University Innovation Hub (PUI)

The University of Montpellier awarded the University Innovation Hub label

After an initial trial phase conducted since 2021, the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau, announced in July 2023 that the University of Montpellier had been designated a University Innovation Hub (PUI), receiving a total grant of €9 million over the two phases.

The University Innovation Cluster certifies Montpellier University as an organization capable of making knowledge and technology transfer more accessible and facilitating public-private relations and partnerships.

The strategies of higher education and research institutions in Montpellier and its surrounding area are focused on the emergence of a University Innovation Hub, led by the University of Montpellier. TheI-SITE's three-pronged approach of "Feeding, Caring, and Protecting" remains the backbone of the PUI's strategic vision.

The objectives of the University Innovation Cluster (PUI)

The Montpellier UPI has considerable potential to help reduce economic disparities in the region by stimulating the creation of start-ups, promoting innovation in SMEs, and improving its attractiveness to outside companies.

With one-third of Occitanie's Professors public researchers (5,000 out of 15,000), as well as 28% of students (70,000 out of 250,000), Montpellier benefits from committed and effective structures in innovation such as SATT AxLR, a metropolitan incubator (BIC Montpellier), an effective regional economic development agency (Agence AD'OCC), and a group of socio-economic actors (clusters, competitiveness clusters, etc.).

The actions of our PUI aim to encourage partnership-based research, develop technology transfer, and stimulate business creation.

The University Innovation Hub (PUI) initiatives

Some examples of tools implemented by the PUI to encourage public-private partnerships, develop technology transfer, and promote business creation:

• Booster Innovation Montpellier (BIM): support dedicated to innovators in the early stages of project development, providing training on different avenues for commercialization and potential financing.
• Innovation Award: Award for staff from all partners in the I-SITE Program of Excellence, recognizing their commitment to developing innovations in one of the five research areas.
• Innovation Afterwork: an annual event bringing together researchers, businesses, partners, and local authorities to discuss innovation, promotion, partnerships, and entrepreneurship, during which the Innovation Awards are presented to the winners. 
• Companies and Campus: call for projects aimed at supporting the establishment of new public-private research partnerships by financing part of the expenses dedicated to innovation and encouraging the mobility of partner staff within the company or laboratory.
• In Lab Engineering: call for projects aimed at supporting the establishment of new partnerships and facilitating access for SMEs to the expertise of PUI structures by providing funding to successful research structures or platforms wishing to develop innovation units open to businesses.
• “Setting up a labcom”workshop: workshops to raise awareness about the creation of “joint laboratories” between companies and research organization laboratories, aimed at PUI staff and researchers.
• Developmentof Initium, the University of Montpellier incubator, aimed at innovative project leaders seeking support in setting up a business.
• Creation and development of PEPITE Deeptech, aimed at raising awareness and supporting deeptech project leaders in promoting their innovations.
• Capacity Building: training program on innovation for all I-SITE partners.
• Deploy digital tools, particularly with OCAPI, to manage agreements, calls for projects, and intellectual property. The tool will subsequently integrate a software detection platform and an invention disclosure module.

PUI partners