A new joint laboratory at the University of Montpellier to rethink energy economic models

[Press release] - Published on April 14, 2025 in Press Room, University-Business Partnerships

The joint research laboratory for innovation, business models, and strategy, known as L-RIMAS, was launched on January 15, 2025, with financial support from the French National Research Agency Research ANR) to rethink economic models around collective self-consumption. Born out of a collaboration between the start-up Sween and the strategic management division of the Montpellier Research in Management (MRM) laboratory, L-RIMAS is certified by the DERBI competitiveness cluster.

A changing market for collective self-consumption: opportunities and challenges

In France, collective self-consumption is growing rapidly, driven by the increasing desire of businesses and individuals to control their energy consumption. It involves a wide range of players (producers, consumers, local authorities, institutions, etc.) and allows several users to share locally produced electricity. Recent regulatory changes, such as the reduction in remuneration for the sale of surplus energy and the disappearance of certain resale tariffs for smaller photovoltaic installations under purchase obligations (EDF-OA) (the "S21" decree) or the expansion of authorized power and scope, are accelerating the democratization of this model, paving the way for more economical and responsible energy use.

What are the viable business models for companies positioning themselves in this market? How can they capitalize on this momentum? The energy market remains largely dominated by incumbent operators. Young companies, such as start-ups, still need to consolidate their business models in order to establish themselves in the long term. Their challenge is therefore to scale up and sustain their innovations by ensuring their adoption by users.

A joint laboratory to develop sustainable strategies for start-ups

It was against this backdrop that the joint research laboratory for innovation, business models, and strategy (L-RIMAS) was created. Thanks to more than €360,000 in funding from the ANR, it brings together the Montpellier Research in Management laboratory (University of Montpellier) and the start-up Sween.

This is a unique four-and-a-half-year interdisciplinary project that combines the humanities and social sciences with technological innovation to rethink economic models related to the energy transition. L-RIMAS aims to understand the specificities of the collective self-consumption market and support start-ups in the sector in building viable and sustainable economic models. To this end, research will explore opportunities for partnerships with local authorities and large companies, as well as the conditions for acceptance of collective self-consumption solutions. By analyzing the barriers and drivers for their adoption, both on the part of end users and all players in the ecosystem, L-RIMAS aims to propose concrete ways to ensure the long-term viability of these innovative solutions.

In the long term, L-RIMAS aims to broaden its impact and support other start-ups with similar characteristics in developing sustainable industrial models.