The BRGM is involved in the I-SITE run by the Montpellier University of Excellence (MUSE), which was selected for funding under the call for IDEX/I-SITE projects issued by the Investing for the Future scheme.
24 March 2017
The IDEX/I-SITE award-winners

On 13 March 2017, the French president received the IDEX/I-SITE award-winners in the presence of Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the Minister for Education, Higher Education and Research, and Thierry Mandon, Secretary of State for Higher Education and Research.

© Présidence de la République - J. Bonet

This is a major achievement for the Montpellier scientific community, signalling recognition of its potential and its projects. Following an audition by an international panel on 21 February 2017, the MUSE project was awarded the I-SITE label (Initiatives for Science, Innovation, Territories and the Economy) under the Investing for the Future scheme. The BRGM is a contributor to the project.

An I-SITE is a university involved in research in a specific area, with high international visibility and comparing favourably with the world's leading research universities.

An internationally recognised research university specialising in health, the environment and agriculture

MUSE is aiming to establish an internationally recognised research university specialising in health, the environment and agriculture.

Through research, training and innovation, MUSE is setting out to conquer new fields in science and economics, aiming to contribute to food security, sustainable natural resource and ecosystem management and to improved treatments for emerging infectious diseases, chronic diseases and cancer.

"Initiation to geology" training session in Balaruc, Hérault

Chiffres clés

  • 150.00
    partners

  • 6000.00
    scientists

  • 50000.00
    students

150 partners, 6 000 scientists and 50 000 students

With the University of Montpellier as its hub, the MUSE project involves 10 research organisations (BRGM, CEA, Cirad, CNRS, Ifremer, Inra, Inria, Inserm, IRD, Irstea), 4 Schools (Architecture Montpellier, Chimie Montpellier, Mines d'Alès, SupAgro), 3 teaching hospitals (CHU Montpellier, CHU Nîmes, Institut du Cancer de Montpellier) and one international higher education organisation (CIHEAM-IAMM).

With its 6 000 scientists and 50 000 students, the MUSE project is being actively supported by the Montpellier Méditerranée Urban Area authority and the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Regional authority.

MUSE is supported by more than 150 partners who have committed to further investments in university/business partnerships. They include SMEs, major groups (with five preferred partners: Banque Populaire du Sud, BRL, Horiba, Invivo and MSD) and competitiveness clusters (Derbi, Eau, Eurobiomed, Mer, Optitec, Qualiméditerranée and Trimatec).

Close BRGM involvement in the MUSE I-SITE

The BRGM is France's leading institution in the Earth Sciences. Its research activities in the Montpellier region focus in particular on studies of coastal sedimentary dynamics and management of groundwater and the water cycle (understanding flows, socio-economic aspects, flooding, active resource management, modelling, pollution, rehabilitation).These activities are therefore fully in line with the aims of the MUSE I-SITE.

With one of its scientific and technical research units located in Montpellier, the BRGM has been contributing for many years to the construction of a reference site in Montpellier for scientific research on water and coastlines. In this context, its contribution to the dynamics of the MUSE I-SITE project is the logical continuation of the BRGM's scientific strategy in general and its regional involvement in particular.

Finally, as well as its academic research, the BRGM as a Carnot Institute is partnering collaborative research programmes with numerous industries and placing particular emphasis on technology transfers and public-private partnerships under the MUSE I-SITE project. The international dimension is also a priority, particularly as regards shared activities with countries of the South and the Mediterranean areas.