Marseille is poised to become a world capital of immunology

Marseille Immunology Biocluster to shine internationally with €97 million commitment

In May 2023, Emmanuel Macron announced the successful candidates in the national Bioclusters program, and the Marseille Immunology Biocluster (MIB) project, supported by Aix-Marseille University and its academic and private-sector partners, was named a winner. The bioclusters program was initiated as part of the France 2030 public investment plan and it comes with €400 million in funding opportunities. The recognition of the Marseille Immunology Biocluster is further proof of the territory’s long-standing expertise in the sector. The news of the biocluster project in Aix-Marseille is already having an impact in North America and should attract and accelerate immunology research over the next ten years.

On May 12, 2023, the Marseille Immunology Biocluster (MIB) was named one of the five winners of the French National Research Agency’s call for expressions of interest for biocluster projects. The biocluster program has a total budget of €400 million and alongside Marseille, other notable winners include the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster.

The biocluster program, which is part of the France 2030 investment plan, provides €97 million euros in funding to the Marseille Immunology Biocluster to consolidate Aix-Marseille’s position as an international leader in immunology. “We’re extremely proud! Being selected demonstrates the excellent level of research in the field of immunology, the skills of our doctors and research professors, and our ability to bring together the territory’s key stakeholders,” says Eric Berton, President of Aix-Marseille University.

Five platforms dedicated to monoclonal antibody production

As a catalyst for innovation and the leader of the Marseille Immunology Biocluster project, Aix-Marseille University has succeeded in assembling a group of 18 founding members that includes everything from established research centers to emerging spin-offs to drug production laboratories (CNRS, Inserm, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, AP-HM, Innate Pharma, ImCheck Therapeutics, Alderaan Biotechnology, the Servier laboratory, the Brest University Hospital Center, and others.).

After a six-month period to put the teams in place and work with the French government to define the roadmap, the Marseille Immunology Biocluster will officially be launched in January 2024 at Aix-Marseille University’s Faculty of Medical and Paramedical Sciences at the La Timone campus. The MIB will be jointly directed by a scientific manager and a CEO responsible for administrative matters, and it will consist of three constituencies: academia, industry, and local public authorities. The project has a 10-year framework and within the first two years there will be €30 million allocated for the creation and installation of five research platforms.

Aix-Marseille will welcome 200 to 500 new jobs

According to estimates, between 200 and 500 direct jobs will be created within the next two to three years. Meanwhile, some 40 start-ups are expected to emerge by 2030 thanks to support from the SATT Sud-Est technology transfer accelerator, the Impulse incubator, Capital Venture, and international investment funds. “Based on our projections, we should be able to generate €2 billion of wealth in the territory by leveraging R&D development prospects. The MIB is designed to accelerate research into new immunotherapy antibodies for incurable or disabling diseases where immunology plays a central role,” explains Denis Bertin, the Vice-President of both Aix-Marseille University and the A*Midex Foundation, which supports the development of world-class education projects and clusters.

An enhanced ecosystem that is sparking fresh interest in Aix-Marseille across the Atlantic

Although not yet officially established, the Marseille Immunology Biocluster is already attracting a great deal of interest in the United States. A number of industry professionals have already scheduled visits to Marseille, which is a first step towards new investments in Provence. Provence Promotion supported the application to the national Bioclusters program and has already helped biotech companies such as Abtech Therapeutics, Ipsomedic, ImCheck Therapeutics, and OZ Biosciences set up in the area. As Aix-Marseille University’s economic development partner, Provence Promotion will continue to attract major companies and contribute to the growth of the immunology sector in the Aix-Marseille metro area.

“This ecosystem should attract start-ups, R&D labs from big pharma companies, and students. We want to become a stronghold for training in immunology, from technical degrees to PhDs to doctors. Clinical trials will be carried out at the Hôpital Sainte-Marguerite. Autoimmune diseases represent a vast field of research, and our aim is to design therapies based on an individualized approach for patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases,” notes Eric Berton.

This national and international success of Aix-Marseille’s immunology sector is reflected in the number of local economic stakeholders that are eager to contribute to its financing.

More than 350 million people worldwide suffer from autoimmune diseases. Marseille already has five decades of expertise in this area of fundamental research. The development of immunological therapies in Aix-Marseille was spearheaded by medical pioneers like Michel Fougereau, François Kourilsky, and Claude Mawas and has since been supported by outstanding researchers such as Daniel Olive, Eric Vivier, and Bernard Malissen.