The role of the Luxinnovation team is to provide international companies with the information they need to take an informed decision on whether Luxembourg is the right place for them. Together with its network of Luxembourg Trade & Invest partners, the team also guides them through the whole process of setting up their company here, launching their activity and expanding on the European market. Régis Ciré will primarily work with healthtech companies.
As a co-founder of NOVIATEK, and co-developer of an innovative system monitoring the safety of elderly people living at home that attracted a major investment from French listed pharmaceutical group Equasens, Mr Ciré has first-hand experience of doing business in the healthcare sector. “After 12 years of entrepreneurial adventure, I now want to use my experience to support other healthtech businesses,” he explains. “I hope that international firms looking to come to Europe will benefit from my knowledge.”
A dynamic sector
Over the past 15 years, the Luxembourg government has systematically worked to create a favourable environment for the healthtech sector, notably through considerable investments in research expertise in health and biomedicine. The Luxembourg Centre of Systems Biomedicine, which is part of the University of Luxembourg, and the Luxembourg Institute of Health have both built up solid international reputations. In 2021, Luxembourg created a Professorship in Digital Medicine, an interdisciplinary Chair focusing on shaping and innovating personalised digital healthcare solutions, and understanding and evaluating the new benchmarks of a new ecosystem for digital medicine. The number of companies is also steadily increasing.
The healthtech sector in Luxembourg is in a very dynamic phase right now, supported by a range of interesting projects.
“The healthtech sector in Luxembourg is in a very dynamic phase right now, supported by a range of interesting projects,” says Jean-Philippe Arié, Luxembourg HealthTech Cluster Manager at Luxinnovation. He cites, as an example, the forthcoming Health And Life science Innovation (HE:AL) Campus that will host healthtech companies, primarily those active in the fields of medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, and digital health tools and services. “We are also constantly being contacted by international companies interested in coming to Luxembourg,” he adds.
Further strengthening the identity of the national healthtech sector and increasing its international exposure are now key priorities. “One of my tasks will be to represent Luxembourg at international fairs, conferences and other healthtech events and to build strategic alliances with ecosystems, healthtech centres of excellence and other partners abroad,” says Mr Ciré.
Supporting healthtech businesses coming to Europe
Another priority is contributing to expanding the sector by attracting and supporting healthtech businesses that fit into the current national ecosystem. “The work in this field is aligned with the national strategy for data-driven innovation,” Dr Arié points out. “Luxembourg benefits from an excellent data infrastructure, and the ecosystem includes a growing number of healthtech businesses with a digital focus. They work on the digitalisation of all aspects of health and the patients’ medical journey and develop smart health products and services centred on personalised and digital medicine.”
Luxembourg benefits from an excellent data infrastructure, and the ecosystem includes a growing number of healthtech businesses with a digital focus.
The choice of Luxembourg as a platform for developing digital health solutions is logical for Mr Ciré, and one he has done himself. “My company was originally created in France, but after a few years we decided to move it to Luxembourg in order to increase our international reach,” he says. “French and German are both official languages here, virtually everybody speaks English as well and the country welcomes talents from all over the world. Luxembourg offers easy access to a range of markets: France, Belgium, Switzerland, France, the UK, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries, for instance. It makes a lot of sense for American, Asian or African companies wanting to join the European market to come here.”
To me, Luxembourg is the most dynamic country in Europe and quite unique in the world.
He also emphasises the dynamism and energy of Luxembourg. “The growth, the multitude of opportunities and the diversity is very impressive. Both the government and the people working here are making things happen, and that is very inspiring. Look at the space sector, for example, that has developed spectacularly over the past decades. To me, Luxembourg is the most dynamic country in Europe and quite unique in the world.”