Montpellier's Innovation Booster returns to UM
From February 6 to 8, the University of Montpellier welcomed thirteen project leaders to the first session of the Montpellier Innovation Booster (BIM) for 2024. Doctoral students, doctors, and researchers, all with innovative ideas, gathered for three days of training, at the end of which one or more winners will receive funding.
"You're on the front page of a newspaper in 2030. What success or achievement is highlighted in the article?" " This was one of the questions that the thirteen participants in the Montpellier Innovation Booster had to answer during a workshop offered by the innovation consulting firm recruited for the occasion. It was an interesting exercise that encouraged participants to reflect introspectively and prospectively on their projects and identify the needs of the market in which they operate.
Raphael Girardin, Head of Entrepreneurshipat Institut Agro and current coach on the M6 TV show "Qui veut être mon associé" (Who wants to be my partner?), offered a training course dedicated to mastering the pitch. The goal? To make project leaders more convincing when presenting the innovative aspects of their projects, particularly during the final phase in front of the BIM jury. Another module offered covers the basics of valuation. This will enable project leaders to protect their innovations and develop them for the widest possible audience.
At the end of the three days, 15 coaches from Montpellier's innovation ecosystem (University of Montpellier, SATT AxLR, Ad'OCC, Institut Agro, 3M, BPI France, Montpellier University Hospital, etc.) advised the participants before their final presentation to the jury. The jury was composed of experts from the PUI and Philippe Combette, Vice President for Partnerships and Innovation at the University of Montpellier.
Tools that will help improve the quality of consultations between doctors and patients; new hormone screening methods to maximize the success of in vitro fertilization techniques; and new tests to optimize the care of lung cancer patients are examples of the innovations presented.
After this first session, participants will be able to apply for the "BIM winners" awards, with the chance to win funding and the hope of taking their innovation to the next level.