Institut Européen des Membranes

What Institut Européen des Membranes does

Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM) is a public research institute established in 1994 in Montpellier, France, operating under the joint supervision of the Université de Montpellier (UM), the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM), and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). It conducts interdisciplinary research in membrane science and technology, spanning membrane synthesis, characterization, and application for water treatment, desalination, gas separation (notably hydrogen via atomic layer deposition/molecular layer deposition palladium membranes), CO2 capture and electrochemical conversion, and catalytic ozonation for micropollutant removal.

The institute's technical capabilities span AI-guided materials design, hydrophobic ceramic capillary membranes, 3D-printed silicon oxycarbide and silicon carbonitride ceramics combined with ALD for catalytic applications, and hybrid nanofiltration/catalytic ozonation processes. It is a member of the Institut Carnot Chimie Balard Cirimat, holds the SIMEV UNESCO Chair, and runs the MLab joint laboratory for industry-academia collaboration. Its primary outputs are peer-reviewed publications indexed in HAL, PhD and HDR training, and conferences and seminars.

IEM does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through French public research budgets, supervisory authority allocations, project grants, and Carnot Institute partnership resources. Its customer base is functionally the academic research community, graduate researchers, and to a lesser extent the general public reached through the Drop Odyssey educational serious game developed with UNESCO ICIREWARD and the Régie des Eaux de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole.

Name

Institut Européen des Membranes

Legal name

Institut Européen des Membranes

Website

https://iem.umontpellier.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Institut Européen des Membranes is a CNRS-affiliated public research institute in Montpellier conducting membrane science for water treatment, gas separation, and energy, while training PhD researchers and operating the SIMEV UNESCO Chair.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Membrane Science Research

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Engineering Services (541330), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826)

akta.pro primary industry

Membrane Treatment (UF/NF/RO for Potable) (EUANABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Filtration (Rapid/Slow Sand, Media, Membrane Pretreatment) (EUANABAB), Separation & Filtration Equipment (Filters, Centrifuges, Membranes) (IMAHAEAB), Water & Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment (Clarifiers, Aeration, Membrane Systems) (IMAHAEAJ), Membranes, Consumables & Chemicals (Elements, Antiscalants, Cleaning) (EUANAFAJ)

Keywords

• Membrane science research
• Water treatment membranes
• Gas separation technology
• Membrane characterization
• Materials science research

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM) is a public research institute that conducts fundamental and applied research on membrane materials and processes, including membrane synthesis, characterization, and application for separation, filtration, catalysis, water treatment, gas separation, and energy applications. It also provides doctoral training (PhD and HDR programs), hosts scientific conferences and seminars, and engages in technology transfer through industrial partnerships and educational outreach such as the Drop Odyssey serious game.

Product overview

Institut Européen des Membranes is a research institute focused on membrane science and technology. Its primary offerings include advanced research in membrane development for applications including water treatment, gas separation, and energy. The institute also developed Drop Odyssey, an educational serious game for water cycle awareness. The institute provides training, PhD programs, conferences, and scientific research output rather than commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drop Odyssey: A serious game developed by IEM in collaboration with UNESCO ICIREWARD and Régie des Eaux de Montpellier to educate about water treatment and sanitation cycles.

Products and services

• Drop Odyssey

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% accuracy in predicting optimal MOF membrane synthesis parameters using machine learning
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Université de Montpellier (UM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary supervisory authority of IEM along with ENSCM and CNRS. University provides institutional framework, research facilities, and academic programs.
• Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier (ENSCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupervisory authority of IEM. Chemical engineering school contributing expertise in chemistry and materials science.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary supervisory authority providing national research framework and funding. CNRS researchers constitute a significant portion of IEM's research staff.
• Institut Carnot Chimie Balard CirimatflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarnot Institute focused on Chemistry, Environment and Sustainability. Provides industrial partnership framework and additional research funding for IEM.
• SIMEV UNESCO ChairflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO Chair dedicated to innovative solutions for water issues, providing international visibility and collaborative opportunities in water research.
• Centre International UNESCO ICIREWARDflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO International Centre for Water Resources Management. Collaborated with IEM on Drop Odyssey project for water education.
• Régie des Eaux de Montpellier Méditerranée MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater utility company of Montpellier. Partnered on Drop Odyssey educational game and provides real-world water treatment context.
• Institut Universitaire de France (IUF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational institute supporting university excellence. Supported Drop Odyssey project through funding for innovative educational initiatives.
• MLab (Laboratoire commun)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint laboratory structure facilitating industry-academia collaboration within IEM's research ecosystem.
• IRCELYON (Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l'Environnement de Lyon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS research institute. David Farrusseng's group at IRCELYON collaborates with IEM on MOF research and AI-based materials design.
• MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMostafa Youssef conducted postdoctoral research at MIT in computational thermodynamics of ceramic materials. IEM benefits from this collaboration on atomistic simulation.
• LNLS/CNPEM (Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrazilian National Center for Research in Energy and Materials. Itamar Neckel from LNLS collaborates with IEM on operando electrochemistry and synchrotron techniques.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Membrane Technology and Research (MTR): US-based commercial membrane R&D organization developing polymeric and inorganic membranes for gas separation, vapor recovery, and water treatment — comparable membrane science focus with stronger commercial translation.
• Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA): Norwegian applied-research institute conducting interdisciplinary water research including water treatment, contaminants, and membrane-related processes — comparable public research model targeting water-quality problems.
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Institute of Membrane Research): German public research institute with a dedicated membrane research division focused on polymer and inorganic membranes for water, gas separation, and energy — directly comparable mission and technology overlap with IEM.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology (IGB): German applied-research institute working on membrane processes for water treatment, biotechnology, and sustainable production — comparable applied membrane research with industrial partnership model via the Fraunhofer network.

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: Global water-services company deploying membrane-based treatment (UF, RO, MBR) at municipal and industrial scale — represents the industrial deployment layer where IEM's research outputs would be commercialized.
• Toray Industries (Membrane Division): Global leader in reverse-osmosis and nanofiltration membranes for desalination and water reuse; operates at industrial scale and competes with the end-application markets where IEM's research ultimately lands.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water-treatment company with significant membrane-based filtration and process technology offerings, serving as a likely industrial partner and end-application incumbent for IEM's research outputs.
• DuPont Water Solutions: Major commercial provider of RO, UF, NF, and ion-exchange membranes (FilmTec™) for water treatment — overlaps with IEM's water-treatment membrane research at the product-deployment stage.
• Pall Corporation (Cytiva): Industrial filtration and membrane specialist serving biopharmaceutical, food/beverage, and water-treatment markets — comparable separation-and-filtration technology space at commercial scale.

Others

• CNRS — Institut des Sciences Moléculaires de Marseille (iSm2): French CNRS-affiliated research unit covering molecular sciences and catalysis; comparable institutional structure (CNRS UMR model) to IEM and a peer within the same French public research ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-europeen-des-membranes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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