The opening of THE HIVE at Campus Grand Parc was marked not simply by the inauguration of a new laboratory building, but by a broader statement of intent about Europe’s ambitions in oncology and life sciences.
Developed by Kadans Science Partner, THE HIVE is among the largest dedicated oncology and life sciences facilities in Europe. Located adjacent to the Gustave Roussy cancer centre, it brings together researchers, biotech companies, clinicians and investors in a single environment designed to accelerate translation from laboratory discovery to clinical application.
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The opening on 4 June also provided the backdrop for the inaugural Kadans Oncology Summit, where the central argument was that Europe’s competitiveness in cancer research will depend as much on ecosystem design as on scientific excellence.
For Professor Fabrice Barlesi, chief executive of Gustave Roussy, the ambition extends well beyond infrastructure. The challenge, he suggested, is to “industrialise serendipity” by creating environments in which scientists, entrepreneurs, clinicians and investors interact as a matter of routine rather than exception.
“What we want with this campus is to industrialise serendipity,” he said. “Ultimately, our goal is to create connections between people.”
That connectivity is not an abstract aspiration. Gustave Roussy has set an ambitious clinical target: to increase cancer cure rates to 80% by 2040. Achieving it, Barlesi argued, depends not only on scientific discovery but on the capacity to convert that discovery into commercially viable therapies that reach patients at scale.
This, he said, requires three interlocking conditions: world-class scientific talent, entrepreneurs capable of building companies around early breakthroughs, and sufficient capital and expertise to scale those companies into mature biotechnology businesses.
His comments reflected a broader concern running through the summit. Europe has long excelled in fundamental research but has struggled to convert that advantage into global industrial leadership in biopharma.
That gap is becoming more consequential as Europe finds itself positioned between two dominant innovation ecosystems in the United States and China, both investing heavily in biotech and advanced healthcare manufacturing. Without greater capacity to develop and produce its own medicines, Barlesi warned, Europe risks increasing dependence on external powers for future therapies.
“I believe that Europe and France are caught in the middle of two giants,” he said. “If we cannot develop at least some of the drugs we will need in the future, we risk becoming dependent on these two powers. We need to protect ourselves.”
Projects such as THE HIVE at Campus Grand Parc, he added, are part of the response. By bringing together research institutions, start-ups, pharmaceutical companies and investors, they aim to create the conditions for discoveries to be retained, scaled and commercialised at home rather than exported elsewhere.
The underlying message was that scientific excellence alone is no longer enough. The next chapter in oncology will depend just as much on building integrated ecosystems that connect discovery with entrepreneurship, capital and manufacturing capacity.
For France, and increasingly the wider continent, the question is no longer whether the science exists, but whether the surrounding ecosystem can turn it into globally competitive healthcare industries.
The PSCC has selected 10 start-ups for the pilot phase of its BOOST Grant programme, a funding scheme providing €120,000 to €250,000 per project to help early-stage oncology companies reach key scientific, regulatory and commercial milestones.
Launched in early 2026 under the EU de minimis framework, the initiative targets a persistent gap in healthcare innovation funding at critical stages of development. The selected companies are Abbelight, Letsee Imaging, LiveRNA, MSInsight, One Biosciences, PEP-Therapy, Recobia Therapeutics, Skymab Biotherapeutics, Spice Bio and TheraSonic.
Following the money
From an investor perspective, the consensus was that biotech is increasingly global, with success dependent on engagement across multiple ecosystems rather than reliance on any single geography.
“If you’re building a company without understanding what’s happening in China, that’s already a problem,” said Daniel Sieiro, Senior Associate at Sofinnova Partners. He noted that much of the relevant work is not published, making on-the-ground relationships essential, and argued for combining the speed of Chinese partners with Western scientific rigour to meet investor expectations in Europe and the US.
For Sohaib Mir, Investment Director at venture firm LifeArc, the priority is ultimately patient impact and commercial viability rather than origin.
“It’s about finding ways to collaborate,” he said, adding that from both an investor and human perspective, the focus should be on whether a treatment works and reaches patients, alongside efforts to learn from more efficient regulatory systems and reduce fragmentation across Europe.
Phil Masterson, Associate Director of Ventures at Cancer Research Horizons, pointed to funding dynamics as a key driver of company relocation, particularly beyond Series A, which continues to pull firms towards larger capital pools.
While Europe is increasingly resisting its role as a pipeline for US biotech, he highlighted a broader shift in global power towards Asia-Pacific, which he said is opening up new opportunities for cross-border deals and diversified sources of capital from both the US and Asia.
He also highlighted the importance of geography and clustering in shaping competitiveness, arguing that excellence creates a “gravitational pull” and that biotech ecosystems are increasingly something that can be deliberately built rather than left to emerge organically.
“Industrialised serendipity,” is now achievable through intentional ecosystem design, with established hubs such as the UK’s Golden Triangle alongside emerging regional clusters. In his view, location is now a strategic decision for companies: those outside major hubs risk losing access to infrastructure, expertise, equipment and incentives.
“You’ve basically got two options,” said Masterson. “Stay where you are and give up that advantage, or move and gain full access.”
Building the infrastructure behind science
Kadans’ role in France’s emerging oncology ecosystem reflects a broader shift in how specialist real estate is being defined. Rather than acting as a traditional landlord, the company positions itself as a long-term partner in building scientific infrastructure.
Its European strategy focuses on concentration rather than dispersion, targeting six countries and selected cities where sufficient density can support sustained innovation. The benchmark is at least 30,000 square metres of laboratory and research space in a single location; on the basis that scale enables meaningful collaboration between companies and institutions.
Paris exemplifies the approach. THE HIVE at Campus Grand Parc will soon be joined by a second development in Saclay, forming part of a wider regional footprint.
The logic, according to Kadans CEO Steijn Ribbens, is that innovation is more likely to emerge where density enables repeated interaction between researchers, entrepreneurs and corporates, rather than across fragmented sites.
That philosophy extends into design. Kadans develops what it calls specialised science assets, with advanced digital connectivity and resilient power systems. Laboratories are designed for flexibility, anticipating greater use of automation, robotics and data-driven research.
“Previously labs were designed at six-metre widths; we design at 7.2 metres to support safer, more flexible working environments and deeper equipment layouts,” said Ribbens. “As labs become increasingly automated, with more machines driven by AI, power and infrastructure demands are rising. Our approach is designed to be future-proof, adapting mainly to the specific requirements of different scientific specialisms.”
Following the science – and the policy
Kadans’ investment decisions, Ribbens says, start with science rather than property fundamentals. The company targets regions with strong research institutions, corporate R&D and public support, often structured through so-called “triple helix” collaboration between academia, industry and government.
In Spain, for example, it is aligning with national efforts to expand capabilities in semiconductors, microelectronics and AI, including government-backed initiatives in Malaga. While oncology and life sciences remain core across Europe, its scope is widening as AI reshapes research and industry.
The strategy also reflects a broader policy shift towards technological sovereignty, with Europe seeking to retain intellectual property, talent and manufacturing rather than losing early-stage innovation overseas.
Ribbens said Kadans’ role goes beyond infrastructure. Its campuses are run by multidisciplinary teams combining property managers, lab specialists, community managers and business developers with scientific expertise.
Their role is not only operational but curatorial – facilitating introductions, connecting start-ups with venture capital, and helping tenants access public funding. Proximity alone, he argued, is not enough; value depends on active network-building and sustained interaction.
This, he added, is what differentiates the model from traditional real estate. Long-term performance depends as much on the strength of the innovation community as on the quality of the buildings themselves.
Despite global competition, Kadans’ leadership remains broadly optimistic about Europe’s life sciences position. The region still benefits from strong universities, rising biotech-focused venture capital and a growing base of executives able to scale companies without relocating to the US.
For years, Europe’s challenge was not science but commercialisation. Increasingly, more integrated ecosystems spanning research, development, manufacturing and finance are helping close that gap.
As these systems mature, the forces that once pushed talent and companies overseas are gradually weakening.
“The innovation has always been here,” said Ribbens. “The opportunity now is to build the ecosystem around it.”
