The University of Montpellier inaugurates renovated buildings on the Faculty of Pharmacy campus

[Press release] - Published on July 11, 2025 in Press room, Faculties, schools and institutes

On Friday July 11, the University of Montpellier inaugurated 3 renovated buildings (A, B and I) on the Faculty of Pharmacy campus. This emblematic project is part of the Opération Campus de Montpellier program. Worth a total of 30.8 million euros, this structuring project marks a major step in the transformation of the Pharmacy campus, reconciling energy transition, modernization of spaces and academic ambition.

The inauguration took place in the presence of Pierre-André Durand, Prefect of the Occitanie region, Prefect of Haute-Garonne, Carole Drucker-Godard, Rectrice of the Occitanie academic region, Rectrice of the Montpellier academy, Chancellor of the Universities, Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, Vincent Lisowski, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montpellier and Jérémy Tourret, Architect with Tourret Architectes.

" It is with great pride that we inaugurate today the renovated buildings of the Faculty of Pharmacy campus. This refurbishment is more than just an infrastructure upgrade: it embodies our determination to build a university that is equal to the challenges of today and tomorrow. By reconciling academic excellence, energy efficiency and quality of life on campus, we are affirming a strong ambition: that of a sustainable, innovative and inclusive university. This project is emblematic of our commitment to Opération Campus de Montpellier. It shows just how essential it is to invest in our teaching and research facilities in order to offer the entire university community modern, functional and environmentally-friendly working conditions ", Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.

"The inauguration of Buildings A, B and I at the University of UM's Faculty of Pharmacy illustrates the State's strong and lasting commitment to higher education, research and innovation in Occitanie. This 30.8 million euro project, including 22.5 million financed by Opération Campus de Montpellier and 8.3 million by the French government's economic stimulus plan, demonstrates our determination to provide universities with the resources to match their ambitions. The aim is not only to modernize infrastructure, but also to meet the demands of the energy transition and create a favorable environment for the entire university community. The French government is convinced that there can be no future without strong universities, free and ambitious research, and open, modern and sustainable places of learning. Montpellier, with its recognized academic excellence, plays a full part in France's scientific, medical and pharmaceutical influence. This project is part of the trajectory we are collectively charting to make Occitanie a benchmark region for higher education, innovation and sustainable development. Through this inauguration, it is a vision that we share: that of a public higher education service that is more attractive, more responsible and more focused on the challenges of tomorrow ", Pierre-André Durand, Prefect of the Occitanie Region, Prefect of Haute-Garonne.

"By modernizing our study, research and university facilities, we are affirming the importance of providing our students and staff with quality environments that are adapted to today's educational and scientific requirements. This project embodies a shared ambition: to make our campuses open, sustainable spaces that live up to the commitments of the university community. It also reflects our confidence in the future and in the university's ability to uphold the values of knowledge, innovation and commitment", Carole Drucker-Godard, Rectrice de la région académique Occitanie, Rectrice de l'académie de Montpellier, Chancelière des universités.

Strategic refurbishment for a campus in transformation

The project is part of an overall program to renovate the Faculty of Pharmacy campus, which the University of Montpellier has been pursuing for several years. The aim is twofold: firstly, to meet current requirements in terms of energy efficiency and compliance with standards, and secondly, to adapt the infrastructure to the changing needs of training, research and student services.

Buildings A, B and I are at the heart of this new phase. Building A houses the administration of the UFR de Pharmacie, while Building B houses the site's four large lecture theaters. Building I is dedicated to practical and theoretical teaching, as well as university research. It houses several renowned research facilities:

• The IMGT - International ImMunoGeneTics information system unit of the IGF Institute for Functional Genomics
• The "Botany, Phytochemistry and Mycology" team of the CEFE Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology,
• Members of the "Biostatistics, Informatics and Pharmaceutical Physics" team at the IGF Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle,
• Members of the "Droit et économie de la santé" team of the Dynamiques du droit laboratory.

The project is receiving substantial financial support. The French government is contributing a total budget of 22.5 million euros through the "Opération Campus de Montpellier" program. This budget covers work on Building I (of which 10 million has already been completed), Building E (currently underway) and the central gallery (planned for the near future). The stimulus package completes the financing by providing 8.3 million euros for the energy renovation of buildings A, B and I, the refurbishment of the heating networks and the modernization of the boiler room, with a view to its connection to the Réseau de Chaleur Nord Alco (RCNA) of the Metropole. Finally, the University of Montpellier is also contributing 200,000 euros towards the installation of modular buildings to ensure the continuity of teaching during the works.

Concrete results for a more modern, greener and more functional campus

The refurbishment of these buildings has achieved several key objectives:

• Significantly improved energy performance, thanks to façade insulation, replacement of woodwork, optimization of ventilation and installation of more efficient heating systems,
• Technical and regulatory compliance, including accessibility for people with reduced mobility and safety measures,
• Preparing for the energy transition, by renovating the site's boiler room and adapting it for future connection to Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole's RCNA district heating network,
• Restructuring of teaching and scientific areas, to provide optimum conditions for study and research,
• The essential maintenance of the pharmacy training activity thanks to the temporary installation of modular buildings for the duration of the works.

This inauguration marks the success of an ambitious collective project, rigorously managed in the service of academic excellence and sustainable development. It also marks the continuation of the overall redevelopment of the Pharmacy campus, which will continue over the next few years with the renovation of Building D and the central gallery, scheduled to start in 2027.