Montpellier Innovation Booster: Spotlight on Promising Projects
More than a dozen innovators from MUSE’s research units gathered on October 13 and 14 for thefirst edition of the Montpellier Innovation Booster (B.I.M). This initiative was launched as part of the PRIME@MUSE program, supported by the Occitanie Region, to promote innovative research in the region.
Open to all doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, engineers, technicians, researchers, faculty members, or hospital staff within the MUSE network who are working on an innovative concept, the Montpellier Innovation Booster has enabled participants to benefit from advice and insights on collaboration, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship from professionals within the innovation ecosystem through targeted workshops, thematic conferences, and interactive discussions.
Under the guidance of coaches, the project leaders were able to refine their specific needs, work on improving their oral communication skills, and develop certain targeted skills. The first day also provided an opportunity for participants to interact with students from the Master’s in Entrepreneurial Support program at Montpellier Management (MOMA) to further explore the entrepreneurial aspects of their projects.
This inaugural edition concluded with a presentation of each project to a jury composed of representatives from the region’s innovation ecosystem and representatives from MUSE’s member institutions and organizations. The jury selected three “Favorite” projects:
- The MITOMATIQUE project led by Loic Lionnard (ISEM, under the supervision of Dr. Abdel Aouacheria). This project was named a 2020 winner of the CNRS Innovation pre-maturation program.
- The 3D printing project for bioactive materials, which combines expertise in biology and chemistry, led by Habib Belaid (IEM).
- The QUINUA-DIV project, led by Didier Bazile (UMR Green, a member of the Tiers-Lieu L’atelier de Claret). This project is supported by the AgroValoMED incubator.
All projects submitted will receive support from I-SITE MUSE and its ecosystem partners to address their specific needs (research collaboration, technology transfer, business creation, and funding).