An act symbolizing "a new era". The foundation stone of the future building of the IARC, the international cancer research center was laid this Thursday morning in the Gerland district of Lyon. This new center of 15,000 square meters (including 1,500 square meters of laboratories) should open its doors in 2022 and now intends to position itself as the "world leader" in cancer research.
"It will become a space for world-renowned scientists, experiments and innovative projects", explain the project leaders, adding that the building will also host conferences and events for the general public.
9.6 million deaths worldwide in 2018 linked to cancer
IARC was created in 1965 by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is attached to the United Nations Organization (UN). Its historic headquarters was established in Lyon in 1972.
"The premises, however, showed clear signs of dilapidation which led to the decision to move to a new, more modern and functional building," explains the metropolitan area of Lyon. The future buildings will be built in the heart of the "Biodistric" which already concentrates most of the economic and industrial institutions and players in the life sciences sector, such as Sanofi-Pasteur, Merial, the Lyon Auvergne Rhône-Alpes cancer center and the P4 laboratory.
The cost of the project is estimated at 51.6 million euros. Globally, one in six deaths is due to cancer, or 9.6 million in 2018. This made it the second leading cause of death in the world according to the WHO. A figure that should rise to 16.4 million in 2040, still according to the WHO.
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