Lyon in Boston: a shared vision of innovation and impact

On November 20th, the Lyon community in Boston, along with business leaders, researchers, and alumni, gathered for Voices of Talent for Impact – Made in Lyon. The event highlighted both the vitality of Lyon’s innovation ecosystem and the strength of the ties connecting the Lyon and Boston regions.

Collective energy driving innovation

Opening the evening, Bertrand Foucher, CEO of ONLYLYON & CO, and Nathalie Dompnier, President of the University of Lyon, reminded attendees of what defines the region’s strength: collaboration. With a delegation of about twenty academic and economic leaders, they conveyed a clear message: In Lyon, industry, research, and higher education move forward together — and it is this alliance that drives the region’s capacity to transform and innovate.

Breaking stereotypes, showcasing talent

The journeys of three Lyon-born talents illustrated what collaboration looks like on the ground. Though their paths differed greatly, their stories converged around the same idea: Lyon develops people who know how to act, create, and make an impact worldwide.

• Hervé de Malliard (MEDEF Rhône) emphasized that Lyon is an industrial and action-driven region, where ideas quickly turn into prototypes, patents, and production thanks to effective collaboration between researchers, engineers, and companies.
• Nicolas Renard (Vertex) highlighted Lyon’s culture of boldness, where design, engineering, and entrepreneurship constantly fuel one another.
• Marie D’Alessandro (Sanofi) showed that Lyon is truly global, capable of preparing talent ready to thrive in highly competitive environments such as Boston.

Together, they demonstrated that Lyon is a land of talent—innovators, risk-takers, and global achievers.

Philanthropy and Science: strengthening the bridge

To close the evening, Karine Dognin Sauze, President of the Fondation Innovation et Transitions, reaffirmed Lyon’s pragmatic and collective approach to innovation—one focused on societal impact.

She presented several initiatives supported by the foundation, including:

• research in neuroscience and mental health,
• energy and climate transitions,
• entrepreneurship and international student mobility,
• state-of-the-art scientific equipment.

She also reminded attendees of an essential point for U.S.-based partners: contributions made from the United States are fully tax-deductible, a crucial lever for supporting Lyon’s academic and scientific initiatives.

A final message: Lyon is a global community

Across all the interventions, a powerful message emerged: Lyon is not just an innovative metropolitan area — it is a global community built on cooperation, talent, and impact. This evening in Boston offered yet another demonstration of that reality. It showed how dialogue between the two territories stimulates innovation, accelerates projects, and opens new opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic.