Innovation After-Work Event: Spotlight on the Innovative Students of Tomorrow

[Article] - Published on September 12, 2025 in the University Innovation Hub (PUI)

The 6th edition of the Innovation Afterwork event took place on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at the Orangerie in Montpellier’s Jardin des Plantes. It was an opportunity to raise awareness among students about all the support programs offered by the University Innovation Hub (PUI) makes available to them. Seven innovation awards were also presented, including the brand-new “Coup de cœur Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole” award, created this year.

“We’ve been conducting intensive research here for a long time… But now it’s finally been structured,”said Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier, in his opening remarks. On Tuesday, July 8, the cream of the regional deep tech scene gathered at the Jardin des Plantes for the traditional Innovation Afterwork event, organized by Montpellier’s University Innovation Hub (PUI).

This year, students were the talk of the town. “The after-work event was designed as a showcase led by our community, but aimed at a young audience. “We want to raise awareness among our students and doctoral candidates about the issue of innovation by making these initiatives more visible,” added Philippe Augé. As the common thread in most of the remarks, they were at the center of everyone’s attention with a single, unified message: bring your ideas to life—the green light is on!

Stepping Stones for Students

From the status of student entrepreneur to the CIFRE thesis, and including calls for projects such as the Montpellier Innovation Booster (BIM) or Companies and Campus, students were able to explore—during this major evening dedicated to innovation—all the “springboards” made available to them by the PUI. Not to mention the “Pre-incubate to Co-incubate” programs, designed to support innovative projects and transform these students into the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

On this occasion, all the organizations involved in startup development in the Montpellier area were in attendance:the Initium incubator, the Montpellier Business & Innovation Center (BIC), AgroVallée Incubation, and TTM Factory, the incubator of the Technology Transfer Acceleration Company (Satt AxLr). In just three years, the PUI has developed and orchestrated an entire ecosystem designed to make their work easier, and this was essentially the central theme of this latest Afterwork event.

“The desire to be an entrepreneur is neither innate nor a given… It is developed, and requires skills that can be cultivated through training,” acknowledged Agnès Fichard-Caroll,UM vice presidentUM charge of education and campus life, during the roundtable discussion. Joining her were Kate Rivière, director of the Initium Incubator, and Pascal Giat, head of the Cifre department at the National Agency for Research and Technology (ANRT), who detailed the resources available through their respective organizations in the presence of two students who had already taken the plunge. “I wasn’t an entrepreneur at heart… And I received intensive support, ” said Yannick Lepecq, a master’s student (M2) incubated at Initium.

Fostering Innovation Through Collaborative Research

Logan Chevret, a doctoral student at ICGM, is working at Saint-Gobain on the development of an innovative chemical recycling process and the synthesis of new recyclable materials. He is a CIFRE fellow, and the project has benefited from the “Companies and Campus” initiative led by the PUI in Montpellier, which has accelerated the commercialization of this innovation.
“It is thanks to initiatives created and supported in Montpellier that my research has been able to accelerate and be commercialized in this way. Without this support, the level of commercialization achieved today would not have been possible.”

Philippe Combette, Vice President in charge of innovation and partnerships, emphasized how essential it is for France to catch up in the industrial sector. “The rise of deep tech underscores the importance of funding research-intensive projects,” he emphasized , before discussing the vital role of the PUI, which is entirely focused on the future. “In France, we have a large pool of scientists, yet only a small fraction of them are engaged in innovation. The challenge is to grow this active base.”

“So that it seems easier here than elsewhere”

Michaël Delafosse, mayor of Montpellier and president of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, also praised the thriving talent pool and ecosystem. “Those who want to innovate may sometimes face complexities… But by working together, we’re lowering the barriers to entry for creation and innovation, ” he argued, referring to the tripartite agreement signed between Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole,UM Satt AxLR. “We want to be transparent, clear, and aligned… So that there is no silo effect, and all mechanisms can be activated. So that here, it seems simpler than elsewhere!” he summarized. “I would like to express my hope that Montpellier, with the academic excellence that is its strength, will be the region with the highest number of entrepreneurs, jobs, innovative projects, and patents. This must be our challenge. And we have all the ingredients to achieve it.”

As the culmination of a new year rich in creativity and discoveries, the event finally provided an opportunity to honor seven researchers for spearheading and developing particularly promising projects in their fields (see details below). It was a chance to shine a spotlight on researchers who are making discoveries—but above all, who are blazing new trails!

Seven Innovation Awards

Keywords: Innovation, PUI