The University of Montpellier inaugurates the 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 three renovated buildings (A, B, and I) on the Faculty of Pharmacy campus. This landmark project was carried out as part of Montpellier's Operation Campus initiative. With a total budget of €30.8 million, this structuring project marks a major step in the transformation of the Pharmacy campus, combining 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, Rector of the Occitanie academic region, Rector of the Montpellier academy, Chancellor of 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 at Tourret Architectes.

"It is with great pride that we inaugurate today the renovated buildings of the Faculty of Pharmacy campus. This renovation is not just a modernization of infrastructure: it embodies our desire to build a university that is equal to the challenges of today and tomorrow. By combining 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 Montpellier's Operation Campus. It shows how essential it is to invest in our teaching and research facilities in order to offer the entire university community working conditions that are modern, functional, and environmentally friendly," said Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.

The inauguration of buildings A, B, and I of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Montpellier illustrates the state's strong and lasting commitment to higher education, research, and innovation in Occitanie. This €30.8 million project, €22.5 million of which was financed by Montpellier's Operation Campus and €8.3 million by the Recovery Plan, demonstrates our desire to provide universities with the resources they need to achieve their ambitions. It is not only a question of modernizing infrastructure, but also of meeting the requirements of the energy transition and creating environments conducive to the entire academic community. The State affirms its conviction: there is no future without strong universities, without free and ambitious research, without open, modern, and sustainable places of learning. Montpellier, with its recognized academic excellence, plays a key role in France's scientific, medical, and pharmaceutical influence. This project is part of the path we are collectively charting to make Occitanie a benchmark region for higher education, innovation, and sustainable development. Through this inauguration, we are promoting a shared vision: that of a more attractive, more responsible public higher education service that is more focused on the challenges of tomorrow," saidPierre-André Durand, Prefect of the Occitanie Region and Prefect of Haute-Garonne.

"By modernizing our study, research, and university life facilities, we are affirming the importance of providing our students and staff with high-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," said Carole Drucker-Godard, Rector of the Occitanie academic region, Rector of the Montpellier academy, and Chancellor of the universities.

Strategic renovation for a campus undergoing transformation

The project is part of a comprehensive renovation program for the Faculty of Pharmacy campus, which the University of Montpellier has been undertaking for several years. It has two objectives: firstly, to meet current energy performance and compliance requirements, and secondly, to adapt the infrastructure to the changing needs of teaching, research, and student services.

Buildings A, B, and I are at the heart of this new phase. Building A houses the administration of the Pharmacy Department, while Building B houses the site's four large lecture halls. Building I is dedicated to practical and theoretical teaching as well as university research. It is home to several recognized research structures, including:

• The IMGT unit – International ImMunoGeneTics information system of the IGF Institute of Functional Genomics
• The "Botany, Phytochemistry, and Mycology" team at CEFE Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology,
• Members of the "Biostatistics, Informatics, and Pharmaceutical Physics" team at the IGF Institute of Functional Genomics,
• Members of the "Health Law and Economics" team at the Dynamiques du droit laboratory.

This project is receiving significant financial support. The French government is contributing through the Montpellier Campus Project, with a total budget of €22.5 million. This budget is financing work on Building I (€10 million of which has already been completed), Building E (currently underway), and the central gallery (planned for the near future). The Recovery Plan supplements this funding with €8.3 million 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 connecting it to the Métropole's Réseau de Chaleur Nord Alco (RCNA) heating network. Finally, the University of Montpellier is also contributing €200,000 to the installation of modular buildings to ensure the continuity of teaching during the works.

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

The renovation of these buildings has enabled several key objectives to be achieved:

• Significantly improved energy performance, thanks to the insulation of facades, the replacement of joinery, the optimization of ventilation, and the installation of more efficient heating systems.
• Technical and regulatory compliance, including accessibility for people with reduced mobility and securing facilities.
• Preparation for the energy transition, with the renovation of the site's boiler room and its adaptation for future connection to the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole district heating network (RCNA).
• A restructuring of educational and scientific spaces, promoting optimal study and research conditions,
• The essential continuation of pharmacy training activities thanks to the temporary installation of modular buildings for the duration of the construction work.

This inauguration marks the success of an ambitious collective project, carried out with rigor, in the service of academic excellence and sustainable development. It is also part of the ongoing comprehensive redevelopment of the Pharmacy campus, which will continue in the coming years with the renovation of Building D and the central gallery, scheduled to begin in 2027.