The University of Montpellier Shines at the National Innovation Competition Thanks to Support from the Montpellier University Innovation Hub
This year, the University of Montpellier, the lead institution of the University Innovation Cluster, has distinguished itself on the national stage at the 2024 Innovation Competition with five i-Lab winners and two i-PhD winners. These promising startups demonstrate the effectiveness of the structured support provided by the member institutions of the Montpellier University Innovation Cluster (PUI) to transform research into ambitious future companies.
Montpellier’s innovation momentum is gaining steam
Over the past two years, Montpellier had produced only one winner in the prestigious i-Lab competition. But in 2024, five projects from Montpellier stood out on the national stage, reflecting the rise of local innovation and the growing influence of the University of Montpellier. Among these winners, Sarah Colombani stands out in particular, having won both the i-Lab competition and the i-PhD Grand Prize in the same year—a rare achievement that illustrates the impact of the programs put in place to support young researchers in Montpellier.
Sarah Colombani, who earned her medical degree in July 2023, leads OcciCal Therapeutics, a promising startup aiming to develop a treatment for a common respiratory disorder in hospital settings. Already positioning itself as a future success story in the biotechnology sector, her project has benefited from a structured and comprehensive development path. She has participated in key programs such as the Start Lab Santé at the Montpellier BIC and the PEPITE Deeptech program, which helped her structure her project from the very beginning. At the same time, the University of Montpellier supported her through the Montpellier Innovation Booster (BIM) and the Biology-Health Innovation Award, which she won in July 2024. Finally, her project is co-supported by the INITIUM incubator and the Montpellier BIC, two essential pillars that provide personalized support at every stage of her company’s creation.
An exemplary ecosystem of guidance and support
The Montpellier University Innovation Hub (PUI) plays a central role in this collective success. By bringing together 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 its support for local researchers and entrepreneurs. This synergy has been crucial for projects like OcciCal Therapeutics, which perfectly illustrates the impact of this collaboration.
“This success underscores the key role played by the Montpellier University Research Institute (PUI), which brings together the expertise of our local and national partners. It thus enables researchers and young entrepreneurs to turn their projects into innovative and competitive businesses that address the three major challenges of ‘Feeding, Healing, and Protecting,’” said Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.
Successes that add up
Among the other winners of the 2024 edition, Robin ALAUZE, a graduate of the University of Montpellier, stood out during the ceremony by presenting LineUp Ocean, a project aimed at developing solutions for ocean conservation. This project has been supported from the outset by the PUI’s “Companies and Campus” program, in collaboration 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 Montpellier ecosystem’s effectiveness in supporting innovative projects.
In addition, Gwenaelle Donadieu, a young legal researcher, won the i-PhD competition for her NumDiag project, a transparency tool designed to build consumer trust in digital services. Thanks to the backing of INITIUM and the support of CNRS Innovation, this project exemplifies the diversity of innovations emerging from the Montpellier ecosystem.
Montpellier, a key player in innovation in France
The impressive results of the 2024 innovation competitions confirm Montpellier’s growing appeal as a major hub for research and innovation in France. Through its initiatives and its coordination of the local innovation ecosystem, the Montpellier University-Industry Partnership (PUI) plays a key role in promoting deep tech and supporting researchers in launching high-tech startups.
Certified University Innovation Cluster by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research in 2023, the University of Montpellier brings together a consortium of 21 partners from the research, academic, and socio-economic sectors in Montpellier. Their shared goal is to encourage collaborative research, develop technology transfer, and stimulate business creation around a common three-pronged approach: “Feed-Care-Protect.” UM stands out among the top French universities as the second-ranked French university in Reuters’ ranking of the most innovative universities.