Biotech expansion strategies

"We are a research-- based industry developing innovative products to address widespread unmet medical needs," says Carl B. Feldbaum, president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Washington, DC. BIO represents more than 850 biotechnology companies, academic institutions and state biotechnology centers in 47 states and 26 nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of medical, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. "Biotechnology is providing both the tools to produce the next generation of medicines as well as the final products. These represent enormous and expanding markets," he adds.

To capture the opportunity to participate in the growth of the dynamic biotech industry, communities across the nation are eagerly working to convince those of you in the biotech industry that locations in their area offer the best resources for growth.

And why the surge of interest in biotech growth? Feldbaum explains: "Biotechnology leads in medical innovation because of our industry's willingness to attempt to solve the difficult problems, to confront the most intractable, often life-threatening diseases. With our fast-developing knowledge of the genetic causes of disease, and with new discoveries being made virtually every day, we believe biotech will continue to produce medical breakthroughs.

"In the past four years, 76 new biotechnology drugs, vaccines, and new indications have been approved," continues Feldbaum. "This is a significant increase over the previous 14 years. In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new biotechnology medicines for acute coronary syndrome, arthritis, breast cancer, Crohn's disease, and for the prevention of Lyme disease."

Many communities are investing in the labor training programs, and the research and educational amenities that the biotech industry desperately needs to keep moving at the cutting edge of technology.

Patrick M. Kelly, director of state government relations at BIO, says: "Research centers are one of the more important factors attracting biotech companies. Where a lot of research resources are present, you see biotech industry clusters. California, the number-one biotech state, and Massachusetts, the second ranked biotech state, encourage the tremendous clusters of biotech companies surrounding the research institutions. And there is a six-way race for third place in the number and activity of biotech firms with Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington in a hotly contested race with Texas, Florida, and New Jersey."

Biotech companies are listening to the overtures of communities across the nation with offers of technology transfers, research support, lower operating costs, skilled professionals, good transportation without excessive gridlock, improved quality of life, and lower cost of living factors.

BIOTECH GROWTH

Phoenix, AZ has long been known as a hotbed of high-tech activity, including biotech operations. A rapidly growing biotech industry includes a cluster of nearly 80 firms, according to a study conducted at the University of Arizona. Biotechnology in Arizona is a young industry, with three-quarters of all the biotech firms having been founded since 1980. Biomedical devices are the leading products of these firms, followed by pharmaceuticals and industrial products.

Thanks to the region's favorable business climate, you will discover a strong educational system, advanced fiber-optics communications network, and an excellent transportation system. The high-technology, biotech industry has grown rapidly throughout the Greater Phoenix region.

An important requirement for the biotech industry's continued success is an educated workforce. In the Greater Phoenix area, Arizona State University fulfilled that mission with the establishment of a College of Technology. In addition, many of the area's community colleges offer two-year degrees focused on the high-tech field. Two of Phoenix's major employers, Motorola and Intel, have donated millions of dollars worth of equipment to the schools to set up simulated manufacturing operations and train students for high-tech jobs.

One of the hallmarks of a growing industry, such as biotechnology, is the demand for additional space. And, the biotech industry is exploding with growth and enormous potential in the Washington/Baltimore area, where nearly 300 companies are involved in R&D and biotech manufacturing. Biotechnology is important to Maryland, and biotechnology is important to the world. In fact, Maryland has become one of the world's centers of excellence in biotech research. In 1997, Maryland biotech companies churned out more than $2 billion in revenues. This industry represents a new way of doing business in Maryland and will be a significant part of the state's economy for the next decade.

Maryland enjoys the third largest concentration of bioscience companies in the United States, according to the Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development. In the biotech fields, Maryland universities during the past three years received 121 patents, government agencies with Maryland facilities received 307, and private firms received 212. With this influx of R&D patents, Maryland has developed an R&D center of excellence that attracts additional biotech operations.

MedImmune, Inc., a Maryland-- based biotech company, recently had its third product approved by the FDA. Dr. Wayne Hockmeyer, chairman and CEO, says that MedImmune is on its way to becoming profitable. The company does its own R&D, process development, clinical research, sales and marketing, and manufacturing. Located in Gaithersburg, the company recently completed construction of a $50 million, 91,000-square-- foot manufacturing facility in Frederick. Says Hockmeyer, "We are optimistic about the future and want to continue to grow our business here in Maryland."

As a result of the substantial biomedical and federal government infrastructure, biotechnology is a natural industry for Maryland, according to Hockmeyer. Because of this infrastructure, attracting the best talent is not difficult.

In the summer of 1998, Human Genome Sciences (HGS), headquartered in Montgomery County, MD, chose a site for its new production facility in the Johns Hopkins Belward Research Campus in Rockville, not far from its current lab and office spaces in the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center. The company recently made a business decision to grow from a R&D-only firm to production. The new facility will be located on a 13-acre site and include 80,000 square feet of space for pilot production of therapeutic proteins and for process development and scale-up. The site also allows for future expansion.

The state of Maryland and Montgomery County offered tax credits, grants for job creation, infrastructure improvements, and a low-interest loan. Johns Hopkins donated 30 acres of land to Montgomery County, which then sold the 13-acre site to the Montgomery County Economic Development Corp. (MEDCO), which then leased the site to HGS for 20 years.

ATTRACTING BIOTECH FIRMS

The availability of skilled, educated people is one of the keys to locating a biotech firm. California, of course, has an immense powerhouse of biotech firms operating within the state. California's Bay Area (San Francisco) is regarded by many as the birthplace of biotechnology and remains a world leader in core biotechnology industries with nearly 1,000 firms and research institutes. The Bay Area is home to one of the first biotechnology companies-Genentech.

"Certainly high technology has been a key driver in California's growth. Many of these companies have made a renewed commitment to California with an eye toward long-term expansion," says a spokesperson with the California Trade and Commerce Agency and Team California.

The Greater Sacramento area in Northern California offers a superior quality of life and appeals to the research needs of biotech firms. A leading biological science research facility, University of California, Davis, forms the core of the research needs for the biotech industry in the region. Says Raymond L. Rodriguez, president at Applied Phyrelegics: "The university has been very cooperative in giving me the freedom to develop my own private venture in the area of biopharmaceuticals and nutritional products. The most important factors contributing to the success of my company have been the skillful handling of patents and licensing by the University, and a regulatory climate in the state that promotes business development."

The growing biotech industry at the gateway to California's biotech corridor in Woodland, CA has a trained workforce that is ready to add new dimensions to the biotech research. Already Seminis, employing more than 180 people on a 72-- acre site, operates a worldwide biotech research headquarters, focusing on plant research in Woodland. What's more, Hygiela Biological Laboratories of Woodland received national awards for the biotech research that resulted in a new vaccine designed to prevent a major disease of dairy cows. Founded in 1991, Hygiela has grown from 8 employees in 1997 to 15 employees in 1998.

Woodland, located 15 miles northwest of Sacramento on U.S. Interstate 5, offers a unique opportunity for a biotech company with growth in mind as a result of a corporate consolidation. Bryce Birkman, executive director at the Woodland Economic Renaissance Corporation explains that one firm relocated an operation in a consolidation move that freed up a superior biotech site, which would rank high on most any site selection checklist, and is a great location for biotech operations. On five acres of land, an established facility sits vacant, ready for occupancy. The 38,700-square-foot biotechnology lab and pilot plant offers clean room operations, R&D space, warehousing, and plant processing space at the Woodland site. The regional workforce of 17,500 people includes well-trained scientists, engineers, and skilled technicians. UC Davis, which is less than 10 miles away, has nearly 4,000 undergraduates studying biological sciences. What's more, UC Davis has an Interdisciplinary Biotech division with more than 400 affiliated professors and more than 300 funded and ongoing research projects.

In Los Angeles, the biomed industry is gathering momentum. A good example is Alfred E. Mann's $100 million-each contribution to support biomedical research at the University of Southern California and at the University of California, Los Angeles. The commitment to support biomed and biotech firms is further illustrated in the planned California State University Northridge, MiniMed Business Park, which will house a state-of-the-art bioscience facility. In addition, the Southern California Biomedical Council is organizing its second annual Biomed Venture Forum.

In November 1998, Guidant Corporation introduced a new product that doctors worldwide are now using. In fact the new product, a heart "stent" that offers an alternate to heart-bypass surgery, spurred a $16 million expansion at the Temecula, CA complex of five buildings with 500,000 square feet of space, including a four-story main facility. The expansion will add 300 employees in 1999 at the four-story production plant that operates around the clock. Guidant Corporation, an Indiana-- headquartered company, employs more than 5,000 people worldwide, with 2,000 in Temecula, CA. Since 1997, rapid growth has resulted in nearly doubling the employment in Temecula. By mid-year, Guidant plans to open a factory in Ireland that will handle European orders.

And the reason for this success? Research and development investment plays a major factor, says Bob Larson, vice president of operations. Guidant, like many biotech firms, must always be inventing and producing new products. According to Larson, part of the company's success rises from corporate policy that decrees 16% of profits are to be plowed into research and development. Employee training is another factor. Each employee, including every parttime worker, is given about 53 hours of specialized training.

Why Temecula? The company founder, Bob Reese, in 1983 visited his parents in Temecula. He liked the Temecula Valley and recommended a plant be set up in the area. The quality of life factor was perhaps the most significant motivation that created the start-up operation that now has grown into a 2,0000 employee complex.

Strategically located on Southern California's main inland highway, Interstate-15, Temecula gains the benefits of free-flowing commercial and residential access from a central location along the 1-15/I-- 215 freeway corridor. As a masterplanned community, the 97,000-- acre Temecula region gains high marks for the quality of life factor. Companies from a variety of industries are choosing to locate in Temecula because of its quality of life, among other site selection factors crucial to any kind of company needing a new facility.

"Temecula's central Southern California location and multiple freeway access was perfect for us," says Scott Meer, manager of ground operations at Federal Express, which recently chose to locate in Temecula. "Our employees love the area and are involved in community activities."

What's more, a well-educated workforce provides the biotech companies with a quality labor pool which is a major factor for Chemicon International, another biotech firm, which has been in Temecula since 1981. Chemicon's Temecula facility consists of 30,000 square feet and contains production, R&D, logistics, and marketing operations.

The City of Palmdale, located 60 miles from Los Angeles, is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. with an estimated population of 118,265. High-tech and related biotech operations have contributed to building a strong labor pool with diverse qualifications that attracts still more high-tech, biotech companies. In August 1998, Senior Systems Technology, Inc. began operations in a new, $6.8 million, 130,000-square-foot facility in Palmdale. In addition an electronic switch and gauge manufacturer, Murphy's Safety Switch Company, is building a new $1.6 million facility in Palmdale.

Rancho Cucamonga, population 116,000, is one of Southern California's most family oriented and prosperous communities. The city's location at the 1-10 and 1-15 freeway junction is one of the principal advantages. Firms are moving to this area of the Inland Empire to build modern facilities featuring competitive costs and strong logistics infrastructure. From 1991 to 1996, Rancho Cucamonga added 442 firms to reach 2,188.

Although certain site selection factors are specific to biotech companies (the type of workforce available in the region, for example) there are certain factors that are crucial to any site search, no matter what the industry. Rancho Cucamonga offers a convenient location for almost any type of industry, thanks to its pro-business climate. In 1999, Aetna U.S. Healthcare will move into a building at an idled missile manufacturing plant in Rancho Cucamonga, bringing along 185 jobs. Jerrylyn Romana, western regional facilities manager, says that three primary factors make the location appealing: access to the Ontario International Airport to shuttle between headquarters in San Ramon and the new location; attractive leasing arrangements; and ample space for expansion.

STATES TARGET BIOTECHNOLOGY

More and more, states are recognizing the role the biotechnology industry plays in their economies. BIO announced this April that Tennessee has become the 25th state to form a biotechnology association representing companies and academic institutes involved in biomedical research and product development.

The Tennessee Biotechnology Association (TBA) was launched during the 2nd Annual Tennessee Biomedical Engineering Conference at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Joseph Gregory, vice chairman of King Pharmaceuticals in Bristol, TN, will chair the new state association.

"We are very excited to have such an enthusiastic, statewide commitment to improving opportunities for biotechnology and biomedical research and development in the state," says Gregory. "We have received numerous funding commitments including a pledge for first-year matching funds from the Tennessee Technology Development Corp."

The Tennessee Technology Development Corp., formed last year by the state's Department of Economic and Community Development, has committed up to $50,000 in matching funds to assist the TBA. The association will function in support of Tennessee companies, academic institutes and centers of excellence conducting research and development in biotechnology products, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

In addition to Gregory, other TBA board officers include Dennis Grimaud, president; Larry Evans, treasurer; and James McElroy, secretary. Grimaud is president and CEO of Cytometry Associates, in Nashville. Evans is a partner with the accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, in Nashville. McElroy is a partner with the law firm, Baker Donelson Bearman and Caldwell, in Nashville.

"We look forward to working closely with the Tennessee Biotechnology Association," says BIO's Patrick Kelly. "We are impressed with the substantial R&D infrastructure already in place in the state and we anticipate that the association will further improve the climate for biotechnology companies in Tennessee. The TBA joins a growing network of state biotechnology associations affiliated with BIO. There are now 25 state biotechnology associations and all of them play pivotal roles in supporting the growth of the biotechnology industry."

FINANCIAL INCENTIVES

Financial incentives and research support were the major considerations that placed ZymeTx, Inc., a biotech company developing medical products, in Oklahoma. The company was established through the research support of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). ZymeTx benefits from an ongoing relationship with OMRF, which provides the company with access to R&D resources rivaling those of much larger biotech companies. OMRF provides ZymeTx with extensive scientific expertise, which supplement the company's own dedicated facility and staff. This relationship opens the doors to a number of promising technologies that will yield additional new product candidates in the future.

Says Peter Livingston, CEO, "Our scientific and research staff maintains a close professional relationship with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. ZymeTx is able to work with scientists at OMRF with critical access to research and development capabilities that rival those found at much larger biotechnology companies."

Michigan is a major player in biotechnology with the recently created Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids. The $1 billion endowed institute is expected to be a big attraction for the biotech and pharmaceutical companies looking for cutting-edge facilities and financial backing.

Traditionally, universities have been thought of as the site for the majority of basic biotech research. Individual professors who direct research laboratories manned by teams of graduate students and postdoctorates have been the foundation for a great deal of scientific progress. Today the organization of university departments is more complex, funding sources are more diverse, and interdisciplinary collaboration has become the norm.

The growing number of biotech firms in Michigan exceeds 140 companies with 19,000 workers. Some of the major firms in biotechnology operating in Michigan include: Aastrom, C&M Pharmacal, Caraco, Detrex, Neogen, Perrigo, Trinity Technologies, Vortech Pharmaceuticals, and Welch Laboratories. In addition, major pharmaceutical companies have facilities in the state as well, including Parke-Davis and Pharmacia & Upjohn.

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, an alliance between the state of Michigan and several local communities, is your one-stop resource for expansion and relocation projects. Combined with site development and job training incentives, Michigan offers your biotech operation an economic advantage. Moreover, the Michigan Technical Education Centers, a state-of-the-art network of schools, provides customized training.

In November 1998, Scott Technologies announced an expansion in South Haven, MI. Says Governor John Engler, "This project, with over 150 new jobs and an investment of $1 million, will locate in Michigan not Indiana. Projects like this are why Michigan will continue to keep its number one status as the state with the most new projects and expansions." Scott Technologies received a tax credit worth an estimated $391,000 from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority. The new facility will be operational later in 1999. The Scott Technologies project will provide more than $5.4 million in revenue to the state over the life of the tax credit agreement, resulting in a net positive gain to the state of $5 million after the MEGA credit. What's more, the project is expected to generate more than $68 million in personal income.

Venture capital funding was a significant factor for Copernicus Gene Systems, Inc., a Cleveland, OH biotechnology start-up company. Several venture capital organizations considered Cleveland an unlikely location for innovative biotech growth, but the city leaders decided to change Cleveland's technological support and lure this industry to the region. Copernicus, founded in 1994 and based on gene therapy technology developed at Cleveland's Case Western Reserve University, secured $4.6 million from four different investors in December 1997. In addition, the company received a $100,000 SBIR grant from the National Cancer Institute to test a new approach for treating liver cancer. The cash provides the resources to pursue development of the technology and add staff to complement the five full-time employees.

Nestled 20 miles south of Miami, FL, Perrine-Cutler Ridge is one of Florida's premiere locations for biotech companies. Currently 10 biotech companies chose the Miami-Dade Biomedical Corridor at Perrine-Cutler for operations. Beckman-Coulter Corp., a world leader in laboratory diagnostics, invested $30 million in the Perrine-Cutler Ridge area, creating a 100-acre corporate headquarters for global operations. Employing 1,800 people at the headquarters site, the company continues to develop breakthrough products in the realm of blood cell analysis, as well as cancer and AIDS research. Swiss Caps, a European pharmaceutical company opened a production plant in 1992 to manufacture nutritional supplements.

And what makes Perrine-Cutler Ridge a hot location for biotech? Tax and financial incentives for biotech operations, a dynamic workforce, research support, excellent transportation from rail, truck, air, and ocean all contribute to biotech success. The eight colleges and universities provide not only research resources, but also a trained labor pool for biotech operations.

Explains Arthur Lyons, communications manager at Coulter Corporation: "We sell our products in more than 70 countries, so this is a great place from which to run our worldwide operations. Then, of course, nearby Miami is becoming more and more the capital of the Americas: there is a major airport and shipping lanes and an excellent pool of skilled, multi-cultural bilingual talent to draw upon."

Lehigh Valley, PA, once dominated by large industrial firms, is now represented by a broad base of industries, including scientific biotech operations. To the East, the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park (LVIP) in Eastern Pennsylvania attracts biotech and high-tech firms such as NCR and General Electric. With five fully developed parks on 1,300 acres, LVIP offers many advantages for biotech firms. A new high-tech park will be available in 1999.

The Lehigh Valley, located on the eastern border of Pennsylvania, contains a trio of cities-Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton-that are less than an hour's drive from Philadelphia and less than two hours from New York. The transportation infrastructure with easy access to other regions make the Lehigh Valley an excellent location for biotech distribution activities.

The major factors that lead companies to choose Lehigh Valley include the skilled workforce and the potential for research. Among the Valley's educational assets are 10 colleges and universities, including Pennsylvania State University's Allentown campus and Lehigh University in Allentown.

Xenia, OH, located in the "transportation triangle" formed by the three major interstate highways-Interstates 70, 71, and 75-is 15 miles from Dayton. Because good transportation and cost-effective sites appeal to biotech site seekers, the convenient movement of people and products is a major asset for Xenia. A progressive, medium-sized city (population 25,000), Xenia is home to 64 widely diversified firms. A skilled workforce, good energy rates, excellent quality of life factors, and low-cost operations continue to attract auto-related investments to Xenia, OH.

Biotech companies need their energy resources to be reliable even more so than high-tech firms. When dealing with materials such as living cells and organisms, it takes only a blackout of a few minutes to ruin months of research. GPU Energy is the largest electric utility in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and focuses on recruitment and expansion of customers within the regulated distribution territory. GPU's service area is home to 56 of the Fortune 500, and they have forged partnerships with developers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As site selection consultants, GPU provides valuable services to the biotech firms in search of new facilities.

Located southeast of Austin, Bastrop, TX has all of the necessary ingredients to become the next biotechnology cluster of Central Texas. Currently, Bastrop has two nationally recognized biotechnology research facilities, both affiliated with the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The two facilities are the Science Park Center for Research on Environmental Disease and the Department of Veterinary Sciences. These two worldclass facilities employ more than 300 people.

Bastrop is also home for several major biotech companies. BioCrest Partners, a start-up company, has recently completed construction on a 45,000-square-foot facility west of Bastrop and will employ 150 people. International Rx Specialty Company, a global wholesaler of pharmaceuticals, is located in Bastrop, and poised for expansion. "Regions with research centers attract the biotech organizations," explains BIO's Patrick Kelly. "Look for a cluster of research institutions and you will find a growing cluster of biotech companies."

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INTERNATIONAL BIOTECH

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Biotech operations represent a global growth industry. The keys

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to international site selection rest with those factors that draw upon the professional workforces, the educational resources, research support, and quality of life factors. Internationally, the biotechnology field represents one of the top growth industries with outstanding potential, particularly in Europe. Both France and Germany have major regions that have developed biotech clusters fueled by outstanding research organizations and universities.

Bavaria, Germany, with phenomenal research capacity, has grown in Munich the largest biotechnology center in Germany.

"In the past two years," says Horst Domdey, CEO of BioM AG, "German biotechnology has experienced an enormous upswing. A wave of bright new business ideas, supported and accompanied by

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entrepreneurial initiatives, smart financing programs, and the availability of

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private money can be observed. All over

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Germany, and especially in the Munich

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area, the enormous local potentials

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for modern biotechnology have been dis

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covered and brought into action."

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Munich's immense potential is strengthened by the critical mass of outstanding science provided through the presence of two top universities,

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three biotech-oriented Max-Planck-- Institutes and the National Research Center for Health and Environment.

Munich, rated second behind London in the European rankings of biotech regions, is in sixth position worldwide. More than 8,000 skilled scientists and technicians are employed in the Bavaria's Life Sciences industry, six universities, and 16 major non-university research institutes for biotech-related projects. The synergy in Munich provides the backdrop for a growing number of startup companies, such as MediGene, Micromet, GPC Genome Pharmaceutical Cooperation, and VirGene Pharmaceutical.

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The Grosshadern-Martinsried campus has established itself as the driving force behind the dynamic development of the region's biotechnology industry. Martinsried, Bavaria's top research campus, is home for the highly reputable Max-- Planck--Institutes (biochemistry and neurobiology), the Gene Center of Munich's university, the GSF (National Research Center for Environment and Health), the IZB (Innovation Center Biotechnology) with 70,000 square feet of working space, and Munich's largest university clinic with 1,500 beds and outstanding clinical research facilities.

"There is no country in this world where I would rather form a new biotech company than in Germany," says Dr. Helmut Schuhsler, managing partner, TVM Techno Venture Management III GmbH, Munich.

"We are happy about foreign biotech companies moving to

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Bavaria," says Horst Domdey at BioM. "especially when they plan to engage themselves in R&D." BioM AG, a consulting company financed by the industry itself, is aiming to set up a network that links industry, research, biotech firms, and the financial world. At present a total of DM $12 million in potential financing aid from BioM is available to young enterprises. Startup companies may qualify for seed capital up to DM $300,000 in return for interest in BioM.

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In 1998, the grand opening of the newly built third wing of the Center of Innovation and New Enterprise in Biotechnology made available additional floorspace in a perfectly tailored infrastructure for young, innovative biotech companies.

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A number of other regions around the world have developed into significant research regions, such as Toulouse/Midi-Pyrenees in France. In fact, the region of Toulouse/MidiPyrenees represents a powerhouse of biotech advances. With 10,500 scientists working in more than 400 laboratories, Toulouse/Midi-Pyrenees possesses an exceptional research potential. For example, the Pierre Fabre Laboratories in the region employs 6,200 workers to manufacture and market pharmaceuticals and dermo-cosmetics products.

The quality of life factor, an important site ingredient for attracting new companies and talent, aids the region's technological success. The area is a territory rich in history and unspoiled natural beauty.

In education, Toulouse is the second most important university in

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France. Alain Costes, director of the Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems says, "MidiPyrenees has two basic assets that attract industry. First, the well-- trained personel, particularly in engi

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neering sciences, whether at the university level

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or through the advanced techni

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cal diploma programs, and

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second the internationally

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renowned research laboratories." Mike Briley, director of

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research at the Pharmacology Laboratory of Laboratoires Pierre Fabre in Castres says: "Out of a team of 200 researchers, 50 of us are foreigners. Our recruitment is very internationally based which poses no problem whatsoever. Our researchers, even if they travel all over the world to places like London, New York, or Sydney, particularly appreciate the human dimension of a town like Castres: its climate, the facilities for all types of sports, the natural surroundings, and everything the region has to offer in the way of leisure and culture."

Toulouse Midi-Pyrenees offers:

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* One of the top three French areas in biotechnology research.

* Home to the second largest private pharmaceutical group in France.

* More than biotech 3,000 jobs.

* The leading university region in France outside of Paris.

* Largest concentration of research

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potential with 10,500 scientists and 400 labs.

* Home to the third largest plant

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biotechnology complex.

* First microbiology center in France.