Eric Fargeas
Director
fargeas@agropolis.fr
Nathalie Villeméjeanne
Communication Officer
villemejeanne@agropolis.fr
Agropolis International since 1986
Agropolis has been created in Montpellier in January 1986, to favour the synergy between higher education and research institutes, and improve their visibility at the international level.
From the begining, the association has been involved in the process of structuring the scientific community and organizing the agricultural research for developmentt (ARD).
Today, the association gathers the largest world concentration of skills and expertise in the fields of agriculture, food, biodiversity and environment, with a focus on the development of Mediterranean and tropical regions.
Over the past 30 years, Agropolis International has gained a recognized broad experience and know-how in terms of: promotion of competences, interinstitutional go-between and coordination, collective project management or partnership building.
30 years later, Agropolis International is made of 24 scientific institutions, 5 local public authorities and several stakeholders involved in the economic development and civil society issues. Agropolis International is a unique and outstanding place for exchanges and the building up of collective actions. Agropolis issues from the common will of political bodies and personalities to offer Montpellier and its region several institutes working in the same direction. This research, training, technological and cultural transfer cluster is the result of a long story.
« AGROPOLIS, LITTLE STORY OF A GREAT PROJECT»
"I briefly recall the basic ideas at the origins of Agropolis' creation:
- To organize new relations between universities, high schools and research centers ;
- To create new scientific synergies and facilitate hosting and training possibilities to students and trainees ;
- To offer a set of common services: science park, new campus, students residences, library, museum, technology transfer units, new communication and information technologies, together with the settlement on the campus of an hotel and a travel agency;
- To present an attractive option for industry (project Agropolis – Lez Valley) ;
- To be recognized as an international hub with strong Mediterranean and tropical influences, beyond the influence of each of its component.
Louis Malassis, August 2000
January 24th 1986, signature of Agropolis founding charter
1. Louis Malassis
2. Paul Raynaud (ENSA.M -Montpellier SupAgro)
3. René Cano (Montpellier 2 university)
4. ( Montpellier 1 University)
5. Pierre Besançon ( Montpellier 2 University)
6. Charles Ribaut (CNFDCI)
7. Claude Jouin (ENGREF -AgroParisTech-)
8. Raymond Huet (CIRAD)
9. Jean-Pierre Frémeaux (Agropolis)
10. Jacques Claude (ORSTOM -IRD)
11. Philippe Masson (Perpignan University)
12. Christian Durante (CNRS)
13. Roland Perez (CIHEAM/IAM.M)
14. Marcel Girard (CNEARC -Montpellier SupAgro)
15.
Jean-Paul Hébert (SIARC)
©Agropolis
«It was necessary to ease the exchange of information and common actions in a world where science is more and more complicated and implies interdisciplinarity. We wanted to develop a synergy », recalls Louis Malassis.
Agropolis was born on January 24th, 1986, supported by 17 institutions.
25 years later, Agropolis International is made of 25 scientific institutions, 4 local public authorities and several stakeholders involved in economic development, Agropolis International is a unique and outstanding place for exchanges and the building up of collective actions. Agropolis is ensued from the mutual will of political powers and personalities to offer to Montpellier and its region several institutes working in the same direction. This research, training, technological and cultural transfers pole is the result of a long story.
Agropolis, the beggining of the story with Louis Malassis,the visionary founder (in French) >>
The men who built Agropolis
7 Presidents:
Louis Malassis, Founding President |
©Agropolis Alfred-Philippe Conesa (1992-1996) |
©Agropolis Michel de Nucé de Lamothe (1996-2001) |
©Agropolis Gérard Matheron (2001-2006) |
©Agropolis Henri Carsalade (2006-2009) |
©Agropolis Bernard Hubert (2009-2017) |
Jean-Luc KHALFAOUI (2018-2019) |
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6 Directors :
©Agropolis Jean-Pierre Frémeaux |
©Agropolis François Martin |
©Agropolis Martin Weiss |
©Agropolis Michel Salas |
©Agropolis Paul Luu |
©Agropolis Eric Fargeas |
Agropolis International, the common house
1991: Agropolis International and Agropolis Museum scale models |
2011: site photo |
Agropolis in a few dates
1970-1986 |
Setting up in Montpellier of agricultural research centers |
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1986 |
Creation of Agropolis association |
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Building of Agropolis Science Park |
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1987 |
Annual meeting of the CGIAR in Montpellier |
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Building of Agropolis International students residence |
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1988 |
Creation of the NATURA network in partnership with Wageningen University (the Netherlands), gathering the European research and higher education expertises in the field of agriculture for development |
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1991 |
Creation of the French office of ICRA (International Centre for development oriented Research in Agriculture), located in Agropolis International premises as from 1994 |
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1992 |
Building of Agropolis International |
 ©Agropolis |
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and Agropolis-Museum |
 ©Agropolis |
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1994 |
Settlement of USDA (United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service) and CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Division of Entomology European Laboratory) on the International campus of Agropolis Montferrier-Baillarguet
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Inauguration of the House of Remote Sensing |
 ©Maison de la Télédétection |
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1996 |
Creation of Agropolis Productions, Agropolis International's subsidiary, in charge of the audiovisual production for the scientific community. Since 2001, it specializes in the scientific editing, communication and multimedia. |
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1997 |
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Participation of Agropolis to the programmes of decentralized cooperation of the Hérault General Council |
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2001 |
Agropolis International manages theFrench Scientific Committee on Desertification (CSFD) - Its secretariat is based as from 2004 in Agropolis |
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Creation and setting up in Agropolis of the Embrapa LABEX Europe(Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Brazil) |
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2004-2005 |
Signing of a framework agreement with the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs
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Creation ot the competitiveness cluster Qualiméditerranée |
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2006 |
Creation of Agropolis Fondation, gathering 13 thematic advanced research networks on «Agriculture Research and Sustainable Development» – set up in Agropolis International |
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Modification of the statutes : Agropolis Association becomes Agropolis International
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2008 |
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Creation of the Euraxess Services Center in Languedoc Roussillon labellized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (guest-researchers office) |
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2010 |
GCARD 2010 (Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development) in Montpellier |
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Organization of the XIIIème IAALD world congress (International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists) |
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Organization of AGRO 2010 - the scientific week around agronomy and the XI European Society Congress (ESA) congress |
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Management of the European Society for Agronomy (ESA) by Agropolis International |
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2011 |
Setting up of the CGIAR Consortium in Agropolis International |
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25th anniversary of Agropolis International! |
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2012 |
Official launching of LABINTEX programme of INTA (Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria – Argentina) at Agropolis International - Montpellier (France), November 29-30th, 2012 |
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2014 |
International Encounters « Family Farming & Research» , Montpellier, 1- 3 June 2014
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2014 |
Kyoto University (Japan) and Agropolis International in Montpellier (France) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote academic cooperation and student exchange which includes joint research projects and publications as well as short term programs and visits.
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2015 (May) |
Agropolis International and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), over five years, in order to strengthen and promote research and development co-operation related to the following issues: sustainable agri-food value chain, climate change and agriculture, Food security issues in South East Asia and any other areas of common interest.
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2015 (June) |
A cooperation agreement has been signed with the Brazilian organizations supporting a cluster in Campinas based on Agropolis International model. The official launch of Brazilian “Agropolo” took place in September 2015 in Campinas. |
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2016 |
Agropolis International celebrates the 30th anniversary of its creation |
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A lively image
The logos over 25 years
Information over 25 years
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Published from october 2008 to november 2015In 2008, the "Agropolis International Newsletter" is published in French and English. 3 to 4 annual issues. Printed in 1 500 copies |
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1996, an up to date website - 2011, a 2.0 website
Updated on 06.06.19
Financial support from
Extrait du site http://www.agropolis.fr/about/history.php