More than ever, Montpellier Métropole continues to provide support for the Transitions Invest event. And for good reason: the second edition of this conference organized by the Hérault Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) focused on financial aid to help companies accelerate their energy transition.
This is a key topic for Montpellier Métropole. At the conference, which was held at the Domaine des Grands Chais in Mauguio on June 26, the Montpellier Métropole team shared its booth with company leaders likely to benefit from its assistance services.
“For us, as stakeholders in the territory, the goal is to facilitate access to funding solutions adapted to companies’ needs by instilling a societal dimension in strategic and forward-looking sectors,” explains Mustapha Laoukiri, Deputy Mayor of Montpellier, present at the conference alongside André Deljarry, president of the Hérault CCI.
Helping businesses build a sustainable growth strategy: this is a strong focus for the city of Montpellier and Montpellier Métropole, which promote public policy – and apply it to themselves – notably regarding energy consumption, waste sorting, and environmentally-friendly forms of transportation.
Their commitment is also backed by the
Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region through two regional investment funds:
Irdi Capital Investissement for a total of 8 M€, of which 3 M€ is for the “
Impulsion Fund,” which integrates a specific focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance aspects, and more recently
Occidev (2M€), a fund provided by
OCCTE, a management company launched by the Occitanie regional authorities.
In addition, Montpellier Métropole is very involved with The Universities of Tomorrow’s Economy, alongside Impact France. “Teams tend to give their best when a company director behaves consistently with their commitments,” said Jean-Thierry Winstel, the founder and director of Bioviva in Montpellier, at the second edition of the Universities event held on October 18, 2022 in Montpellier.
According to
France Stratégie, companies that integrate societal and environmental criteria in their activity actually improve performance. Yet another area where Montpellier Métropole is taking action. The goal is to facilitate companies’ access to funding that will help speed up their ecological transition, including
mechanisms implemented by public authorities and
European leadership.
In addition, Montpellier Métropole offers assistance to companies in the metropolitan area, along with advice for setting up an
Employer Mobility Plan to optimize and improve the efficiency of travel related to their business activity. As part of its contribution, Montpellier BIC organized
an information and awareness day on June 14 on the Businesses for Climate Convention for companies.
Similarly, Montpellier Métropole is promoting the
national “Tremplin” (springboard) program offered by
ADEME, supporting the ecological transition. Artisans, SMEs, and associations in the greater Montpellier area are eligible, and many have already begun.
Smile-eBike is one example.
Thanks to this program, Smile-eBike enhanced its fleet by buying ten cargo bikes. “This aid stimulates the adoption of electrically assisted bicycles in the city,” observes Benjamin Tricot, the company’s director.
This opinion is also shared by Services Écusson Vert. With the “SME Tremplin” program, the company increased its fleet of cargo bikes to four and it purchased five electric vehicles. The new equipment enables them to deliver about 1,000 additional packages per day using green transportation. “The program offers a big boost,” adds the company’s director Christophe Caset-Carricaburu.
The ecological transition can therefore truly be seen as a growth accelerator. It is an opportunity to combine values and economic performance, which is something that Montpellier Métropole understands quite well.
