WORLD-CLASS PLAYERS

A key player in innovation to support agricultural, food, and ecological transitions, and highly open to the Mediterranean region and southern countries, our area’s success is the outcome of proactive policy by the French government and local authorities, in particular Montpellier Métropole. Discover some of the main players.

Based in Montpellier, Agropolis International is a multi-stakeholder collaborative platform that unites research and training organizations, local authorities (including Montpellier Métropole), professional organizations, and the general public to address the challenges of agriculture, food, biodiversity, and the environment. The scientific community in the Montpellier area and throughout the Occitanie region is recognized for its excellence in fundamental sciences and its expertise in regional, Mediterranean, and tropical issues.

CIRAD is the French agricultural research organization specializing in sustainable development for tropical and Mediterranean regions. A key player in agronomic research and international cooperation, CIRAD has set up its two main research centers in the Montpellier Métropole area, one in Montpellier (Lavalette campus) and the other in Montferrier-sur-Lez (Baillarguet campus).

The French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) plays an integral role for scientific research in the greater Montpellier area, with an ever-growing number of scientific collaborations. While CNRS is involved with nearly every scientific field, its Eastern Occitanie group represents a particularly strong presence in the biological sciences, ecology & environment, and chemistry. One of its unique achievements is the creation of a Europe-wide Ecotron  ecological experimental platform on the Baillarguet campus, open to national and international research teams in the fields of ecology, population and community biology, and agronomy. More than 131 startups have originated from, or are supported by, CNRS operations in the area.

Based in Montpellier,  the UNESCO ICIREWARD International Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Systems Dynamics is the first UNESCO research and training center dedicated to inland water in France. Considered one of the world’s foremost water research centers, ICIREWARD unites and fosters collaboration between nearly 400 scientists and 150 doctoral students in 17 research laboratories. This scientific community constitutes a rich, multi-disciplinary, and international network to enhance our understanding of water-related issues.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)) has its world headquarters at the Agropolis International campus in Montpellier. Working with 15 research centers and hundreds of partner organizations (including CNRS, INRA, IRD, CIRAD, IRSTEA, and more), CGIAR mobilizes over 10,000 scientists worldwide, making it the world’s largest agricultural research partnership. It manages major programs designed to improve food security worldwide.