Innovation in health and life sciences is shaped by the strength of its regional networks: where academic research, industrial capabilities, entrepreneurial energy, and institutional support come together. In Western France, particularly in the Nantes – Pays de la Loire region, this ecosystem has become a vibrant hub for biotechnology, healthtech, and biotherapy innovation. At its core stands Atlanpole Biotherapies, a recognised competitiveness cluster that connects more than 200 players across academia, industry, research and clinical practice.
A Longstanding Regional Hub for Biotherapy Innovation
Atlanpole Biotherapies was created in 2005 as a pôle de compétitivité, a French model of innovation clusters that bring together large industries, SMEs, research organisations, hospitals, and universities with a common focus on advancing biomedicine.
Its mission covers the full value chain from target discovery to clinical evaluation, and it has helped catalyse dynamic development across biotech, bioproduction, medical technologies, digital health and disease prevention.
The cluster’s reach isn’t only local; it operates across Pays de la Loire, Brittany and Centre-Val de Loire, making Nantes a central node in the innovation network of Western France.
Ecosystem Diversity: Players that Shape Innovation
The richness of this regional ecosystem is visible through a broad range of actors:
- Established biotech and pharmaceutical companies such as Valneva, known for vaccine development, and Eurofins, a global leader in bioanalysis and life sciences services.
- Emerging mid-size innovators like Xenothera, Affilogic, and Ose Immunotherapeutics, which focus on novel therapeutic approaches and advanced biologics.
- Translational and specialised ventures such as AbolerIS Pharma, developing immune tolerance therapies.
- Research and clinical institutions including the CHU de Nantes, INSERM, Université de Nantes, ONIRIS, and IFREMER, which contribute critical scientific infrastructure and talent into collaborative projects.
- Acceleration and incubation programmes such as Creative Care Factory and Digital Health Factory, which provide structured support, market validation, and early-stage growth resources.
This diverse mix of organisations – from startups to large service providers, research labs to clinical centres – creates both breadth and depth in the region’s health innovation network.
Collaborative Events and Networking
Another strength of the Nantes ecosystem is frequent collaboration and knowledge sharing through events that bring innovators together. The Rencontre Innovation Santé, organised by the CCI Nantes St-Nazaire in partnership with CHU Nantes and Atlanpole, regularly convenes entrepreneurs, researchers and industry leaders around thematic challenges such as AI in health or mental health innovation.
These events provide opportunities for project pitching, collaborative workshops, expert panels, and networking – all essential to creating meaningful connections that can lead to partnerships, pilot projects, or funding opportunities.
Broader internationally-facing events like the HealthTech Innovation Days also give regional startups a platform to engage with investors, global companies and patient associations across Europe.
Strategic Infrastructure and Future Development
The region is preparing for future growth with major investments in infrastructure. A new health innovation campus (often referred to as “Station S” or the Gina site) is under development in the heart of Nantes, with plans to host up to 1,000 researchers, startups, industry partners and innovation teams. This will further strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration by co-locating research, clinical expertise and entrepreneurial activity.
In addition, the forthcoming new CHU de Nantes campus and related research hubs will bring clinicians, engineers and researchers into closer physical and strategic proximity, accelerating translational innovation.
Why This Matters for Innovation Growth
Being part of this ecosystem, whether as a startup founder, a researcher, or a strategic partner, means gaining access to layers of value that go far beyond a single project:
- Access to broad multidisciplinary know-how (biotech, medtech, digital health, clinical research) through formal and informal networks.
- Strategic connectivity with established companies, research labs, hospitals and public organisations.
- Opportunities for collaborative project funding and scale-up support via cluster initiatives and regional programmes.
- A culture of co-innovation where events, workshops and shared spaces accelerate idea refinement and validation.
For innovation-driven companies ready to grow, the combination of scientific excellence, industrial capability, community infrastructure and strategic support makes the Nantes / Atlanpole ecosystem exceptionally fertile ground.