Agri-Agro à Montpellier - Filières clés | Entreprendre à Montpellier

+ 2,700

researchers and research-professors
Nearly 700

agri-agro-wine companies
Nearly 500

farms covering 10,000 hectares

A hotbed of innovation driving agricultural, food, and ecological transitions, the Montpellier metropolitan area is home to one of the world’s largest scientific communities in agriculture, food, biodiversity, and the environment.

As the headquarters of the Agropolis International research cluster and home to the Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation competitiveness cluster, the area hosts no fewer than 28 research and training institutions, including 15 international organizations. The area has become a global leader in agricultural research, partly thanks to the efforts of the French government and local authorities, notably Montpellier Métropole.

Discover the key players in the area's agri-agro sector.

Let's talk about Agri-Agro!

Cécile CLÉMENT

cecile.clement@montpellier.fr

WORLD-CLASS PLAYERS

Based in Montpellier, Agropolis International is an association that brings together higher education and research institutions working in the broader field of agro-environment located in the Occitanie region. Its governance includes local authorities, notably Montpellier Métropole, as well as organisations representing regional stakeholders.
Agropolis International enhances innovation ecosystems to support agricultural, food, and environmental transitions, from the local to the global level, and promotes the mobilization and sharing of scientific and educational expertise internationally.
The CNRS plays a vital role in scientific research in the Montpellier metropolitan area by fostering numerous scientific collaborations. While active in all scientific fields, its Occitanie East Delegation has particular expertise in the biological sciences, ecology & environment, and chemistry.
Noteworthy achievement: the local CNRS team has established a European-scale Ecotron, open to national and international research teams in the fields of ecology, population and community biology, and agronomy on the Baillarguet campus, just north of Montpellier. More than a hundred startups have emerged from or are affiliated with the research units in its circle.
CIRAD is a major French agricultural research organization dedicated to sustainable development in tropical and Mediterranean regions.
A key player in agricultural research and international cooperation, CIRAD has established its two main research centers in the Montpellier metropolitan area, one in Montpellier (Lavalette campus) and the other in Montferrier-sur-Lez (Baillarguet campus).
Located in Montpellier, the UNESCO ICIREWARD International Center – International Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Water Systems Dynamics – is the first UNESCO research and training center dedicated to inland water in France. Ranked among the largest centers of its kind internationally, it unites and strengthens the collaboration of nearly 400 scientists and 150 doctoral students across 17 research laboratories.
The center’s scientific community forms a rich multidisciplinary and international network dedicated to improving understanding of water-related issues.
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has its global headquarters on the Agropolis International campus in Montpellier.
Leveraging 15 research centers and hundreds of partner organizations (including the CNRS, INRA, IRD, CIRAD, IRSTEA, and many others) , it mobilizes more than 10,000 scientists worldwide and constitutes the world’s largest partnership in agricultural research. CGIAR manages major programs aimed at improving global food security.

A HOTBED OF INNOVATIVE COMPANIES

The Food, Agronomy, and Agriculture sector in the Montpellier metropolitan area is home to more than 60 companies, including some 40 AgTechs that together account for over 900 jobs.
Among them are Microphyt, Smag (InVivo Group), ITK, Fruition Sciences, Matahi, Qualiplante, ADNid, Envilys, Nyseos, Ecofilae, Food Pilot, PimpUp, and more
Innovation is a cultural feature of the Montpellier Métropole area, driven by a supportive ecosystem whose vitality is rooted in long-standing expertise.
Montpellier Métropole was the first place in France to establish a Business & Innovation Centre (BIC), back in 1987. Ranked among the world’s top 5 public incubators (UBI Global 2019), Montpellier BIC continues to support many rising stars in the innovation sector with expertise and passion. Examples include Airgaia, Rosella Biosystem, and Greenphage, among many others.
To create the conditions for agricultural resilience and food sovereignty while simultaneously contributing to adaptation to climate change, the Montpellier metropolitan area implements a strategy based on five core objectives:
- Shaping an agroecological territory that preserves natural resources and the natural landscape
- Establishing a sustainable and resilient food supply system that supports jobs in local agriculture and the agri-food sector
- Ensuring that all residents have access to high-quality, locally sourced food
- Fostering dialog between science and society and encouraging citizen to get involved
- Establishing food governance
Example of the DIVA program
Supported from the outset by Montpellier Métropole, the European DIVA program has confirmed what many already knew: the area is a hotbed of talent in the field of agro-digital solutions.
In 2021, no fewer than 134 projects were selected from nine European countries, including 46 from France. Among them, nine came from the Montpellier Métropole area. The projects were led by Ecofilae, Fruition Sciences, E-Tumba, Cap2020, IAdvance, Ecoclimasol, Permagro, Syha, and Mycea.

In 2021, Montpellier Métropole launched a wine tourism initiative in partnership with professionals and all stakeholders in the wine, vineyard, and wine tourism sectors.

This effort resulted in being awarded the Vignobles et Découvertes label in 2022 and the creation of the Montpellier Wine Region Destination program. The label was renewed for three years in 2025.

PROFESSIONAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Co-organized by Montpellier Métropole and the UNESCO Chair in World Food Systems, the Territorial Conference on Agroecology and Food, formerly known as the Territorial Conference on Agroecological Transition and Sustainable Food, was launched in Montpellier in 2019.
The conference highlights local initiatives and strategies to promote more responsible agriculture and food systems. This event, which takes place every two years in a different metropolitan area, returned to its hometown in 2024.
Organized around two annual events (spring–summer / fall–winter), The 4 Seasons Festival features some 200 events held throughout the metropolitan area.

Montpellier Métropole launched MedVallée, a global center of excellence in One Health (global health), bringing together the three sectors of excellence found in its territory: agri-food, health, and the environment. MedVallée fosters synergy among researchers, academics, economic stakeholders, entrepreneurs, institutions, and the general public, with the support of its co-founders: Montpellier Métropole, the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region, and the French government.

Find out more