health.

By 2021, it is estimated that the global medical imaging market will be worth over $36 billion (€30.2bn). Moreover, digital health is set to reach $308 billion (€258.5bn) by 2022.

Using digital technology, companies are significantly enhancing diagnostic and decision-making tools, as well as interactive image-sharing platforms, with a view to meeting clinicians’ requirements. Medical imaging and digital health bring together hospitals, universities and manufacturers.

For members of the two clusters, B2B meetings, presentations by key opinion leaders and networking opportunities are critical to help set up the strategic partnerships that are necessary to develop a start-up. This meeting enabled stakeholders to discuss possible future collaborations that the two clusters will jointly help bring to fruition, notably by pointing companies towards appropriate sources of funding.

“We are thrilled to have brought together these stakeholders whose project ideas and imagination never cease to amaze,” said Sylvie Ponchaut, head of BioWin. “AWEX (the Wallonia Export and Investment Agency) approached us to organize an international initiative combining a meeting and an invitation to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Francorchamps. Due to its success, a meeting in Paris has already been scheduled for the coming months.”

“The partnership, set up in January 2016 between Medicen Paris Region and BioWin, has now been ramped up in several areas – organizing joint events, broadcasting networking opportunities and promoting submissions for European calls for collaborative proposals,” said Christian Lajoux, president of Medicen Paris Region. “On the back of previous meetings, our two clusters have increased their presence and visibility on the European regenerative medicine and in vitro diagnostic markets. We are also jointly setting up a special European inter-cluster project on regenerative medicine.”

The events jointly organized by the two clusters are based around key areas such as in vitro diagnostic, regenerative medicine, medical imaging and digital health, for which the two regions have access to first-rate resources.

Recent joint events included the annual meeting of the EDCA (European Diagnostic Cluster Alliance) in Paris in September 2016. This networking event was attended by around a hundred participants, bringing stakeholders from across Europe together through a partnership with six other clusters with access to in vitro diagnostic resources.

Medicen Paris Region organized the RegMed Europe event in Paris in July of this year. This major international initiative was attended by over 120 participants from fifteen countries, bringing together eight clusters including BioWin, as well as cutting-edge European regenerative medicine ecosystems. It provided an opportunity for 250 B2B meetings.

About BioWin

Founded in 2006, the Wallonia, Belgium based, health cluster is the region’s key player for all stakeholders in innovative R&D projects and/or skills development in the field of health biotechnology and medical technology (business, research centers and universities). The cluster has undertaken numerous initiatives to promote Wallonia’s scientific and industrial excellence on the international stage. As of 2017, BioWin has 164 members, including seven major corporations, 24 medium-sized and 129 small companies, as well as four research centers. Members are active in a number of fields: biopharmacy and vaccines, cell therapy and regenerative medicine, bioproduction, diagnostics (in vitro and in vivo), radiopharmaceutical applications, implantable and non-implantable medical instruments and devices, and digital health care.

Biowin has accredited a portfolio of 44 R&D projects which received a total of €142M ($169M) in funding, including €111M ($132M) in grants from the Walloon region.

www.biowin.org

About Medicen Paris Region

Medicen Paris Region is a competitiveness cluster for innovative health technologies, with national and international scope. With more than 300 companies, research centers, universities, hospitals and local authorities as members, it aims to position the Paris region as Europe’s leading healthcare cluster. It focuses on five strategic areas: biological diagnostics, diagnostic and interventional imaging, regenerative medicine and biomaterials, digital health and translational medicine. In close collaboration with local, regional and national healthcare innovation players, Medicen Paris Region aims to:

• Foster the emergence, development and funding of certified collaborative projects in the healthcare sector, in order to create economic value and jobs
• Increase the international development of innovative startups and SMEs
• Strengthen the attractiveness of the Paris region, which represents more than 50% of life sciences activity in France

Since the creation of the cluster in 2005, 62 innovative products have been launched in the imaging, medical devices and biological tools sectors. The cluster has certified 292 projects. They received funding from the French government (French Inter-Ministry Fund FUI, Structuring Projects fund), the public investment bank Bpifrance, the National Research Agency, the European Regional Development Fund, the Investments for the Future program and/or local authorities, and the Paris region. Total investment is close to €1.9 billion ($2.3bn) and €533 million ($635M) of public aid.

www.medicen.org