What ISAE Supaero does

ISAE-SUPAERO (Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace) is a French public higher-education and research institution specialized in aerospace engineering, headquartered in Toulouse with a satellite training site at Lasbordes Airfield and a first-year Defense & Security program in Brest. The current institution was formed in 2007 by grouping the legacy Supaero (founded 1907) and ENSICA schools, making it one of the oldest aeronautics education institutions globally. It operates six research departments (DEOS, DCAS, DAEP, DMSM, DISC, LACS) covering electronics/optronics/signal, vehicle design, aerodynamics/energy/propulsion, structural mechanics, complex systems, and humanities, with ~130 permanent teaching researchers (most also active researchers), ~300 PhD students, and ~400 laboratory personnel. Notable scientific contributions include the SuperCam microphone on NASA's Perseverance rover, CMOS image sensors for the Sentinel 2c satellite, planetary seismometers for InSight/DART/Hera/RAMSES/Artemis IV, the open-source AeroMAPS aviation-transitions platform, and the HQC post-quantum cryptographic protocol selected by NIST.

The institution's product portfolio centers on three CTI-accredited engineering diplomas (Ingénieur Généraliste, Industrial Engineering apprenticeship track, Defense & Security with ENSTA), a Master's in Aerospace Engineering taught in English, 16 specialized Mastère Spécialisé® programs (covering sustainable aviation, aeronautical structures, propulsion, embedded systems, AI and business transformation, space systems, etc.), a doctoral program, and continuing-education certificates. Digital delivery channels include the IREAL remote-experimentation platform, MOOCs, NaaS microlearning, and the 100% online MS Sustainable Aviation. Revenue mechanics blend public funding from the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, European/international research grants (including ERC Consolidator Grants), industry partnership income via six sponsored chairs (Airbus, Thales, Dassault Aviation, Safran, AXA, Liebherr), tuition from Master's and MS programs, apprenticeship tax, and donations through the Fondation ISAE-SUPAERO.

The institution serves four customer segments: engineering-degree students (Bac+5 level), working professionals in continuing-education programs, doctoral researchers, and aerospace/defense companies (Airbus, Thales, Dassault Aviation, Safran, CNES, ESA, NASA, ONERA, GIFAS) seeking graduate talent and research collaboration. GTM relies on French competitive entrance exams (concours) for domestic students, the Campus France network for the 37% international cohort, corporate-sponsored apprenticeships, and a 28,000-strong alumni network (ISAE-SUPAERO ENSICA Alumni Association). The school holds CTI accreditation, CGE label for MS programs, QUALIOPI and ISO 9001 certifications, and was rated by HCERES 2026 with scientific production 'excellent to exceptional.'

Name

ISAE Supaero

Legal name

Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace

Website

https://isae-supaero.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ISAE-SUPAERO is a French public aerospace engineering grande école in Toulouse offering CTI-accredited engineering diplomas, Master's and 16 specialized Mastère Spécialisé® programs, doctoral research, and continuing education. It serves ~1,940 students, working professionals, and aerospace/defense industry partners including Airbus, Thales, CNES, and ESA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Tuition fees from Mastère Spécialisé® programs, Master programs, and professional training. Approximately 1,200€ deposit for Master confirmation, 1,500€ deposit for Mastère Spécialisé® confirmation.
2. Government Funding: Public funding from French government for engineering education and research activities.
3. Industry Partnerships and Chairs: Corporate partnerships through sponsored chairs with Airbus, Thales, Dassault Aviation, Safran, AXA, and others. Includes research funding and student sponsorship.
4. Apprenticeship Tax: Companies contribute through apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage) to support vocational training.
5. Foundation Donations: Donations through Fondation ISAE-SUPAERO including the Lopez-Loreta 1 million euro prize for innovative projects by graduates.
6. Research Grants: European and international research funding through projects including 5 DAEP projects at European scale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISAE-SUPAERO is a French public higher education institution delivering aerospace engineering education and research. Its core offerings include three accredited engineering degree programs (generalist, apprenticeship-based industrial engineering, and defense & security), a Master in Aerospace Engineering, 16 specialized Mastère Spécialisé® postgraduate programs, a doctoral program with ~300 PhD students, and continuing education certificates and diplomas. The institute also conducts applied research across six departments and maintains digital learning platforms (IREAL, NaaS, MOOCs, AeroMAPS).

Product overview

ISAE-SUPAERO is a leading aerospace engineering institute offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offering consists of three engineering programs (Generalist Engineer, Industrial Engineering by Apprenticeship, and Defense & Security Engineering) leading to the Diplôme d'Ingénieur. Post-graduate offerings include a Master in Aerospace Engineering and 16 specialized Mastère Spécialisé programs covering domains such as sustainable aviation, aeronautical structures, space systems engineering, embedded systems, AI and business transformation, and aerospace project management. The institute also operates several digital platforms including IREAL for remote experimentation, NaaS for microlearning content, and the AeroMAPS environmental impact analysis tool. Research activities span six departments: Electronics/Optronics/Signal (DEOS), Aircraft/Space Vehicle Design and Operation (DCAS), Aerodynamics/Energy/Propulsion (DAEP), Structural Mechanics/Materials (DMSM), Complex Systems Engineering (DISC), and Languages/Arts/Cultures/Societies (LACS).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ingénieur Généraliste ISAE-SUPAERO Five-year graduate engineering program providing comprehensive training in aerospace engineering with emphasis on aeronautics, space systems, and complex system design, leading to the Diplôme d'Ingénieur accredited by the Commission des Titres d'Ingénieurs (CTI).
• Ingénieur de Spécialité Génie Industriel pour l'Aéronautique et l'Espace (par apprentissage) Apprenticeship-based engineering specialization in industrial engineering for aerospace applications, combining paid work experience at a partner company with academic training.
• Ingénieur de Spécialité Défense & Sécurité Joint engineering diploma with ENSTA, the only such joint program in France accredited by CTI, covering defense and security systems including naval, terrestrial, cyber, AI, aeronautical and space systems.
• Master in Aerospace Engineering (DNM) Master's level aerospace engineering program taught in English, providing advanced education in aeronautical and space engineering disciplines.
• Mastère Spécialisé Sustainable Aviation (SA) 100% online Mastère Spécialisé® focused on sustainable aviation practices and environmental transition in the aerospace sector.
• Mastère Spécialisé Aeronautical and Space Structures (AES) Specialized master program covering structural design and analysis for aeronautical and space applications.
• Mastère Spécialisé Aeronautical Maintenance and Support Engineering & Management (AMS E&M) Program focused on aircraft maintenance engineering and support operations management.
• Mastère Spécialisé Aviation Safety: Aircraft Airworthiness (ASAA) Specialized program in aviation safety and aircraft airworthiness certification and compliance.
• Mastère Spécialisé Helicopter, Aircraft, and Drone Architecture (HADA) Program covering architecture and design of helicopters, aircraft, and unmanned aerial systems.
• Mastère Spécialisé Experimental Flight Engineering (IEVex) Advanced program for test pilots and flight test engineers delivered in partnership with EPNER.
• Mastère Spécialisé Systèmes de Propulsion Aérospatiale (SPA) Specialized master in aerospace propulsion systems covering engine design and propulsion technology.
• Mastère Spécialisé Aeronautical Engineering (TAS Aero) Program focused on aeronautical engineering with flight test engineering option.
• Mastère Spécialisé Aéronautique Maintien en Condition Opérationnelle des Aéronefs d'État (Aero OPS SA) Specialized program for military aircraft operational maintenance and support engineering.
• Mastère Spécialisé Embedded Systems (EMS) Program covering embedded systems design and development for aerospace applications.
• Mastère Spécialisé Systems Engineering (SEN) Comprehensive systems engineering program for complex aerospace project management.
• Mastère Spécialisé Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management (IEM) Program combining innovation management, entrepreneurship skills, and business transformation for aerospace contexts.
• Mastère Spécialisé Artificial Intelligence and Business Transformation (AIBT) AI-focused program addressing business transformation through artificial intelligence applications in industry.
• Mastère Spécialisé Aerospace Project Management (APM) Program focused on project management methodologies specific to aerospace industry projects.
• Mastère Spécialisé Space Applications & Services (SPAPS) Program covering space applications development, satellite services, and space system utilization.
• Mastère Spécialisé Space Systems Engineering (TAS Astro) Advanced program in space systems engineering covering satellite design, mission planning, and space exploration.
• Doctoral Program (PhD) Doctoral research program with approximately 300 PhD students across six research departments, leading to the highest academic degree.
• Continuing Education Programs Specialized certificates (Certificats d'Études Spécialisées), Postgraduate Diplomas, short qualifying modules, and VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) for working professionals seeking upskilling.
• IREAL Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 5th ranked French engineering school
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

AI capability11 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Airbus Defence & Space and ArianeGroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint advanced space concepts laboratory focusing on future space system design and development. Airbus DS & ArianeGroup sponsor research chair at ISAE-SUPAERO.
• AirbuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco-Design of Aircraft chair focusing on sustainable aircraft development and environmental impact reduction.
• ThalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated Air Transport System chair for research on air transport optimization and systems integration.
• Dassault AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCognitive Aerial Systems chair, co-organizer of ICCAS conference on cognitive aircraft systems. Partners on SaCLaB laboratory for future space systems.
• SafrancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation in Transitioning World chair supporting research on technological transitions in aerospace industry.
• AXAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman Factors and Neuroergonomics for Air Safety chair focusing on cognitive aspects of aviation safety.
• CNEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench space agency partner for major missions including SuperCam (Perseverance), ExoMars, Hera, and concurrent engineering center for space systems.
• ESAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Space Agency partner for Sentinel satellites (CIMI sensors), Hera planetary defense mission, ExoMars, RAMSES to Apophis.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mars missions including Perseverance rover (SuperCam microphone/instrument), DART mission analysis, Artemis IV seismological instrument.
• ONERAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench aerospace research office with 400 researchers on ISAE-SUPAERO campus; joint research in aerodynamics, structures, propulsion.
• ENACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Toulouse School of Aviation and Aerospace Engineering (TSAAE) for Mastère Spécialisé® programs; co-development of HQC quantum protocol.
• ENSTA and ISAE-SUPAERO Joint ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnly joint engineering diploma in France, accredited by CTI, delivered jointly by ENSTA and ISAE-SUPAERO for Defense & Security engineering.
• Liebherr-Aerospace ToulouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial chair for air conditioning systems research, focusing on aerodynamic design improvement of turbine wheels for decarbonated aircraft.
• Dassault SystèmescoreTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partnership for 3DEXPERIENCE collaborative engineering platform used across Groupe ISAE (7,000 users) for authentic industrial scenarios.
• University of ToulousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISAE-SUPAERO is part of University of Toulouse federation, adjacent to Paul Sabatier University with CNRS labs (LAAS) and Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées.
• Groupe ISAEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISAE-SUPAERO is founding member of Groupe ISAE network including ISAE-SUPMECA, ISAE-ENSMA, ESTACA, and ISAE-Ecole de l'Air.
• UNIVERSEHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Space University for Earth and Humanity - European university alliance in aerospace created under EU Commission initiative.
• CNRScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research through Institut Clément Ader (UMR CNRS 5312) for solid mechanics, and collaborations with multiple CNRS laboratories.
• GIFASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Aerospace Industries Association supporting Groupe ISAE development.
• Fondation ISAE-SUPAEROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting institute through donations, Lopez-Loreta 1M€ prize for innovative graduate projects, and student support programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• École Polytechnique: France's other top-ranked engineering Grande École with a strong applied mathematics, physics, and engineering base; competes with ISAE-SUPAERO for the same French concours talent pool and partners with many of the same aerospace primes.
• Imperial College London — Department of Aeronautics: Imperial's Aeronautics department is a leading European aerospace school with a comparable mix of aeronautics, space, and propulsion research; competes with ISAE-SUPAERO for European top engineering talent and industry-funded research.
• Georgia Institute of Technology — Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering: One of the largest and most cited U.S. aerospace engineering schools, with broad research across aeronautics, space, and propulsion — comparable in scale, research output, and industry partnership depth to ISAE-SUPAERO.
• ENAC (École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile): France's civil aviation school and ISAE-SUPAERO's joint-program partner through the Toulouse School of Aviation and Aerospace Engineering (TSAAE); directly comparable in flight training, aviation research, and continuing-education offerings.
• Stanford University Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Stanford's Aero/Astro department is a direct peer, combining aerospace engineering education with mission-driven research and producing graduates that feed into NASA, SpaceX, and the broader aerospace ecosystem; comparable scope and prestige to ISAE-SUPAERO.
• TU Delft — Faculty of Aerospace Engineering: TU Delft's Aerospace Engineering faculty is a top European peer with research strengths in space systems, sustainable aviation, and propulsion; a direct competitor for international students and a co-member in the UNIVERSEH alliance.
• MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics: MIT's Aero/Astro department is the leading global counterpart to ISAE-SUPAERO, offering graduate and undergraduate aerospace engineering programs, conducting space-mission research, and serving as a prime supplier of aerospace talent to industry and government — directly comparable in mission, curriculum, and research portfolio.
• Purdue University — School of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Purdue's AAE school is a direct peer, supplying the U.S. aerospace workforce (with strong NASA ties) and operating large experimental facilities — directly comparable in mission-driven aerospace engineering education and research.
• Caltech Graduate Aerospace Laboratories (GALCIT): Caltech GALCIT is a top-tier aerospace research and education center with deep involvement in planetary missions and space exploration — closely mirroring ISAE-SUPAERO's mission-participation model and small, elite cohort approach.

Broad incumbents

• ONERA (Office National d'Études et de Recherches Aérospatiales): France's national aerospace research lab, with 400 researchers co-located on the ISAE-SUPAERO campus; not a school but a deep research partner that competes for the same research grants and talent pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ISAE_officiel
• Facebookfacebook.com/isae.supaero

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ISAE Supaero