[Takeoff #3] Towards the science competition

[Article, Video] - Published on June 22, 2022 in Major Programs, Valorization

Xavier Garric is a researcher at the Max Mousseron Biomolecules Institute and co-founder of the start-up Womed, which is developing an intrauterine medical device to combat infertility. To devote more time to his business, he is benefiting from a scientific grant. He talks about this in the video series "Décollage" (Takeoff) produced by the University of Montpellier's Department of Innovation and Partnerships (DIPA).

Founded in 2018 in Montpellier and winner of the I-Lab Grand Prize, the start-up Womed has developed a highly innovative medical device: a polymer film that repairs the uterine wall and helps combat the risks of mechanical infertility in women. The result of a collaboration between the Artificial Biopolymers Department (IBMM) and the Gynecology-Obstetrics Department at Nîmes University Hospital, this project followed the Satt AxLR maturation program through to the industrial development of its prototype.

Xavier Garric was able to count on the support of the DIPA in negotiating and setting up all the contracts, as well as for its scientific expertise.Thisarrangement"allows me to devote part of my academic time to providing scientific advice within the framework of this company," explains the researcher, who takes advantage of this video to offer two pieces of advice: " Don't be afraid of the unknown, because when you embark on a project to start a company, there are lots of things you don't understand, so you just have to go for it." Secondly, "communicate and explain your research project to all DIPA employees, so that you can show them the purpose of the project and make them feel involved, because it's a race against time!"

Keywords: Takeoff, Innovation, Research