Setting up your business in Montpellier

Montpellier, a unique ecosystem to boost the development of the cultural and creative industries (CCI)

Located in the south of France, in the heart of the Occitanie region, the metropolis of Montpellier is particularly popular with professionals in the cultural and creative industries (CCI). The region has a rich and diversified ecosystem that offers numerous opportunities for companies in the sector looking for an environment conducive to their development and the establishment of potential synergies and partnerships.

In total, more than 850 establishments - and some 3,000 people - are located within Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, with a turnover of 300 million euros. The number of foreign investors is rising sharply and they are increasingly joining a fast-growing ecosystem that the Montpellier metropolis is constantly supporting. The Cité créative, with its 30,000 m² dedicated to cultural and creative industries and local businesses, bears witness to the territory's desire to do everything possible to support the development of the ICC sector, particularly in the following areas

• cinema,
• television,
• video games,
• creation,
• 3D animation,
• special effects,
• sound and audio...

How does the region support industrial companies in setting up in the region?

As a land of innovative and creative talent, the Metropolis of Montpellier has put in place a number of measures to support the future nuggets of the CCI sector.

For example, it has set up

• The Montpellier Game Lab, a unique support service for start-ups in the CCI sector, run by the Montpellier Business & Innovation Centre (BIC) in collaboration with Push Start, which brings together professionals in the sector and defends its interests;
• The Cité créative, a district - bringing together companies, training courses, film studios and professional accommodation - dedicated to the expression of creativity;
• A 700,000 euro fund to support creation, which complements the measures taken by the Occitanie region, the State and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC)...
• They contribute, in the same way as the numerous associations and animation networks in the region, to the development of CCI players and the structuring of one of the most dynamic sectors in France.

Training and specialised schools

The Montpellier metropolis is home to a large number of establishments within its territory. This guarantees that professionals in the cultural and creative industries have the right profiles, whatever their field of specialisation.

Since 2004, ArtFX has been recognised for its high quality training courses which meet the needs of international studios. The school has trained more than 1,000 students in specialised professions: 2D and 3D animators, art directors, concept artists, special effects supervisors, game designers, etc. This expertise has earned it a place on the world podium in the ranking established by the specialist magazine "The Rookies". In 2021, ArtFX was ranked first for special effects and animation for the third consecutive year.

In recent years, the Ecole Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA) in Montpellier has also seen several student films selected in a dozen international festivals. The award-winning short film "Je suis un caillou" won the "Little Imp Award" at the Indie-Lincs Film Festival in England.

In addition to ArtFX and ESMA, other schools based in Montpellier offer courses dedicated to the animation and special effects sector: Objectif 3D, Acfa Multimédia / Studio M, Ionis e-artsup, Brassart, IAD-3D, Cinécréatis, Travelling... This is also the case of the University of Paul Valery and the University of Montpellier.  

How does Montpellier Métropole respond to the land and property needs of CCI entrepreneurs?

As a stronghold of the cultural and creative industries, Montpellier Metropole is moving into another dimension with the launch of the Cité créative, just a stone's throw from Montpellier's historic centre. The first mixed district dedicated to the cultural and creative industries, the site has been designed to accommodate between 150 and 200 CCI companies. With the Ecole Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques (Esma), the École de la photographie et des métiers du jeu vidéo (ETPA), Ciné Créatis and the Institut privé d'enseignement supérieur arts appliqués (IPESAA), it already hosts nearly 1,400 students who meet at the Campus Créatif, a real place of life dedicated to training but also open to artists' exhibitions and to events related to the digital arts, music and live performance.

Which companies in the Cultural and Creative Industries sector have chosen Montpellier to develop?

Mathematic, a 3D special effects production studio, was the first company to join the Cité Créative and its totem building. It is consolidating an ecosystem that already includes such industry leaders as Ubisoft, Netia, Dwarf animation, TSF, Plug in Digital, France TV Studios and, more recently, Fortiche Prod, Smart Tale Games, Supamonks, Virtuos and Build a rocket boy...