BioMérieux is a world leader in “in vitro” diagnostics. That’s Latin for diagnostics “in the glass,” meaning testing that takes place in a test tube or culture dish. With a mission to make the world a healthier place, BioMérieux was founded in 1963 just outside Lyon, France. Its technologies have roots that go back to 1897, when Marcel Mérieux, a student of Louis Pasteur, created the Institut Biologique Mérieux to push the boundaries of biology. Since then, BioMérieux’s deep knowledge and expertise in diagnostics has been compounding, making it a pioneer in infectious diseases and food and drug safety worldwide. Today, 90 percent of the firm’s products are sold outside of France. The company runs 14 R&D centers worldwide, and 12 percent of sales is reinvested in R&D.

Credit: BioMérieux

That’s because innovation is a pillar of this Knowledge Leader’s strategy, its innovation priorities being twofold: 1. To create medical and predictive results from its diagnostic tests, and 2. To improve lab workflow to optimize operations overall. To achieve these, BioMérieux’s R&D teams work on three different levels: incubating internal innovation programs, collaborating with external research institutions and biotech firms, and making acquisitions that enhance its product portfolio with new technologies. In addition, BioMérieux embraces the principles of open innovation, a model based on sharing knowledge and promoting cooperation among businesses.

For example, current industrial projects include a joint venture to develop optimized media that digitizes and automates diagnostics previously performed manually, diagnostics that predict contamination risks by mapping the microbiome of a factory, and solutions for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, traumatic brain injuries, healthy aging and pneumonia, to name a few.

As of 12/31/22, BioMérieux was held in the Knowledge Leaders Strategy.