Innovation: Montpellier Has Ideas… and Patents!
In early March, theINPI, the public agency responsible for registering and issuing industrial property rights, published its traditional list of the top 50 patent filers for 2022*. Good news: the University of Montpellier has made its debut on the list at No. 49, effectively ranking among the top 10 higher education institutions in France in terms of the number of patents filed (21). Interview with Philippe Combette, vice president for innovation and partnerships at the University of Montpellier.
This 2022 ranking marks the University of Montpellier’s entry at 49th place in terms of the number of published patents, including both private companies and government agencies. Can we say that this distinction is an indicator of innovation?
The University of Montpellier has made it into the top 50—a first for us. We’re even among the top 10 French universities. Montpellier is home to a large number of research organizations, with nearly 5,000 researchers… But no major corporate groups are based in the region. What was long considered a drawback—namely, research disconnected from its industrial applications—has actually given us great agility and a thirst for disruptive innovation.
What is the point of filing a patent for ahigher education institution?
Some people believe that there is no need to file for a patent. Why? The day-to-day work of researchers involves practicing open science, making their discoveries available to the community, and generating knowledge. This is not the same philosophy as that of a patent, which serves to protect, negotiate, and secure financial resources.
So a patent isn't an end in itself?
In my view, innovation is an idea that has found a market. This involves the concept of commercializing academic or industrial research to sell a product, software, or technology transfer used in the production of… We’re talking here about concrete, marketable things. It’s one thing to draft patents; it’s quite another for those patents to lead to licensing agreements. Without a licensing agreement, a patent is useless, except for protecting an idea. An idea may look promising on paper but may never be commercially viable. For example, a concept turned into a product may be so complicated to manufacture that, from a financial standpoint, it will never be profitable.
How does the patent application process work?
When a researcher or Professor an idea that they believe is worth patenting, they file an invention disclosure (ID) with the University of Montpellier’s Office of Innovation and Partnerships (DIPA). Our direct point of contact for converting the declaration of invention into a patent is Satt AxLR (a technology acceleration and transfer company), which decides whether or not to proceed with converting the idea into a patent. This process can also be carried out through other technology transfer organizations such as CNRS Innovation, Inserm Transfert, or Inraé Transfert, or any other commercialization entity. In all cases, the goal is to bring a patent to commercial exploitation, either by creating a company, through technology transfer, or both.
How much does a patent bring in on average?
It depends heavily on the field in question. For example, in chemistry: all it takes is a molecule, a formula, or a formulation, and it’s patented. Let’s say this patent is related to the manufacture of a drug, for example, to treat diabetes; the license to use it can bring in a lot of money—sometimes millions of euros. But out of every hundred patents filed, only two or three will actually generate revenue. In the fields of technology or microtechnology, a patent license yields only a few thousand euros. However, there will be a greater number of such licenses. What matters is the patent-license combination. Licenses determine the amount of revenue that will be generated for the university, the research organization, the laboratory, and, of course, the researcher.
In this context, what is the University of Montpellier’s innovation strategy?
This ranking shows that momentum is building, and we need to drive it forward and accelerate it. To that end, the University has implemented numerous initiatives, particularly to train and familiarize all university staff through capacity building. This also involves welcoming companies into our laboratories through the “Companies on Campus” program. This is something that countries like Japan, the U.S., Germany, and Switzerland have been doing for years. Since there are few industrial companies in the Montpellier area, the goal is to attract industrial talent so they can initially set up shop in a laboratory, under extremely attractive financial and intellectual conditions. We’re in a virtuous cycle. This enhances competitiveness while creating job opportunities for our students (see also:“Innovation Cannot Exist Without Trust”).
Since 2021, UM been selected to become a University Innovation Hub (PUI). How does this PUI contribute to this momentum?
What makes Montpellier unique is the presence of many research organizations on campus. Our governance structure—and thus our collective operating model—was already in place through Muse; we simply needed to adapt it to the innovation component. All the initiatives I mentioned earlier are PUI initiatives. The three pillars of the i-site Muse—“heal, nourish, protect”—are now at the heart of Montpellier Métropole’s flagship project: Medvallée. We’ve just received the first Frenchtech grant from BPI France for a project stemming from the PUI: the company Terratis to combat the tiger mosquito—and this is because everyone joined forces to ensure that an idea born in a lab would lead to the creation of a company that already has massive markets. The PUI is there to implement and coordinate, but above all, it’s a collective effort. That’s why I’m not yet satisfied with this ranking, which I believe is incomplete. We need to push forward—there’s tremendous potential in Montpellier. The University Innovation Hub will encourage us to do just that.
The university is an educational institution: Are young people a driving force for innovation?
I’ve noticed that students are increasingly interested in entrepreneurship; they want to find meaning in what they do. But on the academic side, there are still obstacles when it comes to recognizing the value of commercialization and applied research activities. The average age of those who file patents is around 40–45, or even 50. Why? Because they must first establish a career in academia and publish in order to gain recognition for their scientific work. But things are changing; the trends are shifting, and this shows that attitudes are evolving. We’re placing a strong emphasis on young people, particularly through student-entrepreneur projects… In Montpellier, we also have an innovation accelerator (BIM), funded by the PUI, which allows us to support projects by students, as well as researchers and employees… It is by bringing together young people, the academic community, and the socio-economic sector that we will increase our number of patents and the number of startups we launch—all while helping students find meaning in their studies.
INPI: “A Strengthened Position for Public Research”
In November 2021, the University of Montpellier was selected as one of five pilot sites in France designated to develop a university innovation hub (PUI) within its region. This government strategy aims to promote the economic and social benefits of research by fostering the development of innovative ecosystems. The INPI believes that this ranking helps better identify organizations—both private and public—that invest in innovation. It also notes“the strengthened position of public research.” It should be noted, however, that the 2022 edition is heavily influenced by the COVID-19 crisis, as it takes into account patent applications filed between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. During this period, the University of Montpellier filed 21 patents.