Research and innovation: a joint dynamic between the University of Montpellier and the CHU of Nîmes

[Press release] - Published on September 8, 2025 in Press room, Valuation

On Tuesday, September 2, the Nîmes hospital and university community gathered for an afterwork session attended by Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, Frédéric Rimattei, CEO of the CHU de Nîmes, and Michel Prudhomme, President of the CHU de Nîmes Medical Commission, in the presence of Véronique Dominguez-Guillaumel, Rectrice déléguée pour l'Enseignement supérieur, la Research et l'Innovation de la Région académique Occitanie, to discuss the joint dynamic between the two establishments.

For many years, the CHU de Nîmes and the University of Montpellier have shared a common ambition: to combine academic excellence, top-level research and medical innovation. This partnership is illustrated by the I-SITE and the Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation (PUI ) de Montpellier, of which the CHU de Nîmes is a founding member.

The event highlighted this joint dynamic by presenting the innovation strategy of the CHU de Nîmes and the University of Montpellier through 3 emblematic projects of the Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation, supported by the CHU. Following the presentations, a new joint call for translational research projects was officially launched, with the aim of further strengthening the innovation dynamic in the service of patients, caregivers and society.

Nîmes University Hospital's innovation strategy

CHU de Nîmes' innovation strategy aims to encourage the emergence, support and dissemination of new ideas - whether technological, medical or organizational - to improve care, optimize resources and enhance the attractiveness of the establishment. This approach is based on a dual dynamic: internal initiatives led by our teams, and external collaborations with academic, industrial and start-up partners. A structured process, including a one-stop shop and support for project leaders, enables these ideas to be transformed into solutions tailored to the needs of patients, CHU professionals and partners.

The research strategy is built around five strategic areas (Infections and immune alterations, Neurosciences, Health data, Critical care, Oncology) and is supported by innovative research platforms to develop tomorrow's personalized medicine. With an annual investment of over 3.5 million euros and teams fully involved in the research units supported by the University of Montpellier and national research organizations such as INSERM, the CHU is actively integrated into the regional, national and European ecosystem. For example, the CHU de Nîmes is a partner in the European project APOLLO 2028, coordinated by the University of Montpellier, which aims to propose innovative solutions to improve mental health and resilience at work. As part of the Nîmes CHU's Projet d'Etablissement, and fully in line with the scientific roadmap for the Montpellier-Nîmes site, the CHU's Programme d'Accompagnement de la Research et de l'Innovation, PARI 2030, is a lever for hospital-university influence and regional socio-economic development.

The University of Montpellier PUI in a nutshell

The Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation (PUI) de Montpellier is a consortium of 14 founding members, coordinated by the University of Montpellier, which aims to strengthen collaborative research partnerships with the socio-economic world, encourage technology transfer and support the creation of start-ups in the region. As part of the University of Montpellier's "Nourish, Care, Protect" strategy, it draws on a dynamic scientific community comprising 5,000 scientific executives, over 100 research units and 5 research clusters: Agriculture-Environment-Biodiversity, Biology-Health, Chemistry, Mathematics-Computer Science-Physics-Systems and Social Sciences. The Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation also brings together 5,000 scientists, 120 specialists in technology transfer and partnerships, and represents an average of 350 partnership contracts per year.

Projects serving patients and caregivers

Three projects supported by Montpellier's Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation (PUI) were presented. They demonstrate the ability of hospital and university teams to transform clinical needs into concrete solutions, thanks to the support of PUI initiatives such as Booster Innovation Montpellier (BIM) and Companies and Campus:

• PEASY: an innovative medical device for the management of male urinary incontinence, developed by Pr Xavier Garric (University of Montpellier - IBMM, CHU de Nîmes). Winner of the BIM, it benefits from funding of nearly €44,000 and illustrates the synergy between clinical expertise and university research.
• 3D4 PEDIA: a pharmaceutical 3D printing project for pediatrics, led by Dr Ian Soulairol (University of Montpellier - ICGM, CHU de Nîmes), in collaboration with MB Therapeutics. Winner of the Companies and Campus program, it has been awarded €50,000 to develop personalized medicines for children.
• DM CONNECT: an innovative digital platform led by Dr Laure Roux (Nîmes University Hospital), designed to improve the coordination of care paths. Also a BIM winner, this project has received €26,000 in funding, and mobilizes skills in digital health and hospital engineering.

These initiatives embody the shared ambition of the University of Montpellier and the CHU de Nîmes to innovate together, in the service of patients, caregivers and research.

"Nîmes University Hospital and the University of Montpellier are joining forces to make innovation and research a lever for regional development and improved healthcare. Our investments and scientific orientations reflect our commitment to cutting-edge medicine, in the service of both patients and caregivers. Our ambition is to position the CHU as a key player in healthcare innovation, thanks to its ability to bring together healthcare professionals, patients and users, start-ups and manufacturers", says Frédéric Rimattei, CEO of the CHU de Nîmes.

A new call for projects: strengthening translational research

In addition to these successes, the afterwork also marked the launch of a joint call for "Translational Research " projects, supported by the University of Montpellier and the CHU de Nîmes. This €100K (50% UM, 50% CHU de Nîmes) call for projects aims to encourage new cooperative ventures between researchers, clinicians and industry, by supporting initiatives capable of accelerating the transition from fundamental research to concrete clinical applications, in line with the strategic priorities of both establishments.

"The common dynamic between research and innovation expresses what makes us strong. Together, we want to build a European-class cluster of excellence in healthcare," emphasizes Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier.

This call for projects is in line with the national strategy for innovation in healthcare, and consolidates the Montpellier-Nîmes axis as a flagship region for hospital-university and biomedical innovation.