A Critical Mass of Universities, Research Institutes and Businesses

Montpellier is a university city. It has one of the oldest Faculties of Medicine in Europe and students today make up a quarter of the city's population.

This reservoir of highly-educated personnel has given rise to a unique critical mass of universities, research institutes and multinational and start-up businesses in 3 key sectors, frequently working together on R&D projects.

Biomedicine and Pharmaceuticals in Montpellier

Montpellier's reputation as a major R&D centre for the Biomedical and Pharmaceutical industries dates back to the creation of the city's Faculty of Medicine in 1220 - one of the oldest in Europe.

Today, Montpellier maintains her status as a major European centre of excellence in Biomedicine and the Life Sciences. The three main Biomedical research areas in Montpellier are AIDS, Cancer and Diabetes.

Universities
Montpellier has 2 universities in science and technology:

    * Montpellier I University: the Faculty of Medicine (6,000 students), the Faculty of Pharmacy (2,000 students) and the Faculty of Orthodontology
    * Montpellier II University: with several laboratories working in Biomedicine and the Life Sciences

Research Institutes
Montpellier has more than 100 public and private research laboratories working in fields such as Molecular and Cellular Biology, Human Genetics and Neurology. The major French research establishments all have installations here, including the CNRS, INSERM and the IRD, as well as 2 foreign establishments: the USDA-ARS and the CSIRO.
Montpellier also plays host to:

    * France's 4th largest University Teaching Hospital (3,500 beds) and Clinical Research Centre
    * the 2nd largest installation of the French Medicines Agency ('AFSSAPS')
    * a Regional Cancer Research Centre ('CRLC')

THEY'VE DONE IT