MSH SUD

What MSH SUD does

MSH SUD (Maison des Sciences de l'Homme Sud) is a French public research support unit formally constituted as UAR 2035 under the CNRS since January 2021, headquartered in Montpellier. It operates as a multi-institutional shared platform serving humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary researchers affiliated with its five tutelles — CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, CIRAD, IRD, and Université de Perpignan Via Domitia — along with the wider Occitanie research community via the RAPPSO network of 70+ member organizations.

The unit delivers services across three strategic axes: Interdisciplinary Research, Science-Society Interface, and Open Science. Its core platforms include Numerev (open scientific publishing), PolDoR (open research data), PUD SUD, CommonData (interoperability), Pôl Image, Cart.Occ (cartography), and the ASCC semantic publishing model. MSH SUD also hosts national infrastructure nodes (ISIDORE via Huma-Num; Consortium Science Ouverte via PROGEDO) and operates living labs under national programs (LLUNAM, MedCoast under PEPR Solubiod; ZOOCAM under PREZODE).

Its business model is non-commercial: revenue consists of institutional subsidies from tutelles, regional grants from Région Occitanie and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, and program-specific funding from national initiatives including the €46.4M PIA4-funded ExposUM Institute (2022-2030) and Laboratoire des Transitions co-developed with MSHS-T. It has 18 employees and is one of 21 MSH units in the national CNRS-affiliated network.

Name

MSH SUD

Legal name

MSH SUD UAR 2035 CNRS — Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3 — Université de Montpellier

Website

https://mshsud.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MSH SUD (UAR 2035) is a CNRS-affiliated French research support unit in Montpellier providing open science infrastructure, digital humanities platforms, and interdisciplinary research services to humanities and social science researchers across the Occitanie region and nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Support Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Grants Management Support (Pre/Post-Award, Compliance) (EDAEALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scientific Data Management & Data Platforms (SDMS/Data Lakehouse for R&D) (HLAGAJAC)

Keywords

• Interdisciplinary research support
• Open science publishing
• Research data management
• Science-society mediation
• Participatory research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Institutional Public Funding: MSH SUD is funded through institutional subsidies from its primary tutelles (CNRS, Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry, Université de Montpellier), secondary tutelles (CIRAD, IRD, UPVD), and regional funding from Région Occitanie and Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole. Additional funding comes from project-based grants (ANR, ADEME, European programs) and own resources.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MSH SUD is a publicly funded research support unit (UAR 2035 CNRS) that incubates interdisciplinary research projects, builds science-society interfaces with public authorities and civil society, and operates open science infrastructure (diamond open-access publishing, research data management, audiovisual production). It funds exploratory projects (€2,000–€10,000 each), hosts research teams and living labs, and provides free training, data services, and editorial platforms to the academic community in Occitanie and beyond.

Product overview

MSH SUD is a Maison des Sciences et des Humanités (House of Sciences and Humanities) structured as a Unit for Support and Research (UAR 2035) operating since 2015 under the project 'Savoirs Unis pour un autre Développement' (SUD). It functions as a multi-disciplinary research support infrastructure rather than a single product company. Its portfolio comprises three interconnected strategic axes: (1) Interdisciplinary Research — encompassing annual funding calls, the ICI-ELA incubator, conference cycles (Regards croisés, Conversation des Sciences, Agora des Savoirs), and supported project teams; (2) Science-Society Interface — including the Trait d'Union third-place liaison service, the Plateau EcoSanté with its five components (ExposUM Interfaces, LLUNAM, ZOOCAM, OMEES, MedCoast), the RAPPSO regional participatory research network, and the Laboratory of Transitions policy co-construction device; and (3) Open Science — organized through the Numerev journal incubator, the Pole Données de la Recherche (PolDoR), the Plateforme Universitaire de Données SUD (PUD SUD), CommonData platform, Cart.Occ mapping project, and the Pole Image audiovisual production unit. The organization also provides training services for co-research methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICI-ELA: InCubyateur en Interdisciplinarité ELArgie - incubation device for interdisciplinary research
• RAPPSO
• Numerev
• Trait d'Union
• CommonData
• Pôle Image
• Pôle Données de la Recherche (PolDoR)

Products and services

• ICI-ELA (InCubateur Interdisciplinarité ELArgie)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 70 projects incubated since 2016 through successive calls for proposals (AAP 2016, 2018, 2019+, 2020+, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreOthersPrimary tutelle and institutional anchor. CNRS provides the UAR 2035 framework and is the primary institutional guarantor of MSH SUD's operations, budget, and personnel.
• Université de Montpellier Paul-Valéry (UMPV)coreOthersPrimary tutelle hosting MSH SUD at the St Charles 2 site. Provides office infrastructure, academic integration, and institutional governance as a founding partner.
• Université de Montpellier (UM)coreOthersPrimary tutelle contributing governance, academic oversight, and integration with the broader University of Montpellier research ecosystem including the ExposUM Institute.
• CIRAD (Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement)keyOthersSecondary tutelle providing expertise in agricultural research, development studies, and international (Southern) research contexts. Several MSH SUD projects involve CIRAD researchers (e.g., SOLART, anticipation training, OMEES observatory).
• IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement)keyOthersSecondary tutelle bringing international development research orientation and Southern research perspectives. IRD researchers are involved in V2MOC, RIVOC, ZOOCAM, ExposUM, and the PUD SUD platform. MSH SUD hosts an IRD-based data project officer.
• Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD)keyOthersSecondary tutelle extending MSH SUD's geographic reach into the Pyrenées-Orientales territory. UPVD researchers contribute to SOLART, FoncAgri, and other projects focused on rural and Southern Occitanie.
• Région OccitaniecoreOthersMajor regional funder supporting MSH SUD through pluriannual convention and Défis Clés program (RIVOC, BIODIVOC, WOC). Co-funds the ICI-ELA incubator, ExpoSUM Institute, Trait d'Union, and the Laboratoires des Transitions initiative.
• Montpellier Méditerranée MétropolekeyOthersKey territorial partner co-funding the Plateau EcoSanté, OMEES observatory, LLUNAM living lab, and the Agora des Savoirs public conference series. Provides financial support and strategic alignment with metropolitan development priorities.
• Réseau national des MSH (RnMSH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of 21 MSH units in France. MSH SUD participates in RnMSH activities, shares best practices, and is represented on its scientific council. RnMSH provides the national coordination framework and labeling.
• MSHS-T (Maison des Sciences Humaines et Sociales de Toulouse)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister MSH in the Occitanie region, with whom MSH SUD co-manages the Laboratoires des Transitions initiative and collaborates on science-society events. Together they form the Occitanie MSH axis.
• Université de Nîmes (UNimes)supportingOthersPartner university contributing to MSH SUD's interdisciplinary projects and doctoral training networks, particularly in the ED 583 doctoral school (Risques & Société).
• INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement)supportingOthersNational research institute partner contributing to agricultural, food, and environmental research projects hosted by MSH SUD, including participatory research initiatives.
• Montpellier SupAgro / Institut AgrosupportingOthersAgricultural and environmental sciences institute partner contributing expertise to agroecology, food systems, and rural development research projects within MSH SUD's ecosystem.
• ENSAM (École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Montpellier)supportingOthersArchitecture and urban planning school partner contributing to urban ecology, landscape, and sustainable city research projects, including the LLUNAM living lab.
• CIHEAM-IAMM (Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier)supportingOthersMediterranean agronomy institute contributing to Southern and Mediterranean-focused research projects and training activities within the MSH SUD ecosystem.
• Huma-NumkeyTechnology or IntegrationNational research infrastructure for digital humanities and data. MSH SUD hosts a Huma-Num referent and leverages Huma-Num's services (HumanID, Nakala repository, IGID) for data preservation and sharing.
• PROGEDOkeyTechnology or IntegrationNational research infrastructure for quantitative data. PUD SUD is the local relay of PROGEDO, providing training, data access, and methodological support in quantitative research methods for the Occitanie East academic community.
• Alliance Sciences-Sociétés (ALLISS)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational alliance connecting science-society interface actors. MSH SUD is an associated member, participating in national-level science-society policy dialogue and best practice exchange.
• Réseau REPERES (Réseau des Pépinières de Revues Scientifiques)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of open-access scientific journal incubators. Numerev, hosted by MSH SUD, is associated with REPERES, contributing to and benefiting from shared resources, training (SPOC Quéro), and best practices in diamond open-access publishing.
• Réseau MIR@BELsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary information network in humanities and social sciences. MSH SUD is associated with MIR@BEL, which supports the visibility and interoperability of scientific journals in the SHS domain.
• Institut ExposUMkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Montpellier excellence institute (PIA4-funded, 46.4 M€) focused on environmental health determinants (exposome). MSH SUD participates in the Interfaces axis of ExposUM, contributing interdisciplinary and science-society dimensions to the institute's research agenda.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Réseau national des MSH (RnMSH): National coordination network of 21 MSH units including MSH SUD. Comparable as the umbrella that defines MSH SUD's category, sets shared standards, and channels national-level funding and labeling.
• Huma-Num: National research infrastructure (IR*) for digital humanities and SHS data. MSH SUD hosts a Huma-Num referent and uses its services (HumanID, Nakala, IGID), making Huma-Num the national-scale counterpart to MSH SUD's PolDoR.
• PROGEDO: National infrastructure for quantitative social-science data. MSH SUD's PUD SUD platform is its Occitanie Est relay, providing comparable data services, training, and repository access at regional level.
• Alliance Sciences-Sociétés (ALLISS): National alliance of science-society interface actors of which MSH SUD is an associated member. Comparable as a coordination and policy-shaping body in the same participatory-research and science-society field.

Direct peers

• MSH Paris-Saclay: Another CNRS UAR MSH in the Île-de-France region providing comparable interdisciplinary research support, data services (Progedo-Triangle, Humanum-Triangle), and doctoral training. Direct peer in mission and structure.
• Plateforme Universitaire de Données (PUD) network: National network of regional university data platforms under PROGEDO. PUD SUD is MSH SUD's instance; comparable platforms include PUD-A, PUD-T, etc., offering the same survey design, training, and quantitative data services.
• OpenEdition: National open-access publishing infrastructure for SHS, offering platforms like OpenEdition Journals, Books, and Calenda. Directly comparable to MSH SUD's Numerev journal incubator and open-science publishing mission in French social sciences.
• MSHS-T (Maison des Sciences Humaines et Sociales de Toulouse): Sister MSH in Occitanie, also a CNRS UAR. Co-manages the Laboratoire des Transitions with MSH SUD and shares the same national RnMSH framework, mission, and funding model — the most directly comparable peer.
• MMSH (Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme): CNRS UAR in Aix-en-Provence with comparable interdisciplinary research support, open-science services, and science-society mission. Operates in the same Mediterranean SHS niche and serves as a methodological benchmark.

Emerging players

• Canal-U: National audiovisual platform for higher-education and research to which MSH SUD's Pôle Image contributes via a dedicated channel. Comparable as the hosting/distribution infrastructure for research audiovisual content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MSHSud/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msh-sud

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about MSH SUD