Can France Stay in the Game?

The French government's efforts to encourage biotechnology have been modest and somewhat piecemeal. Yet two years ago, France's industry was nevertheless ranked second in Europe. Since then, the explosion of biotech companies in Germany, along with steady growth in other European markets, make the need for a coherent French strategy more urgent. France needs to take some bolder, more generous measures--particularly to reduce companies' tax burden and attract talent from overseas--without which it risks restricting itself to a small group of companies, many of whom will have to move elsewhere to grow substantially.