Sanofi moves into big Cambridge HQ, where 2,500 will work

Nearly four years after locking up some serious real estate in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Sanofi has cut the ribbon at its massive new campus.

The facility at Cambridge Crossing—which now ranks among Sanofi’s biggest U.S. sites—opened Tuesday. At the sprawling office site, Sanofi aims to boost collaboration between its research and development, medical and specialty care business units, among others, the company said in a release.

Sanofi has called Cambridge home for many years, Bill Sibold, Sanofi’s head of global specialty care, said in a statement. The christening of its new site will help “bring together our employees across Massachusetts under one roof,” teeing up further cooperation, he said.

The company envisions its 2,500 Massachusetts-based employees coming together at a single integrated campus, which will support the French-based Big Pharma’s “Play to Win” strategy focused on growth, innovation and bolstered efficiencies.

Sanofi’s Cambridge Crossing HQ consists of two buildings totaling 900,000 square feet.

Sanofi has put environmental sustainability at the forefront of the new facility, too. The campus includes automated light dimming, Co2 sensors, plus advanced heating and cooling systems, among others, designed to “use energy and resources efficiently and provide a healthy workspace for employees.”

Sanofi first revealed plans for the Cambridge Crossing site back in December 2018, when it signed a lease for the massive facility near Genzyme's then-headquarters in Kendall Square. Since then, Sanofi has done away with its Genzyme and Pasteur branding for its speciality care and vaccines units, respectively.

Sanofi's Cambridge plan hasn't been swayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the pandemic began, Big Pharma companies such as Pfizer, GSK and Novartis have carefully considered how to situate their employees amid a shift to remote work and then a return to offices.