Caisse des Depots to invest in sanofi’s Biocitech science park

sanofi-aventis announced the public investment body Caisse des Depots will acquire an interest in the Biocitech life sciences technology park, which sanofi is developing on its former Romainville manufacturing site near Paris.

Caisse des Depots’ will provide additional resources for 27 companies already installed on the campus and enable new firms to be accommodated.

“The agreement between the Caisse des Depots and sanofi provides for the construction of a first series of new laboratories covering a total area of 10,000 square metres, as part of a programme for installing 35,000 square metres of new laboratory space over the next ten years,” said Patrick Francois, regional director of Caisse des Depots.

Biocitech was created as a result of a commitment given in 2002 by the former Aventis, (now sanofi), to oversee conversion of the Romainville site, following the transfer of its Paris region R&D.

“This commitment made it possible to transform our Romainville R&D centre into an internationally recognised technology park in partnership with local communities,” said Philippe Tcheng, sanofi’s vice-president for public and government affairs in France. “Through this initiative, [the] company, confirms its determination to act as a responsible partner, not only at the industrial and social, but also the environmental level, and to help create new employment opportunities in the Romainville basin.”