The Med Vallée project seeks to transform Montpellier Métropole into a world-class cluster for health, environment, food, and good living. A presentation was given on September 16 in the council chamber of Montpellier’s City Hall, addressing project partners and various representatives from the economic world.
Present at the event were Michaël Delafosse (Mayor of Montpellier and President of Montpellier Métropole), Patrice Canayer (Regional Council Member representing Carole Delga, President of Occitanie Region), Hugues Moutouh (Hérault Prefect), Hind Emad (Vice President in charge of Economic Development and Digital Technologies), and Philippe Domy (precursor of Med Vallée).
“Decision-makers are fully aligned on Med Vallée. We are united today,” exclaimed Michaël Delafosse in his introduction. The opinion was confirmed by Hugues Moutouh. “Med Vallée is one of the strategies that will help France confirm its position. Here, you have everything needed to create a world-class cluster,” adds the Hérault Prefect, whose analysis echoes the fact that “public authorities see this project as being a response to health sovereignty,” as highlighted by Michaël Delafosse.
Patrice Canayer fully agreed with the prefect’s opinion. For him, Med Vallée is characterized by three main points:
“Ambition through its global dimension; the decision to approach health in its broadest sense in order to regain sovereignty, which is an important issue; and its inclusive method, which is a factor for success because it unites all the different energies,” he lists. Hind Emad confirms, “We have a desire to build this jointly.”
That is another major condition for successfully launching the project.
“With Hind Emad, we have seen that many stakeholders have started to claim it as their own. But the strength of a good idea comes from stakeholders and operators making it their own together,” reminds the Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole president.
The precursor phase led by Philippe Domy, former Managing Director of the Montpellier CHU university hospital, now benefits from a dedicated team.
Med Vallée unites health, agriculture-agronomy, and the environment, three excellence sectors that comprise the Med Vallée project, which will “stimulate the energies to promote economic development and rebalance the strengths of the metropolitan area’s northern sector,” says Philippe Domy, announcing the establishment of a shared governance structure.
Philippe Domy adds that a commitment agreement will soon be signed between the project founders, with Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Occitanie Region, and the French government. The pact will involve close collaboration with major stakeholder partners.
Following this first presentation to the ecosystem, the founders now wish to move forward with operational aspects as soon as possible. For that, La Fabrik will be created soon, comprising seven thematic workshops in which economic stakeholders – also referred to as The Makers – can focus their efforts. They will handle cross-functionality, higher education, research and innovation, property and real estate to “help build a consistent offering” for creating and developing companies, attractiveness to “keep our talents while attracting others,” national and international exposure, and citizen engagement. Med Vallée’s two keywords are indeed excellence and inclusion.
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