INDUSTRY NEWS
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Micronora is geared to all markets, but forward-thinking firms in the region are increasingly applying their skill in the production of very small parts to tight tolerances for the medical device industry. To find out more about this trend prior to Micronora 2006, I spent three days in May visiting suppliers and a healthcare-themed industrial park. I spent my nights searching for the perfect saucisse de Morteau. I’m happy to report that I was successful on both counts.
Serge Piranda, president of Statice Santé (Besançon), is something of a trailblazer when it comes to the regional alliance of microtechnology with medical products. He has been championing the synergy longer than most, and his company has prospered as a result.
“At Statice Santé, we are fortunate to be able to apply our expertise in microtechnology to medical device applications,” says Piranda. “This is a dynamic market . . . one that welcomes innovation,” he explains, and that suits Statice Santé just fine.
Dedicated to the design, development, and production of implants and medical devices, the company also has developed a specialization in processing biomaterials. Bioresorbable products, in particular, are a current area of great interest. It wasn’t that long ago, however, that Piranda and fellow entrepreneurs in Franche Comté faced a bleak future.
The March of Time
The collapse of the mechanical watch industry in the 1970s devastated industry on both versants of the Jura mountains. “Horology has been practiced in France since the 17th century, when the Swiss fled here to escape the religious wars,” says Piranda. The transhumance that continues to this day has led to a shared common culture, he adds. Artisans in the Swiss and French Jura regions certainly share an aptitude for micromechanics that came from a clock- and watchmaking tradition. Converting those skills to other industries helped many companies to survive; applying them to medical technology has allowed Statice Santé and a handful of other regional firms to go beyond that and thrive.
Statice Santé was established in 1991, an offshoot of Statice Etudes et Développements. “Our business model has always been to offer a full range of services, including sterilization and CE marking, to customers in the medical technology market under strict confidentiality agreements,” says Piranda. The firm has participated in the development of numerous products—Statice Santé has collaborated with more than 100 Europe-based device companies, both large and small, according to Piranda—but, of course, his lips are sealed as to specific details.
And the Micron d’Or Goes to . . .
Groupe Simonin, located in nearby Beure, is not a specialized supplier to healthcare companies like Statice Santé, but its array of contract services and focussed expertise in metal fabrication and plastic injection moulding have made med-tech OEMs a growing part of its customer base.
“We can engage in a project from the concept and development stage,” says general manager Bertrand Simonin. “Because of our capabilities in stamping, injection moulding, marking, assembly, and testing, we are able to offer a single solution for many projects. And our certification to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 shows that we take our business seriously.” The company’s dedication to its craft also was recognized at the 2004 Micronora trade show, where it received a Micron d’Or (Golden Micron) for its contribution to the development of a new line of pipettes.
The project required the company to develop and integrate electronic and mechanical subassemblies into an existing design. The ability to meet tight tolerances and to ensure flawless functionality was a key element specified by the customer, and Groupe Simonin also took charge of material selection and injection moulding. The resulting product performed as well and cost less to manufacture than the one it replaced. More importantly, adds Simonin, this project illustrates what the company can bring to the table for its customers.
Material Matters
As its name suggests, Rubis Précis (Charquemont) was originally founded to supply ruby parts for watch movements. The firm began serving medical device OEMs about 10 years ago. “That business developed in a very low-key manner,” says Jean Chapuis, president. “These companies came to us, seeking our materials and microtechnology expertise. But now, we are actively courting this market. It is a dynamic sector that is a good fit with our expertise,” he adds, echoing the sentiments of Statice Santé’s Piranda.
Rubis Précis and its subsidiary Micropierre manufacture pacemaker electrodes, ceramic femoral heads for implants, ruby or sapphire surgical knives, gold markers for stents, and a range of other components for medical products. Both firms have extensive experience machining hard materials and metals and achieving micron-level tolerances. Business is booming: the group will begin construction to expand its Micropierre site in Besançon this fall. The expansion is scheduled for completion in the spring.
Clock-making is, literally, part of the terroir at JTD (Perrigny), a company specialized in turning metal parts. The plant sits on the site of what used to be Terraillon, a maker of monumental clocks that adorn the facades of railroad stations and buildings.
JTD is a relative newcomer to the med-tech supply chain—it began dabbling in medical projects in 2001—but its expertise in processing stainless steel, titanium, and other medical-grade metals has led to consistent growth in demand for its services from the healthcare sector. The firm is doing its share to help this trend along by investing in capital equipment adapted to the medical manufacturing market.
“We have bought several turning machines in the past few years that can process materials to the demanding specifications of the medical sector,” says export manager Johann Thibaud. “We are well equipped to turn small parts and to provide the quality control that medical device OEMs expect.” While the company is seeking to diversify its customer base, it is careful not to let itself be distracted from its mission. “Our core business is—and will remain—turning,” stresses Thibaud.
A Boost from the Public Sector
The potential rewards of creating an environment that is conducive to adding value to microtechnology by aligning it with healthcare products did not escape the notice of municipal and regional authorities. They responded by preparing the terrain for the establishment of a sprawling technology park just outside of Besançon —TEMIS (Technopole Microtechnique et Scientifique) and TEMIS Santé (Health). According to TEMIS director Anthony Jeanbourquin, “the health and microtechnology clusters will create a dynamic convergence.”
The 130-hectare industrial estate comprises office space, public and private research centres, and France’s first école specialized in microsystems engineering. The TEMIS Santé wing will benefit from access to a nearby university hospital and dedicated research facilities. A cleanroom will be finished by 2007. All of this largesse, it is hoped, will help innovative companies to source partners, develop technologies, and create marketable products. “We are offering a readymade supply chain to innovative start-up companies,” says Jeanbourquin.
Besançon, and indeed the larger Franche Comté region, is not taking half measures in staking out a position in the medical technology supply chain that plays to its strengths. With 2006 being a Micronora year, this may be a great time to go see for yourself what is going on there, and see if any of it fits with your business needs. And while you’re there, don’t forget to taste the saucisse de Morteau of your life. Unlike the region’s industrial savoir-faire, it just doesn’t export well.
Contacts
Groupe Simonin, 1 rue des Romains, 25720 Beure, France; phone: +33 381 412841; fax: +33 381 412848; Internet: www.groupe-simonin.fr; e-mail: contact@groupe-simonin.fr.
JTD, 537 route de Conliège, 39570 Perrigny, France; phone: +33 384 241356; fax: +33 384 241022; Internet: www.barturning-jtd.com; e-mail: contact@jtd.fr.
Micronora, B.P. 62125, 25052 Besançon, Cedex 5, France; phone: +33 381 521735; fax: +33 381 413089; Internet: www.micronora.com; e-mail: contact@micronora.com.
Rubis Précis, 25140 Charquemont, France; phone: +33 381 686834; fax: +33 381 682727; Internet: www.rubis-precis.com; e-mail: rubis@rubis-precis.com.
Statice Santé, 9 rue Thomas Edison, Z.I. des Tilleroyes, 25000 Besançon, France; phone: +33 381 484343; fax: +33 381 480901; e-mail: statice.sante@statice.com.
TEMIS, Technology Park Department, TEMIS Innovation, 18 rue Alain Savary, 25000 Besançon, France; phone: +33 381 504695; +33 381 532175; Internet: www.temis.org; e-mail: anthony.jeanbourquin@temis.org.
