Partners
AgroParisTech
AgroParisTech, the National Institute of Life and Environmental Sciences and Industries, is a higher education and research institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture. Dedicated to education and research on forest and tropical ecosystems, geoinformation, and water, the Montpellier campus is one of AgroParisTech’s eight centers. It is located on the Agropolis International campus. The fields of activity covered include: remote sensing and spatial information systems; water and aquatic environment management (processes, services, uses, global management, and governance); and environmental management of ecosystems and tropical forests (policies in an international context, management and evaluation of management systems, ecological engineering, and global change).
Montpellier University Hospital
Research at Montpellier University Hospital is conducted within laboratories, institutes, and biological collection centers located at the heart of the facility and equipped with state-of-the-art experimental facilities. The Montpellier University Hospital hosts 15 platforms offering state-of-the-art experimental facilities, combined with recognized expertise in fields of excellence, and whose role in life sciences and health research has become fundamental.
Nîmes University Hospital
The Nîmes University Hospital (CHU) has (as of 2022) 2,083 beds and patient spaces, with a staff of 1,316 physicians (including residents and students) and 5,879 non-medical staff. The facility meets the healthcare needs of the population of the Gard department and neighboring departments by providing care and support to patients throughout their treatment journey. The Nîmes University Hospital is closely affiliated with the Montpellier-Nîmes School of Medicine through a university branch located on the Carémeau Health Campus, adjacent to the hospital. In addition, the Nîmes University Hospital, the Montpellier University Hospital, and the University of Montpellier are linked by a hospital-university agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation between these institutions by defining common objectives such as the development of training for healthcare professionals and the promotion of research and innovation. Furthermore, the Nîmes University Hospital is active in clinical research, with priority areas such as “Infections, Microbiomes & Coagulopathies,” “Oncology,” “Neurosciences,” “Critical Medical and Surgical Care & Interventional Practices,” and a cross-cutting area of “6P Medicine.”
French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD)
The Montpellier center is CIRAD’s main location and is home to two-thirds of its staff. More than 30 research units are based at the site, which features state-of-the-art research and visitor facilities.
Serving as a true gateway to the world, this center acts as a hub connecting all CIRAD offices and employees across nearly 50 countries.
The Montpellier-Occitanie Regional Directorate coordinates the administration of CIRAD’s sites in Montpellier and works closely with all research and higher education institutions in the region, as well as with other umbrella organizations, notably MUSE and Agropolis International.
National Center for Scientific Research
At the heart of the scientific vitality of the Mediterranean region of Occitanie, the CNRS in Eastern Occitanie is one of the region’s leading public research institutions, alongside universities, grandes écoles, and national research organizations.
It comprises 55 research and service facilities spread across eight locations: Montpellier, Perpignan, Banyuls-sur-Mer, Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via, St Christol-lez-Alès, Sète, Montferrier-sur-Lez, and Bagnols-sur-Cèze.
Montpellier Higher Normal School of Chemistry (ENSCM)
The Montpellier National School of Chemistry is a top-tier engineering school specializing in general chemistry that offers a three-year chemical engineering degree (equivalent to a bachelor’s plus two years of graduate study) designed to bring students to the highest scientific standards and equip them with a comprehensive range of sought-after complementary skills, such as a spirit of innovation, teamwork, and collective intelligence.
Montpellier Agricultural Institute
The Institut Agro Montpellier (established on January 1, 2020, at the initiative of the Ministries of Agriculture and Food and of Higher Education) comprises: 446 staff members, including 91 scientific staff (82 of whom are faculty members), and 460 external instructors in its programs; 1,550 students enrolled in training programs; 3 campuses; 2 experimental agricultural estates; 140 bilateral or multilateral international agreements across the Institute’s three schools; 4 departments and 2 centers dedicated to training and research; 21 joint research units, 3 joint technology units, and numerous structures serving businesses and professionals.
National Institute for Research in Agriculture, Food, and the Environment (INRAE)
As a key player in an inter-institutional agronomic cluster, the Occitanie-Montpellier Center has built its identity around its research in agriculture, food, and the environment.
With a strong international focus—the majority of its publications are co-authored with at least one foreign country—the center is characterized by its openness to the Global South and its distinct Mediterranean focus.
National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (INRIA)
Inria (National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology) has been based in Montpellier since 2003. To mark the 20th anniversary of its presence in Montpellier, on June 23, 2023, Inria signed a strategic partnership framework agreement with the University of Montpellier, underscoring their commitment to strengthening their collaboration in digital science and technology. This partnership is embodied in particular by the creation of the Inria Branch at the University of Montpellier, which is part of Inria’s national strategy to contribute to the development of major world-class research universities.
National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM)
Inserm is a public scientific and technological research institute under the joint supervision of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Research. Dedicated to biological and medical research and human health, it is active across the entire spectrum, from the research laboratory to the patient’s bedside. On the international stage, it partners with leading institutions committed to addressing the scientific challenges and advancing progress in these fields.
In the Occitanie-Méditerranée region, Inserm oversees 15 joint research units (UMRs), 2 clinical investigation centers (CICs), and 3 service units (UMSs). Almost all of these facilities are located in Montpellier, though a few are in Nîmes and Réunion.
French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)
The Occitanie regional delegation, based in Montpellier, supports more than 965 staff members across 31 units located in Montpellier, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Sète, and Perpignan. These research teams focus on six priority areas: poverty reduction, migration, emerging diseases, climate change and natural hazards, access to water, and ecosystems.
The Occitanie Regional Delegation provides on-the-ground support to IRD units in the region in coordination with the institute’s functional departments and supports the units in their communication and science outreach initiatives.
University of Montpellier
With its 73 research units, 15 technology platforms or research service centers, and 9 doctoral schools, in partnership with the leading national research organizations (49 research units and 7 research support units), engineering schools, and healthcare centers in Montpellier and Nîmes, the University of Montpellier is internationally recognized for its research activities in science and technology, health, agronomy and biodiversity, chemistry, and social sciences.