What ENSAIA does

ENSAIA (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires) is a French public Grande Ecole engineering institution, part of Université de Lorraine since 2012, delivering three CTI- and EUR-ACE-accredited engineering degrees (Agronomy, Food Industries, and the apprenticeship-based Food Production program added in 2014), plus master's programs in Nutrition/Food Sciences and Bioprocesses, doctoral training, and professional certifications (Diplômes d'Université in methanization and dairy production management). It graduates approximately 170 engineers per year from a student body of 850+ and operates five research laboratories affiliated with INRA and CNRS covering agronomy/environment, biomolecular engineering, bioprocess engineering, animal/agroecosystems, and soils/environment.

The school's research and training infrastructure includes the La Bouzule experimental farm (acquired 1967) and an integrated methanization platform (452 m³ digester, 36 kW cogenerator producing 300,000 kWh/yr and an estimated 350 tonnes CO₂-equivalent annual reduction), a structural and metabolomic analysis platform, a phytotronic platform, and a bioavailability/bioactivity platform. Eight to ten spin-off companies — including Plant Advanced Technologies (PAT), Biolie, Myrissi, Synaging, Genialis, Microhumus, and Ecota — have been incubated from the laboratories, commercializing patented technologies such as 'Plantes à traire' (non-destructive root extraction), solvent-free plant extraction, recombinant-protein production via carnivorous plants, and crossmodal color-odor modeling.

Commercially, ENSAIA operates as a publicly funded institution: the French Ministry of Higher Education bears approximately €10,000-12,000 per student per year in subsidies, while tuition is roughly €650/year for engineering students, €200/year for master's students, and €300/year for doctoral students. Additional revenue comes from research contracts and industrial chairs (Bio4Solutions, AgroMétha, FragranceSyn, B4B, Nouvelles ruralités), continuing-education DU programs, and the taxe d'apprentissage (~15% of school resources, collected via the SOLTÉA platform). Corporate customers span food (Nestlé, Unilever, Danone, Bongrain), retail (Auchan), cosmetics, and agricultural R&D partners, and the school recruits internationally through 40 partner universities and the n+i network.

Name

ENSAIA

Legal name

ENSAIA - Université de Lorraine

Website

https://ensaia.univ-lorraine.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ENSAIA is a French public Grande Ecole engineering school in Nancy delivering three accredited engineering degrees (Agronomy, Food Industries, Food Production), master's, doctoral, and professional certificate programs, backed by five INRA/CNRS-affiliated research labs, the La Bouzule experimental farm with methanization platform, and 8-10 spin-off companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Agronomy & Food Engineering)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA)

Keywords

• Agronomy engineering education
• Food industry training
• Bioprocess engineering
• Agricultural sciences
• Research laboratory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vandoeuvre-lès-nancy

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Education: ENSAIA delivers three engineering diplomas accredited by CTI and EUR-ACE. Revenue comes from student tuition fees (approximately €650/year university fees, €180/year tuition fees, €220/year student health insurance) plus significant French government subsidies covering approximately €10,000-12,000 per student per year.
2. Master's and Doctoral Programs: Co-habilitated master's programs in Nutrition and Food Sciences, Bioprocesses, and other specializations. Doctoral training through the RP2E doctoral school. Tuition approximately €200/year university fees plus €50/year tuition fees.
3. Continuing Education and Professional Certifications: Diplôme d'Université programs including methanization unit management, dairy production management, and other professional certifications. Diplomatic University responsible for production in dairy industry.
4. Taxe d'Apprentissage: Companies contribute 0.09% of payroll to fund initial training. ENSAIA receives the balance through SOLTéA platform, representing approximately 15% of school resources. Designated via code UAI 0540109A.
5. Research and Development Services: Research laboratories provide R&D services to industry partners. Eight startups created from research generate commercial activity. Chaires (industrial chairs) provide funding for specific research programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ENSAIA is a French Grande École delivering CTI- and EUR-ACE-accredited engineering degrees in Agronomy, Food Industries, and Food Production, plus Master's, Doctoral, and professional diploma programs (e.g., methanization implementation, dairy production management). It conducts applied research through five certified laboratories affiliated with INRA and CNRS, backed by the La Bouzule experimental farm and methanization platform, and supports technology transfer through 8-10 spin-off companies. The institution also runs the ECOTROPHELIA food innovation competition as a flagship program.

Product overview

ENSAIA (Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Agronomie et des Industries Alimentaires) is a French engineering school offering three engineering degree programs (Agronomy, Food Industries, and Food Production), master's programs (Nutrition and Food Sciences, Bioprocesses), doctoral studies, and professional certificates. The institution operates research laboratories (LRGP, LIBio, LAE, LSE, URAFPA) and hosts a network of 8-10 spin-off companies including MYRISSI, BIOLIE, Plant Advanced Technologies, SYNAGING, Genialis, Microhumus, and ECOTA. Key research facilities include the Centre R&D La Bouzule experimental farm and Methanization Platform. The school also runs the ECOTROPHELIA food innovation competition program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ingénieur Agronome Three-year engineering degree program specializing in agronomy, covering agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, crop protection, and sustainable agriculture development. Awarded the title of Ingénieur Agronome; admission via competitive entrance exams or admission on records.
• Ingénieur Industries Alimentaires Engineering degree program focused on food science and technology, including food formulation, dairy products, biotechnologies, packaging, and supply chain management. CTI- and EUR-ACE-accredited.
• Ingénieur Production Agroalimentaire Apprenticeship-based engineering degree program training production managers for the food processing industry with skills in process engineering, quality management, and continuous improvement. Students must hold a signed apprenticeship contract with a company; no fees are charged to the apprentice.
• Master Nutrition et Sciences des Aliments Master's program with specializations in dairy industries and quality, food nutrition and cosmetics, and food preservation and packaging. Co-habilitated with the Université de Lorraine.
• Master Bioprocédés Master's program covering bioprocess engineering, including BioWARE and industrial bioprocess engineering specializations.
• Diplôme d'Université Mise en œuvre d'une unité de méthanisation University diploma program for implementing methanization units, targeting professionals and students in the dairy industry and agricultural sectors.
• DU Manager un site industriel laitier Professional certificate program for managing dairy industry production and industrial performance.
• Centre R&D La Bouzule Experimental farm research facility at Champenoux supporting training and R&D, including the agronomic research platform and methanization platform for renewable energy research.
• Plateforme de Méthanisation Methanization platform at La Bouzule farm producing biogas and digestate from agricultural waste, generating 300,000 kWh of electricity and equivalent heat annually, with 350 tonnes CO2 eq annual emissions reduction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of graduates employed within months of graduation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Agrocampus Ouest (Institut Agro Rennes-Angers): Engineering school in agronomy, food science, and horticulture. Competes with ENSAIA on student recruitment and industry R&D collaboration.
• ESA (École Supérieure d'Agriculture) Angers: Private agricultural engineering school in Angers with similar agronomy, food science, and wine programs. Comparable educational offering and industry-engagement model.
• ISARA Lyon: Private engineering school in agronomy, food science, and environmental science. Comparable in programmatic scope and industry partnership orientation to ENSAIA.
• VetAgro Sup: French public institution combining veterinary medicine, agronomy, and food engineering under CTI accreditation. Comparable in scale, scope, and student demographics to ENSAIA.
• AgroParisTech (Institut Agro Paris-Saclay): France's leading agronomy and food science Grande Ecole, also under CTI/EUR-ACE accreditation. Directly competes with ENSAIA for top students, faculty, and industry-sponsored research in agronomy, food science, and biotech.
• Institut Agro Montpellier (SupAgro Montpellier): One of the three Institut Agro schools, with overlapping agronomy and food industry engineering programs. Competes with ENSAIA for French agronomy students and industry research partnerships.
• Oniris (Nantes Atlantic National College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering): French engineering school specializing in food science and veterinary medicine. Directly competes with ENSAIA's food industry engineering program and shares the Grande Ecole/CGE ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research: European leader in agricultural and food science research and education. Significantly larger and more international than ENSAIA, but operates in the same category for benchmarking on agronomy/food research intensity.
• Université de Lorraine (parent/collegium): ENSAIA's parent university/collegium, housing a broader science and engineering portfolio. Overlaps with ENSAIA on agronomy, food, and biotech research and shares open-access platforms.

Regional players

• Université de Liège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech: Belgian agronomy and bioscience engineering school with comparable program structure. Regional peer operating in the same Franco-Belgian academic ecosystem but in a different country.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/ENSAIA-Ecole-Nat-Sup-dAgronomie-et-des-Industries-Alimentaires/215580008452472?ref=hl
• Xx.com/ENSAIA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries8 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 ENSAIA