The hesitant comeback of medical scanner production in France

GE Healthcare’s Celebration at Buc Plant

At the GE Healthcare factory in Buc, located on the outskirts of the Fontainebleau forest in Versailles, a celebration is underway. The American group, resulting from General Electric’s split in 2023, inaugurated on Tuesday, October 1st, the first assembly line for medical scanners in France. With giant scissors cutting the red ribbon, local officials in attendance, and a congratulatory video message from the Minister Delegate for Industry praising the benefits of healthcare reconquest, the global giant in medical imaging spared no effort in celebrating the comeback of scanner production on French soil. Since General Electric’s acquisition of the French Company Générale de Radiologie in 1987 from Thomson, the production of these devices, used in diagnosing various pathologies with a growing demand, had vanished from France. Operating for a few weeks now, this new assembly line is aimed at supplying the entire European continent, with an estimated market worth of two billion dollars (1.8 billion euros).

Revolution Maxima: Bringing Back Assembly to France

To initiate this French revival, GE Healthcare (with a 2023 revenue of 19.6 billion dollars) invested one million euros to relocate the assembly stages of its best-selling scanner model, the Revolution Maxima, back to Buc – its European headquarters. Previously, these stages were carried out in China, leading to significant delivery delays for European customers. “Instead of three to four months, we can now fulfill orders in four weeks,” explains Jean-Philippe Bousquel, General Manager of Imaging at GE Healthcare International. Despite shipping their first scanner assembled in France to the Montargis Hospital in mid-September, the ambition is to deliver between 200 and 250 devices annually to hospitals, clinics, and radiology centers.

Challenges in Achieving a French Origin

While progress is being made towards a French origin, challenges persist. Although the generator is French-made, most scanner components, such as the tube crucial for producing X-rays, are manufactured outside Europe, mainly in China and India. Furthermore, the assembly isn’t entirely done in France; the rotary positioner is pre-assembled in the group’s Chinese factory before being shipped to Buc. However, testing, calibration, customization as per client needs, research, development, and design are entirely carried out in France, according to the company. “The French origin represents over 50% of the value chain for this device,” emphasizes Elie Chaillot, the head of GE Healthcare International.

Future Plans and Supplier Network Expansion

In the long term, the company plans to expand its local supplier network to replicate the model of its flagship mammography device, Pristina. Launched in 2016 in Buc and exported worldwide, the Pristina boasts over 90% components sourced from Europe.