Innovation Award

Since 2019, the University of Montpellier has been bringing together the leading players in local innovation for an event during which it recognizes the best innovative initiatives from UM staff and those of partner institutions in the I-Site Excellence Program (PEI): “The Innovation Award.” An initiative led by the University Innovation Hub.

This initiative, which aligns with the objectives of the University Innovation Hub led by the University of Montpellier, aims to foster new innovation projects within laboratories and maximize their impact.

The winners are all from one of the following five research clusters: Agriculture, Environment, Biodiversity (AEB); Biology, Health (BS); Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Systems(MIPS); and Chemistry, Social Sciences (SOC).

Would you like to learn more about the terms and conditions? Check out the related news.

The winners of the "Innovation Award"

2024–2025 Edition

• AEB Award Winner,William ARDITI(SATT AxLR), for theScanorhize Project: a revolutionary underground sensor that allows researchers to visualize root dynamics in the soil without excavation.
• BS Award Winner:Eric KREMER (IGMM:CNRS/ UM) for theCAVisca Project: an innovative genetic approach to treating Dravet syndrome, a condition that causes a severe form of childhood epilepsy.
• Chemistry Award Winner: Gilles SUBRA( IBMM/ICGM/BioWooEb/CTC Group), in collaboration with theSicle.e Industrial Chair, for developing a method of tanning leather using silicic acid, enabling an innovative way to recycle leather waste.
• MIPS Award Winner: Kevin YAUY (Montpellier University Hospital) for theDocSimulator Project: a platform that uses generative AI to train healthcare students using simulated virtual patients, promoting the development of medical and interpersonal skills.
• Winner in the Social Sciences category: Sandrine GRENIER (LiCeM: UM) for theproject “Learning Differently: Law and Film”: a solution that offers a fun, story-driven exploration of the law through short and medium-length films, providing a new educational approach to justice.
• Winner of the Special Mention Award, Magali TAULAN-CADARS (PhyMedExp:CNRS/INSERM/UM) for the development of a treatment for cystic fibrosis using an innovative inhaled dual-therapy combining DNA and peptides.
• Winner of the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole“Coup de Cœur” Award , Aurélie PERRIN (SATT AxLR): a solution for encapsulating biological agents in natural polymers, designed to replace pesticides in agriculture through a biological strategy using targeted predatory worms.

2023–2024 Edition

• AEB Award Winner, Frédérique ABERLENC(DIADE: CNRS/ INSERM / UM) with theSEXPALM Project: A device for early sex determination in palm trees.
• BS Award Winner:Sarah COLOMBANI ( PhyMedExp:CNRS/INSERM/ UM) for theOcciCal Therapeutics Project: A preventive treatment capable of halting recurrent diaphragmatic dysfunction in patients on mechanical ventilation in intensive care.
• Chemistry Prize Winner, Damien VOIRY(IEM :CNRS/ENSCM/ UM)withtheC2ET Project: Utilization and conversion of CO2 into ethylene.
• MIPS Award Winner, Bijan Mohammadi (IMAG:CNRS/ UM) with theDeeplomath to Bondzai Project: Applying AI to predictive maintenance and anomaly detection solutions for industrial production lines.
• Winner in the Humanities and Social Sciences category, Isabelle BOURDON ( MRM : UM)withtheCONSENTCHAIN Project: A solution designed to strengthen and streamline the traceability of patient consent in clinical trials.
• Winner of the Special Mention (Social Sciences), Philippe RONDARD ( IGF: CNRS / INSERM / UM): Treatment of brain diseases using immunotherapy.

2022–2023 Edition

• AEB (Agronomy, Environment, Health) Award Winner: Bastien MERIGOT (MARBEC: CNRS / IRD / IFREMER / UM/ INRAE) for the DOLPHINFREE Project: a bio-inspired acoustic beacon designed to reduce accidental dolphin bycatch in fisheries.
• BS (Biology, Health) Award Winners: Alexandre DAVID – Christophe HIRTZ – Eric RIVALS (IGF: CNRS / INSERM / UM) – IRMB: INSERM / UM – LIRMM: CNRS / UM / INRIA / UPVD / UPVM) with the EpiTransDiag Project: Early cancer diagnosis, patient stratification, and post-treatment monitoring using an epitranscriptomic and machine learning approach.
• Chemistry Award Winner: Jullien DRONE(ICGM: CNRS / ENSCM/ UM)forthe CaboZym Project: ultra-porous bio-based carrier materials for efficient biocatalysis.
• MIPS (Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Systems)Award Winner: Jimmy TEIXERA ( LMGC: CNRS / UM) for the THOR EYES Project: Design of a 360° stereo-correlation video system easily adaptable for measuring deformation movements on the surfaces of living organisms.
• Winner in the Humanities and Social Sciences category: Guillaume DUMAS with the JEUdeCOMPTA project—the game that’s a godsend for learning accounting.
• Winner of the Special Mention (Social Sciences): Dorian GRÉGOIRE for the INSEPARABLE Project: optimizing and organizing interactions between a patient’s loved ones and intensive care staff using specialized software.

2021–2022 Edition

• AEB (Agronomy, Environment, Health) Award Winner: Magali GIES (Postdoctoral Researcher at CIRAD / UMR QUALISUD) for the PROMET project: A functional food made from fermented, probiotic, plant-based grains with cholesterol-lowering potential due to the inclusion of phytosterols.
• BS (Biology, Health) Award Winner, Alain THIERRY (Researcher atINSERM / UMR IRCM) for his work on circulating DNA, which has revealed significant potential for clinical applications and innovations in cancer care. This research now enables the selection of appropriate treatments, the detection of residual disease after surgery, the monitoring of recurrence, and the identification of treatment resistance.
• Chemistry Prize Winner, Habib BELAID ( Postdoctoral Researcher at the CNRS / UMR IEM) for his work on the synthesis and characterization of biomaterials for healthcare applications, enabling the development of new formulations of printable composite materials with biocompatible and bioresorbable properties, as well as bioactive and antibacterial properties. Bringing this technology to market will help address a major health challenge in the field of bone tissue engineering in dentistry and oncology.
• MIPS (Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Systems) Award winner Vincent CREUZE (Professor UM / UMR LIRMM) for his work on “small” underwater robots weighing less than 100 kg, developed at LIRMM. These innovations are now used daily by French archaeologists at depths of up to 2,500 meters. Thanks to these innovations, France is currently the first country to routinely deploy robots specialized in underwater archaeology.
• Winner in the Humanities and Social Sciences category: Sophie SPRING (Lecturer and Researcher atUM / UMR MRM) for the creation ofIncubagame, a free game open to all designed to explore key aspects of starting a business (matching the project to the entrepreneur, market positioning of the offering, legal and financial structure), while incorporating parameters related to CSR considerations from the project development phase onward.

2020–2021 Edition

• AEB (Agronomy, Environment, Health) Award Winner: Claude GRISON ( Researcher at UM x CNRS / UMR ChimEco) for her research on ecocatalysis, a key technology in ecology and green industrial chemistry, aimed at generating ecological, economic, and social value based on scientific findings.
• BS (Biology, Health) Award Winner: Franck MOLINA (CNRS / sys2diag) for his work on developing diagnostic testing methods that do not require a laboratory, and more specifically for his invention of the first SARS-CoV-2 saliva test, EASYCOV.
• Chemistry Prize Winner, Mikhael BECHELANY (CNRS / UMR IEM) for his work on multifunctional inorganic membranes, particularly their applications in the fields of energy, the environment, and health.
• MIPS (Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Systems) Award Winner, Philippe POIGNET (UM / UMR LIRMM) , for his work in the field of retinal surgery, specifically through a medical device incorporating an assistive robot for microsurgery. This tele-operated macro-micro robotic platform enables more precise and safer surgical procedures.
• Winners in the Humanities and Social Sciences category: Simon MARESCHAL DE CHARENTENAY (Professor atUMR CERCOP)forhis work on the legal theory and practice of blockchain. Also noteworthy is the development of innovative educational programs in the field of law, notably with the creation of the LegalTech University Diploma.

2018–2019 Edition

• AEB Award Winner (Agronomy, Environment, Health), Jean-Christophe AVARRE ( IRD Researcher / UMR ISEM) for his work on high-resolution DNA melting (HRM), which is based on the principle that two different DNA sequences, and for the development of a completely innovative method that led to a patent and the creation of software.
• BS (Biology, Health) Award Winner: Saïd ASSOU (Research Engineer at UM / UMR IRMB),forhis work focused on the design and development of diagnostic tools that bridge the gap between basic research and clinical applications in the fields of reproductive biology and regenerative medicine.
• Chemistry Award Winner: Xavier GARRIC (Professor / UMR IBMM) for his research on the development of new healthcare products based on biodegradable polymers. An innovation in the field of medical devices for the treatment of mechanical female infertility.
• MIPS (Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Systems)Award Winner, David ANDREU (Professor at UM/ UMR LIRMM) , for his work on the design of assistive solutions for human functional impairments resulting, for example, from spinal cord injury. His contributions have led to innovations that have resulted in several patents and software registrations.
• Winners in the Humanities and Social Sciences category: Camille CLEMENT (Research Engineer at INRAE / UMR Innovation)fordeveloping a generic tool to assist local communities with issues related to access to agricultural land and buildings: FONCIJEU, the agricultural land game.