By GREGORY ZELLER //
New York State’s largest healthcare provider is going to France.
And France is coming to Northwell Health, via a monumental Memorandum of Understanding signed this month by the New Hyde Park-based health system and Business France, the French government’s trade-and-investment arm.
Inked at the Consulate General of France in New York City during a reception hosted by Consul General Jérémie Robert, the collaboration will help French companies connect directly with Northwell’s science and business leaders, perchance to discuss product sales, clinical pilots, venture investments and more.
Northwell, meanwhile, will enjoy access to next-generation technologies and other new ideas about enhanced patient care, straight from France’s most innovative thinkers.
The agreement came together slowly, according to joint statement from the two parties, which notes Northwell has been “developing a relationship with Business France and their companies for the past year.”
Michael Dowling: Worldly.
Northwell Health’s Global Strategic Partnerships International Program greased the skids last fall, when it took part in Business France’s NEXT French Healthcare accelerator program. As part of the program, Northwell representatives screened 10 French companies and guided several on developing their U.S. business.
This month, things really kicked into gear: In addition to signing the MoU, Northwell hosted a delegation of nearly three dozen French hospital and healthcare executives, including Martin Hirsch, CEO of Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, France’s largest healthcare network.
Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling framed the Business France partnership as a major opportunity to “advance the overall future of healthcare.”
“The alliance with Business France is an integral part of Northwell’s continuous efforts to identify breakthrough healthcare innovations [and] invest in novel technologies,” Dowling added. “We look forward to a long, mutually beneficial, collaborative relationship with Business France and the organizations they support.”
This is not the first time Northwell has reached across the pond to spur innovation and improve international patient care. In October, the health system announced a fresh strategic agreement with Enterprise Ireland, updating a longstanding partnership with the Irish State agency, which performs a similar function to Business France.
In 2017, Northwell signed an agreement with the Israeli Innovation Authority to collaborate on the development and commercialization of next-level medical devices.
Now, the health system is adding Business France – which boasts 87 global offices, operations in 124 countries and 1,700-plus international investment projects to date – to its multinational mix.
Smooth prior collaborations with the Long Island-headquartered health system – including progressive discussions at the Prix Galien USA & Jubilee Forum 2021, which drew leading international biomedical experts and executives to New York City – convinced Business France it had a winning partner in Northwell, according to Business France North America Managing Director Frédéric Rossi.
“As a business facilitator for both American and French companies, we are always looking to build new bridges between both ecosystems,” Rossi said in a statement. “We are convinced that this new agreement will contribute to accelerating innovation in healthcare, helping us all tackle current and upcoming health challenges.”
