What Ecole de technologie supérieure does

École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) is a public research-intensive engineering university located in Montreal, Quebec, founded in 1974 as a constituent of the Université du Québec system. It serves undergraduate, master's and doctoral students through engineering programs and operates the largest co-operative education (co-op) engineering program in Quebec, providing work-integrated learning placements with employer partners as a structural feature of its degrees.

The school has formalized its applied research activity across seven research axes, one of which is dedicated to artificial intelligence, and pursues corporate R&D partnerships in domains including aerospace (Airbus CRYSTAL project), medical imaging AI (DIAGNOS), and quantum computing (QMill). ÉTS anchors an innovation and startup-transfer ecosystem through its Centech incubator and Ax.c innovation hub, supported by an alumni network of approximately 60,000 graduates. The school marked its 50th anniversary in 2024 and launched a 2025-2030 strategic plan focused on research intensification and international partnerships.

ÉTS's revenue model combines government appropriations (as a Quebec public university), student tuition, competitive research grants (federal and provincial), and corporate-sponsored research and innovation-hub services. It does not operate as a commercial enterprise and does not disclose consolidated revenue; multi-million-dollar partnership values (e.g., T-RIZE ~$3M, DIAGNOS ~$1M, Ax.c funding ~$1.5M) suggest meaningful but non-material commercial inflows relative to total institutional budget.

Name

Ecole de technologie supérieure

Legal name

École de technologie supérieure

Website

https://etsmtl.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) is a public engineering university in Montreal, part of the Université du Québec system, operating Quebec's largest co-op engineering program and an innovation ecosystem anchored by the Centech incubator and Ax.c hub, serving undergraduate, master's and doctoral students and applied research partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Engineering education
• Applied research
• Technology incubation
• Cooperative education
• Higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: ÉTS is a public university funded primarily through tuition fees set by the Quebec government. Tuition rates vary by residency status: Quebec residents pay approximately $100.89 per credit; Canadian non-Quebec residents pay approximately $314.90 per credit; international students pay approximately $1,087.72 per credit at undergraduate level and $931.10 per credit for professional master's programs. Doctoral students (third cycle) are charged $100.89 per credit with automatic exemption from a lump-sum surcharge.
2. Government Funding and Research Grants: As a public institution, ÉTS receives operational funding from the Quebec Ministry of Higher Education and federal research councils (NSERC, Mitacs). Research chairs and collaborative projects are funded through grants (e.g., CAD $3+ million for the Industrial Research Chair in Tokenization, over C$1.0 million for DIAGNOS retinal AI partnership).
3. Incubator and Innovation Services (Centech): Centech, ÉTS's high-technology business incubator, supports startup ventures from conception to commercialization, generating indirect revenue through partnerships, sponsorships, and economic development contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) is a public engineering university in Montreal that delivers accredited undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral engineering programs across disciplines including software, electrical, mechanical, aerospace, construction, and information technology engineering. It integrates mandatory paid co-op internships into undergraduate curricula, operates the Centech high-tech business incubator and Ax.c innovation hub, and conducts applied research through specialized research chairs and laboratories.

Product overview

École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) is a Quebec engineering university in Montreal offering undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple engineering disciplines. The institution provides a portfolio of bachelor's degrees (Baccalauréat), graduate programs (Maîtrise, DESS, Doctoral), and professional certificates. Core offerings include 11 undergraduate engineering programs, research-focused graduate degrees, cooperative education stages, and the Centech high-tech business incubator. ÉTS operates as a technology-focused engineering school established in 1974, with seven specialized research axes and partnerships supporting innovation and commercialization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Baccalauréat Programs (Undergraduate Engineering Degrees) Undergraduate engineering bachelor's degree programs in Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Construction Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Automated Production Engineering, Operations and Logistics Engineering, Information Technology Engineering, UX Design, and Distributed Computing. Designed for prospective undergraduate students seeking accredited engineering degrees.
• Graduate Programs (Maîtrise, DESS, Doctoral) Graduate-level programs including professional master's (M. Ing.), research master's (M. Sc. A.), Diplôme d'études supérieures spécialisées (DESS), and doctoral (PhD) degrees in engineering disciplines. Targeted at students seeking advanced engineering credentials and research training.
• Certificates and Short Programs Professional certificates and short programs in telecommunications, construction management, quality management, industrial production, real estate management, and maintenance planning. Targeted at working professionals seeking continuing education.
• Cooperative Education (Stages) Paid internship program integrated into undergraduate engineering curricula, providing students with industry work experience equivalent to one year before graduation. Connects students to employers through ÉTS's coordination team.
• Centech Technology Business Incubator High-tech business incubator operated by ÉTS that supports entrepreneurs and startup ventures in bringing technology projects from conception to commercialization, including subsidized office space through Ax.c. Targeted at technology startups and entrepreneurs.
• Research Axes and Industrial Research Chairs Seven specialized research axes covering Aeronautics and Aerospace, Sensors and Networks, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy, Infrastructure and Built Environments, Quantum Engineering, Innovative Materials and Advanced Manufacturing, and Intelligent and Autonomous Systems. Includes funded Industrial Research Chairs such as the Industrial Research Chair in Tokenization.
• Corporate Training (Formation continue) Continuing education and customized training services for corporate clients to upskill their employees. Targeted at employers seeking to develop their technical workforce.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 250 events hosted by Ax.c innovation hub in its first year of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toronto Metropolitan University – DMZ IncubatorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Ax.c, ÉTS's innovation hub, formed a new partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University's DMZ incubator to connect startups with DMZ's international network in Toronto and New York City for commercialization opportunities.
• DIAGNOS Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026ÉTS and DIAGNOS Inc. secured over C$1.0 million in federal funding in February 2026 to advance next-generation retinal AI algorithms. DIAGNOS develops the CARA AI platform for detecting retinal diseases through standard fundus cameras, having already assessed over 400,000 patients across 140 clinics in 16 countries.
• QMill (Finland)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 December 2025ÉTS and Finnish quantum-algorithm developer QMill formed a strategic partnership to develop and test quantum algorithms for real-world applications in energy, logistics, and telecommunications sectors, bridging Finland's and Quebec's quantum research communities.
• T-RIZE GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025T-RIZE Group and ÉTS secured over CAD $3 million in funding over five years from Mitacs and NSERC through the Industrial Research Chair in Tokenization program. Research focuses on blockchain sustainability, real-world asset tokenization, and decentralized federated learning. T-RIZE has tokenized over US$100 million in assets and has a pipeline of over US$1 billion in signed projects.
• House of Commons Science and Research CommitteeminorOthers · 5 May 2025ÉTS executives testified before the House Science and Research Committee in its study on dual-use technologies, highlighting structural barriers that prevent Canadian innovations from moving efficiently from testing to deployment.
• Airbus – CRYSTAL ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025Airbus launched the CRYSTAL project in partnership with Canadian academic and research organizations including ÉTS, Polytechnique Montréal, and FSM Management Group, to measure non-CO2 emissions from jet fuels including 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Ground testing at Airbus Mirabel site begins Q3 2025; flight testing using A220 aircraft in 2027. Project is part of Quebec's Espace Aéro aerospace innovation zone.
• Polytechnique MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025Polytechnique Montréal and ÉTS collaborate as academic partners in the Airbus CRYSTAL project measuring non-CO2 aviation emissions, part of Quebec's Espace Aéro aerospace innovation zone.
• FSM Management GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025FSM Management Group participates alongside ÉTS and Polytechnique Montréal as a Canadian aerospace partner in Airbus's CRYSTAL project for non-CO2 emissions research.
• Espace Aéro (Quebec Aerospace Innovation Zone)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025Espace Aéro is Quebec's first official aerospace innovation zone supporting the Airbus CRYSTAL project in which ÉTS participates as an academic research partner.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Université de Sherbrooke - Faculté de génie: Sherbrooke-based Quebec university with a strong engineering faculty known for co-op programs and applied research. Direct peer competing within Quebec's public university system for engineering students and research funding.
• Université Laval - Faculté des sciences et de génie: Quebec City-based French-language university with a comprehensive engineering faculty. Direct peer offering accredited engineering baccalaureate and graduate programs within Quebec's public university system.
• McGill University - Faculty of Engineering: Montreal-based research-intensive university with a major engineering faculty offering undergraduate and graduate programs. Direct peer competing for the same student pool, research grants, and industry partnerships in Quebec.
• Concordia University - Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science: Montreal-based university with a large engineering and computer science school. Comparable in scale, location, and applied engineering focus; competes for the same domestic and international student base.
• Polytechnique Montréal: Montreal-based French-language engineering university within the Université de Montréal system, offering comparable undergraduate and graduate engineering programs. Direct peer due to overlapping research domains (including the Airbus CRYSTAL project) and competition for Quebec engineering students.
• University of Waterloo - Faculty of Engineering: Canada's largest engineering school, renowned as the pioneer of co-operative education. Closest comparable peer to ÉTS in terms of co-op program scale, applied learning orientation, and employer-driven curriculum.

Emerging players

• Ontario Tech University - Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science: Smaller, newer Canadian engineering school with applied-technology focus. Emerging player comparable to ÉTS in its emphasis on practice-oriented engineering education and growing research profile.

Broad incumbents

• University of Toronto - Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Canada's largest and most research-intensive engineering faculty. Broader incumbent with deeper research funding, more international prestige, and a wider portfolio of engineering disciplines than ÉTS.
• University of British Columbia - Faculty of Applied Science: Major Canadian research university with a comprehensive engineering faculty. Comparable to ÉTS in offering co-op and applied programs but with significantly larger scale, broader research output, and stronger international student pipeline.

Others

• Toronto Metropolitan University - DMZ: Toronto-based startup incubator partnered with ÉTS's Ax.c innovation hub. Peer in the technology incubator ecosystem, providing comparison for Centech/Ax.c's startup acceleration model and commercialization outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/etsmtl
• Facebookfacebook.com/etsmtl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/-cole-de-technologie-sup-rieure-ts-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ecole de technologie supérieure