The French Bioproduction Sector Announces the Creation of Campus Biotech Digital

December 14, 2020 — 3 min read

As part of its contract*, the French bioproduction sector is launching an ambitious training platform: Campus Biotech Digital. Unique in the world in the bioproduction field, it will help develop skills in this field to meet new technological challenges. Covering the entire bioproduction chain, Campus Biotech Digital will use various innovative digital solutions to promote understanding of processes and the appropriation of professional practices.

The Campus is managed by a leading industrial consortium (bioMérieux, Novasep, Sanofi, Servier) brought together by the Strategic Committee for the Industry and Health Technologies Sector. It brings together the entire national ecosystem: training organisations, digital companies, equipment manufacturers and SMEs. This project is also supported by regional offices (Auvergne-Rhône Alpes, Centre Val de Loire, Grand Est, Nouvelle Aquitaine) and an educational resource centre at Sanofi’s Vitry-sur-Seine (Ile-de-France) site.

The Campus is financed by an exceptional public / private partnership including €11,75 million as part of the “Engineering of vocational and on the job training and innovative offers” financing program by Caisse des Dépôts on behalf of the French State, to which in addition, there is a support from Opérateur de Compétences interindustriel (OPCO 2i), Région Ile de France as well as Pharma Companies grouped into Consortium for an investment of more than € 30 million.

“The production of innovative biological drugs is a major strategic issue to both guarantee better access for patients to the innovations of tomorrow and ensure our health independence”, underlines Olivier Bogillot, Chairman of the Strategic Committee for the Industry and Health Technologies sector. “It is therefore essential to develop high-level training (academic and professional) and the employability of the workforce of the 21st century, capable of responding to these new technological challenges.”

Opening of the first training courses in spring 2021

Resolutely collaborative and immersive, Campus Biotech Digital relies on the agile “design process thinking” methodology to adapt to the innovations of a sector in constant transformation.
Its initial and continuing comprehensive and personalised training offer, unique in the world, aims to respond to the sector’s talent shortage in light of the thousands of jobs that the sector plans to create over the next 10 years.

Covering the entire bioproduction chain from design to delivery of the product to the patient, Campus Biotech Digital uses various digital tools reproducing essential production elements (digital twins, serious games, immersive reality, virtual reality and augmented reality) and cognitive approaches supported by artificial intelligence to promote understanding of processes and the appropriation of professional practices.

The training courses, inspired by those provided by flight simulators to train airplane pilots, will generate real added value unique in the world in bioproduction on several levels:

• The acquisition of new skills by employees in the sector to create a positive effect on the performance of industrial players
• The arrival on the labour market of young graduates and retraining employees, operational more quickly
• The training of experts who will become sources of breakthrough innovations thanks to specific courses
• Learning communities to promote the development of networks, the creation of start-ups and inter-company cooperation

* Sector contract signed on 4 February 2019 – Structuring project no. 5: Training and skills development – Action 1: Training for the biotech sector and creation of a biotechnology and digital accelerator campus
** This public-private partnership is supported by the State within the framework of the “Adaptation and qualification of the workforce” action, the “Engineering of vocational training and innovative support offers (IFPAI)” device, national component of the Investments for the Future Programme, operated by the Caisse des Dépôts (Banque des Territoires).
 

About bioMérieux

Pioneering Diagnostics
A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 55 years, bioMérieux is a France based company. It is present in 44 countries and serves more than 160 countries with the support of a large network of distributors. In 2019, revenues reached €2.7 billion, with over 90% of sales outside of France.
bioMérieux provides diagnostic solutions (systems, reagents, software and services) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Its products are mainly used for diagnosing infectious diseases. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
bioMérieux is listed on the Euronext Paris stock market.
Symbol: BIM – ISIN Code: FR0013280286
Reuters: BIOX.PA/Bloomberg: BIM.FP
www.biomerieux.com

About Novasep

Novasep is a global provider of cost effective and sustainable manufacturing solutions for life sciences molecules and fine chemicals. Novasep’s unique offering includes process development services, purification equipment and turnkey processes, contract manufacturing services and complex active molecules to serve pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, fine chemical, food and functional ingredients as well as fermentation and chemical commodities industries.
https://www.novasep.com/

About Sanofi

Sanofi is dedicated to supporting people through their health challenges. We are a global biopharmaceutical company focused on human health. We prevent illness with vaccines, provide innovative treatments to fight pain end ease suffering. We stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions.
With more than 100,000 people in 100 countries, Sanofi is transforming scientific innovation into healthcare solutions around the globe.
Sanofi, Empowering Life

About Servier

Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 150 countries and a total revenue of 4.6 billion euros in 2019, Servier employs 22,000 people worldwide. Entirely independent, the Group invests on average 25% of its total revenue (excluding generics) every year in research and development and uses all its profits for its development. Corporate growth is driven by Servier’s constant commitment in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory, and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Servier also offers eHealth solutions beyond drug development.

Press contact:

Sébastien Béraud – sberaud@hopscotch.fr – +33 (0)1 41 34 23 67