INSTITUT EUROPEEN DES MEMBRANES (IEM)

The European Institute of Membranes (IEM – UMR 5635, CNRS, University of Montpellier, ENSCM), founded in 1994, is an internationally recognised research laboratory specialising in membrane materials and processes.

Its activities span the design and characterisation of functional materials through to their integration into separation and transformation processes, using a multidisciplinary and multiscale approach.

IEM addresses key challenges in environmental protection, water management, sustainable energy and health, including wastewater treatment and resource recovery, gas separation and utilisation, energy conversion and storage, and biotechnology.

Working closely with industrial partners, IEM develops innovative and sustainable solutions, promoting technology transfer and process scale-up.

Design, synthesis and characterisation of functional and membrane materials. Development of processes for separation, wastewater treatment, gas recovery and energy conversion.

The IEM is an international reference laboratory in the field of membranes, recognised for its multidisciplinary and multi-scale approach. It focuses on the design, characterisation and application of new membranes for industrial processes, including effluent treatment, gas separation and biotechnologies, as well as applications in desalination, agrifood, energy production, air treatment (in particular the filtration of microplastics), filtration of PFAs in water and biotechnologies for healthcare. The IEM develops materials with hierarchical structures and controlled porosity, optimising processes through advanced modelling and experimentation. Its four areas of research are: (1) membranes for energy, (2) membranes for water treatment, (3) membranes for air treatment and (4) membranes for health. The IEM is also involved in training (international master's degree in membrane engineering).