The University of Montpellier shines at the national Innovation Competition thanks to the support of the Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation de Montpellier

This year, the University of Montpellier, leader of the Pôle Universitaire Innovation, has distinguished itself on the national stage at the Innovation Competitions 2024 with five i-Lab and two i-PhD winners. These promising startups bear witness to the effectiveness of the structured support set up by the member institutions of Montpellier's Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation (PUI) to transform research into ambitious future companies.

Sarah Colombani (winner of the i-Lab competition, researcher at the PhyMedExp laboratory (UM-CNRS-INSERM) in Montpellier) and Bruno Bonnell (General Secretary for Investment, in charge of the France 2030 program)

Accelerating momentum for innovation in Montpellier

Over the past two years, Montpellier has had just one winner of the prestigious i-Lab competition. But in 2024, five Montpellier-based projects won national recognition, reflecting the growing power of local innovation and the influence of the University of Montpellier. Among these winners, Sarah Colombani shines particularly brightly, winning both the i-Lab competition and the i-PhD grand prize in the same year, a rare achievement that illustrates the impact of the schemes set up to support young researchers in Montpellier.

A doctor since July 2023, Sarah Colombani heads up OcciCal Therapeutics, an up-and-coming startup that aims to develop a treatment for a respiratory dysfunction common in hospitals. Already positioned as a future biotech success story, her project has benefited from a structured and comprehensive career path. She joined key programs such as the Start Lab Santé at Montpellier's BIC and the PEPITE Deeptech program, which helped her structure her project from the outset. At the same time, the Montpellier PUI supported her via the Montpellier Innovation Booster (BIM) and the Biology-Health Innovation Prize, which she won in July 2024. Last but not least, her project is co-supported by the INITIUM incubator and the BIC de Montpellier, two essential pillars providing personalized guidance at every stage of her company's creation.

An exemplary support ecosystem

Montpellier's Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation (PUI) plays a central role in this collective success. By federating key players such as the INITIUM incubator, the Montpellier BIC and Inserm Transfert, and by supporting initiatives such as the BIM and the PEPITE Deeptech program, the PUI has strengthened support for local researchers and entrepreneurs. This synergy has been decisive for projects such as OcciCal Therapeutics, which perfectly illustrates the impact of this collaboration.

"This success testifies to the major role played by the Montpellier PUI, which brings together the skills of our local and national partners. It enables researchers and young entrepreneurs to transform their projects into innovative, competitive businesses, in response to the three major challenges of 'Feed, Care and Protect'", emphasizes Philippe Augé, President of the UM.

Successes that add up

Among the other winners of this 2024 edition, Robin ALAUZE, a graduate of the University of Montpellier, stood out during the ceremony by presenting LineUp Océan, which aims to develop solutions for the preservation of the oceans. This project was supported from the outset by PUI's "Companies and Campus" program, in conjunction with the Geosciences laboratory (UM/CNRS). Currently in the market launch phase, LineUp Ocean also benefits from the support of SATT AxLR, further proof of the effectiveness of the Montpellier ecosystem in supporting innovative projects.

In addition, Gwenaelle Donadieu, a young law researcher, won the i-PhD competition for her NumDiag project, a transparency tool designed to boost consumer confidence in digital services. Thanks to the support of INITIUM and CNRS Innovation, this project demonstrates the diversity of innovations emerging from the Montpellier ecosystem.

Montpellier, a key player in French innovation

The impressive results of the 2024 innovation competitions confirm Montpellier's growing appeal as a major research and innovation hub in France. Montpellier's PUI, through its initiatives and its coordination of the region's innovation ecosystem, plays a key role in promoting deeptech and supporting researchers in the creation of high-tech companies.

Certified University Innovation Cluster by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research in 2023, the University of Montpellier federates a consortium of 21 partners from research, academia and the socio-economic world of Montpellier. Their common objective is to encourage partnership research, develop technology transfer and stimulate the creation of companies around the same triptych: "Nourish-Care-Protect". The UM ranks among France's top universities as the second-ranked French university in the Reuters ranking of the most innovative universities.