Université de Bretagne Occidentale

What Université de Bretagne Occidentale does

Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) is a publicly chartered French higher-education and research institution established in 1970 and headquartered at 3 rue des Archives, Brest (Cedex 3, 29238), operating as an Établissement Public à Caractère Scientifique, Culturel et Professionnel under the authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. UBO serves 22,138 students across seven campuses in Brittany (Brest, Quimper, Morlaix, Plouzané, Saint-Brieuc, Vannes, Rennes) through 61 licence programmes, 99 master's programmes and 25 BUT programmes, with research and training concentrated in marine sciences (via the 1982-founded IUEM Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer at Plouzané), health (medicine, odontology, orthophony, midwifery), law and management, letters and humanities, sciences and techniques, and sports sciences.

Core academic services are delivered through a unified digital stack: ENT (Espace Numérique de Travail) digital workspace providing student/staff access to courses, registrations and administrative services; UBOTV (powered by Esup-Pod release 3.8.2) hosting 1,118 video assets; a formations catalogue; esup-transferts student-transfer system; and inscription.univ-brest.fr online registration integrated with national Parcoursup, Mon Master and ecandidat platforms. Research outputs are published via HAL UBO (hal.univ-brest.fr), and the Pôle Universitaire d'Innovation "Blue Box" supports research valorisation and industry partnerships. Teaching and research faculty comprise 1,411 teacher-researchers and 2,626 support personnel as of 15 January 2025; co-located on campus are the Bretagne INP IAE Bretagne INP business school and ESIAB agrifood engineering school, and the INSPÉ de Bretagne teacher-training institute (headquartered in Rennes, with sites in Brest, Lorient, Quimper, Rennes and Saint-Brieuc).

Revenue is generated through five identifiable streams: (i) French Ministry block funding (primary), (ii) regulated tuition (€178 licence, €254 master, €397 doctorate for AY2025-2026 plus €105 CVEC), (iii) European/national research grants and industry contracts via joint laboratories, (iv) taxe d'apprentissage from regional enterprises, and (v) continuing-education and alternance revenue via Formation Continue. The institution is led by President Pascal Olivard, with an executive committee including Vice-Presidents, the Directrice générale des services Brigitte Bonin (who oversaw the January 2025 reorganization consolidating prior directions into DAI, DE and DiViCC), and faculty/service directors. Student recruitment is run through Parcoursup (national platform), Campus France for international students via ecandidat, open-day and orientation events, and partnerships with secondary schools; international mobility is anchored in the SEA-EU European University alliance, which UBO leads.

Name

Université de Bretagne Occidentale

Legal name

Université de Bretagne Occidentale

Website

https://univ-brest.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Université de Bretagne Occidentale is a publicly chartered French university in Brest serving 22,138 students across seven Brittany campuses, delivering higher-education and research in marine sciences, health, law, sciences, humanities, and engineering with teacher-training through INSPÉ de Bretagne.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brest

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: Core government funding from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, representing the primary revenue stream for the public university
2. Tuition Fees: Registration fees from students: 178 EUR for licence, 254 EUR for master, 397 EUR for doctorate. CVEC contribution of 105 EUR from students.
3. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from European research projects, national research agencies, and industry partnerships for laboratories and research units
4. Taxe d'Apprentissage: Companies contribute a portion of their apprenticeship tax to support university training and student development
5. Continuing Education and Work-Study Programs: Revenue from professional development courses, continuing education, and alternating study-work programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UBO is a French public research university that delivers state-recognized higher education through 61 licence programs, 99 master's programs, 25 BUT programs, doctoral studies, and HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches) across seven campuses in Brittany. It conducts research in marine sciences (IUEM), health, digital technology, and humanities, and provides student services including health, psychology, disability support, career guidance (Cap'Avenir), and continuing education through the SUFCA service.

Product overview

Université de Bretagne Occidentale operates as a multi-campus public university with a digital service portfolio centered on ENT (Espace Numérique de Travail), its unified digital workspace providing access to registrations, course materials, and administrative services. Supporting services include UBOTV for video content, the formations catalog with 185 degree programmes, and esup-transferts for student transfers. Research support is provided through HAL UBO repository and the Blue Box innovation hub. Student wellness services integrate with the national Santé Psy Étudiant programme offering free psychological support. The university operates esup-transferts and inscription platforms as core student administration tools, with digital services built on Drupal 10 and Esup-Pod technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,138 students enrolled (2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Brest Métropole and Ville de BrestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Local government partnership supporting student life initiatives through the PepSE (Pépinière des Solidarités Étudiantes) incubator, which aims to dynamize the campus and city, facilitate student initiatives, and promote solidarity, culture, sport, and sustainable development.
• SEA-EU Alliance (European University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliance with European universities for joint educational programs, student mobility, and research collaboration. UBO leads the alliance which includes universities from multiple European countries, offering joint SEA-EU degrees and mobility windows.
• CROUS de BretagnecoreOthersPublic institution managing student housing, financial aid, and social services. CROUS co-manages the CVEC student life contribution and provides social support services to UBO students.
• CHRU de BrestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity hospital partnership for medical training, clinical research, and shared health services. The CHU shares facilities with medical and health science faculties.
• Bretagne INP (Institut National Polytechnique)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational polytechnic institute partnership hosting IAE Bretagne, ESIAB engineering school, and ENIB within the UBO campus ecosystem, providing engineering and business education programs.
• Local Enterprises (Taxe d'Apprentissage)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal and regional companies contribute apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage) to UBO, supporting training quality and student development in exchange for access to graduate talent pipeline.
• Colleges and High Schools (Lycées)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrientation partnerships with secondary schools for student recruitment and transition support, helping prospective students understand programs and navigate admission processes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Université de Caen Normandie: Normandy-region French public university comparable in scale and disciplinary range, with a parallel multi-campus model and coastal-research interests directly comparable to UBO's regional-coastal positioning.
• Aix-Marseille Université: Largest French public research university with comparable breadth across health, sciences, law, and humanities, and a notable Mediterranean marine-sciences presence; structurally similar EPCSCP institution at greater scale.
• Sorbonne Université: Major Paris-based French public research university with comparable scale across sciences, health, law, and humanities, serving as a benchmark for research-intensive French public universities and the partnership model via Convergence Institute structures.
• Université de Lille: Large northern French public university (formed 2018 from merger) with multi-disciplinary research strength and a similar post-merger integration model, providing a peer reference for UBO's 2025 administrative restructuring.
• Université de Nantes: Public research university in Pays de la Loire, neighboring western France, with comparable multi-disciplinary offerings, similar public-mission profile, and overlapping student catchment that competes with UBO for the same regional talent.
• Université de Rennes: Major French public research university also located in Brittany with overlapping disciplinary strengths (sciences, law, humanities, health) and direct regional competition for students and faculty. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography and EPCSCP status.
• Université de Bretagne Sud (UBS): Another public university within the Brittany region serving similar regional student populations with comparable undergraduate and applied-technology (IUT) programs, making it the closest direct peer for student-recruitment and regional positioning.
• Université de Montpellier: French public research university with strong health and science faculties and overlapping research themes in marine, environmental, and life sciences, serving as a benchmark for comparable-scale research-intensive universities.

Broad incumbents

• IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer): National French marine research institution that partners with UBO's IUEM, offering broader reach in ocean science and complementary marine-research infrastructure; broader-incumbent not direct competition but adjacent research ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Wageningen University & Research: Dutch research university specializing in life sciences and agrifood, directly comparable to UBO's ESIAB agrifood engineering school and to thematic research streams in marine and food sciences; specialized peer with partial overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ubo_campus
• Xx.com/ubo_univbrest
• Facebookfacebook.com/ubo.univbrest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ubo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Université de Bretagne Occidentale