ESNbyUM: moving forward with the second phase of the project
The Digital Health School of the University of Montpellier (ESNbyUM) and its partners have reached a new milestone with a favorable opinion from the ANR for the mid-term evaluation, which confirms the payment of the second installment of its funding under France 2030. This decision allows the second phase of the project's deployment to begin in earnest, officially launched on January 1, 2023, after being selected as the winner of the "Skills and Jobs of the Future" call for expressions of interest.
Created in 2023, ESNbyUM is headed by Professor Maurice Hayot, the driving force behind this project, which is part of the national "Digital Health" acceleration strategy and is the first structured project of this scale in France covering all skills related to digital health. The school, supported by the University of Montpellier's structural programs department, is based on a regional consortium bringing together 12 university departments, 3 healthcare institutions, 4 training institutes, 3 companies, 2 engineering schools, as well as local authorities and institutional players.
A second deadline approved by France 2030
The school has received approval for the second installment of funding, corresponding to 50% of the initial budget allocated, out of a total budget of €4,043,200. This is not new funding, but the second tranche provided for under the France 2030 program, contracted with the ANR on October 31, 2022, for a period of five years, until December 2027.
This validation, obtained following a mid-term report on the project and a hearing with consortium members, comes at a time when the project is already well underway and reinforces the momentum that has been building since its launch. It also marks an important step towards ensuring the long-term viability of the scheme beyond the period covered by France 2030.
Essential pillar of current and future training programs
The second phase of the project focuses in particular on the ESNbyUM Digital Campus, launched in October 2025. Designed as an essential pillar of current and future training, it offers an immersive 3D portal inspired by iconic locations in Montpellier, structured around five areas dedicated to guidance, school and digital health news, training and resources (LMS Moodle), as well as an alumni area promoting interaction between graduates.
This phase also includes finalizing and rolling out training courses for healthcare and medico-social professionals, which are already underway in 36 training centers in eastern Occitanie. It supports the development of training courses for digital specialists, lawyers, senior executives, and regulatory affairs specialists in digital medical devices, as well as the strengthening of courses in artificial intelligence applied to healthcare and thematic micro-certifications.
The program is part of a precision teaching approach known as "6P"—Personalized, Preventive, Predictive, Participatory, Evidence-based, and Practice-centered—which is one of the distinctive features of ESNbyUM.
A national ambition to meet the challenges of transformation
Digital health is profoundly transforming professional practices, healthcare organizations, and patient care pathways. ESNbyUM is responding to this challenge with a structured offering of 26 training programs, covering initial, continuing, and work-study training, from bachelor's to specialized master's degrees.
The initial results show systematic progress among learners and a satisfaction rate of around 80% for the e-learning program, which can thus draw on this feedback in a process of continuous improvement. The school is also part of a national initiative, with a national inter-university diploma (DIU) in telemedicine, telecare, and digital health, and participates in numerous events and experience-sharing initiatives related to France 2030.
With the release of the second tranche of its funding, ESNbyUM is consolidating its deployment and pursuing its ambition: to establish digital health as a cross-disciplinary scientific field for the purposes of training, research, innovation, and healthcare organization.