University of Lyon

Higher Education and Research Coordinationuniversite-lyon.fr

The ComUE Université de Lyon is a French public higher education consortium coordinating 11 member universities, 19 associated institutions, and 5 research organisms across Lyon and Saint-Étienne, delivering shared services in doctoral training, innovation, student life, and scientific mediation.

Company typePrivate
Founded2007
HeadquartersLyon, France
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What University of Lyon does

The ComUE Université de Lyon is a French public higher education consortium (Communauté d'universités et établissements) established under French public law, headquartered at 92 rue Pasteur, Lyon, with a secondary presence in Saint-Étienne. It functions as a coordination and shared-services body for the Lyon Saint-Étienne university site, bringing together 11 full member institutions (including Lyon 1 Université, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, ENS de Lyon, Centrale Lyon, INSA Lyon, Sciences Po Lyon, VetAgro Sup, ENTPE, ENSAL, Enssib), 19 associated institutions, and 5 national research organisms (Inserm, IFPEN, Anses, Inria, INRAE). Together, the coordinated ecosystem serves approximately 130,000+ students across member institutions and supports hundreds of research laboratories.

Its core "products" are shared coordination services and platforms rather than commercial goods. These include: the I-Factory innovation hub and Fabrique de l'Innovation fablab (18 hosted innovation actors, 400 permanent residents); the Centre d'Entrepreneuriat Lyon Saint-Étienne; Collegium de Lyon (Institute for Advanced Studies); the DATALystE research data workshop; scientific mediation via Pop'Sciences, MMI Lyon, and INDULO; the Espace Ulys EURAXESS center for international researchers; and student-facing portals (Mes aides étudiantes, Ma santé). The underlying technology stack is light and operational rather than proprietary: the consortium website runs on the K-Sup Content Management System with CAS Central Authentication Service — standard higher-education tooling rather than differentiating technology.

The ComUE does not earn commercial revenue. Its funding flows from public higher education budgets allocated by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, supplemented by regional co-funding (Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Métropole de Lyon, Ville de Lyon) and partner contributions. Go-to-market is community-led: services are delivered internally to member and associated institutions, doctoral candidates, students, and research partners. In June 2025, the ComUE added a new revenue-adjacent line by constituting itself as a public procurement central purchasing body, allowing it to channel public-procurement contracts for member institutions. Pricing is not publicly disclosed because no commercial pricing model applies.

University of Lyon firmographics

Firmographics

Name: University of Lyon
Legal name: Université de Lyon
Website: https://universite-lyon.fr
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2007
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: The ComUE Université de Lyon is a French public higher education consortium coordinating 11 member universities, 19 associated institutions, and 5 research organisms across Lyon and Saint-Étienne, delivering shared services in doctoral training, innovation, student life, and scientific mediation.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

University of Lyon industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education and Research Coordination
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)
akta.pro secondary industries: Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH), Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF), Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)

Keywords

Higher education coordination
Research consortium
Doctoral programs
Scientific mediation
University partnerships

Where University of Lyon is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Lyon
HQ country: France
HQ region: Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

University of Lyon business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

Public Higher Education Funding: As a ComUE (Communauté d'universités et établissements), the University of Lyon operates as a public higher education coordination body. It receives public funding for its coordination mission and provides services to member institutions.
Student Services and Support: Provides student aid information portals, housing assistance, mental health resources (Ma santé), and various student support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

University of Lyon product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The ComUE Université de Lyon is a public higher education consortium that coordinates 11 member universities and grandes écoles, 19 associated institutions, and 5 national research organisms across the Lyon and Saint-Étienne territory. It delivers shared coordination services including doctoral program support (Doctorat/MDTL180 thesis competition), innovation transfer and entrepreneurship (I-Factory, Fabrique de l'Innovation, Centre d'Entrepreneuriat), student life services (Mes aides étudiantes, Ma santé), scientific mediation (Pop'Sciences, MMI, INDULO), international researcher reception (EURAXESS Espace Ulys), research data support (DATALystE), and centralized public procurement services for member institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Pop'Sciences: Portal for dissemination of knowledge and scientific culture events in Lyon and Saint-Étienne
I-Factory
Collegium de Lyon
Centre d'Entrepreneuriat Lyon Saint-Étienne (CELSE)
DATALystE
INDULO
MMI Lyon
Mes aides étudiantes
Fabrique de l'Innovation
Ma Santé
Espace Ulys

Products and services

Doctoral Programs (Doctorat) and MT180 thesis competition Coordinated doctoral training and MT180 thesis competition supporting doctoral candidates across member institutions, co-organized with France Universités and CNRS.
I-Factory Innovation Hub Largest academic innovation space on the Lyon Saint-Étienne site, hosting 18 innovation actors and 400 permanent residents to support ideation and prototyping.
Centre d'Entrepreneuriat Lyon Saint-Étienne (CELSE) Entrepreneurship center that raises awareness, supports and trains students and doctoral candidates in entrepreneurship across the Lyon Saint-Étienne site.
Espace Ulys (EURAXESS Center) EURAXESS Center for reception and integration of doctoral candidates and international researchers across the Lyon Saint-Étienne site.
Public Procurement Central Purchasing Body (Centrale d'achat) Centralized public procurement service providing purchasing services to member institutions, associated institutions, and national research organisms.
Pop'Sciences (scientific culture dissemination) Portal for dissemination of knowledge and scientific culture events across Lyon and Saint-Étienne, including Pop'Sciences Mag and the pedagogical game 'En quête de science' for scientific journalism training.
MMI Lyon (Maison des Mathématiques et de l'Informatique) Center for mediation and resources dedicated to discovering, understanding, and appreciating mathematical and computer sciences.
DATALystE Data workshop that raises awareness, trains, and supports scientists in managing their research data across the Lyon Saint-Étienne site.
INDULO (industrial immersion) Immersive experience to discover industry and its trades through simulation of an industrial company.
Collegium de Lyon (Institute for Advanced Studies) Institute for Advanced Studies acting as a scientific incubator for international researchers, hosting Fulbright fellows and site-based research stays.
Fabrique de l'Innovation (Innovation Fablab) Innovation Fablab putting university talents and technologies at the service of entrepreneurs and companies, covering ideation, solution research, and prototyping under multi-year partnerships (e.g., ENEDIS).
Mes aides étudiantes (student aid portal) Student aid portal consolidating housing assistance, financial support devices, and alternative housing offers for students at member institutions.
Ma Santé (student health portal) Health information and support services for students, including physical and mental health resources across the Lyon Saint-Étienne site.
En quête de science (pedagogical game) Pedagogical game developed by Pop'Sciences for scientific journalism training and research introduction, launched in 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

96% student satisfaction rate at CNAM Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use University of Lyon

Customer profile

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

University of Lyon technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

University of Lyon partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

ENEDIScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA multi-year partnership convention signed between ENEDIS and the Fabrique de l'Innovation of the ComUE Université de Lyon, aimed at nourishing innovations led by ENEDIS and supporting their professions around ideation, solution research, and prototyping.
CCSB (Communauté de communes Saône Beaujolais)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA four-year partnership convention signed between the ComUE Université de Lyon and the Communauté de communes Saône Beaujolais (CCSB) for the deployment of joint scientific culture actions.
Collegium de Lyon (Fulbright Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between the Franco-American Fulbright Commission and the Collegium de Lyon offers fellowships to candidates for national Fulbright scholarship programs (All Disciplines, French Studies, Fulbright-Tocqueville) who wish to be hosted in research units on the Lyon/Saint-Étienne university site.
France UniversitéscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance Universités is the French association of universities and co-organizes the Ma Thèse en 180 Secondes (MT180) competition nationally, with local organization by ComUE.
CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS is a co-organizer of the MT180 competition and provides scientific recognition through medals and awards for researchers across the site.
Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe region provides financial support for student life ambassador programs and participates in various joint initiatives.
Métropole de LyoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-funds the Prix de la Jeune Recherche award with the Ville de Lyon and the ComUE.
Ville de LyoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-funds the Prix de la Jeune Recherche award with the Métropole de Lyon and the ComUE.
Alliance Campus RhodanienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe fifth call for projects by the Alliance Campus Rhodanien aims to strengthen scientific collaborations between Franco-Swiss partners through new project development.
Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian Institute of ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA delegation from the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science met with key academic actors of the Lyon Saint-Étienne site to explore collaboration opportunities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

University of Lyon competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Université de Strasbourg: Multi-campus French public research university site with significant industry and EU research partnerships. Direct peer for site-level coordination, innovation transfer, and graduate school programs.
Sorbonne Université: Paris-based research university formed via merger with shared graduate schools, doctoral colleges, and innovation infrastructure. Comparable in structure and ambition to Université de Lyon's coordinated site model.
Université de Bordeaux: French public research university site formed via merger of three universities; comparable in scale, governance model, and innovation ambitions to ComUE Université de Lyon.
Université de Lille: French public research university site coordinating sciences, engineering, law, and humanities under a unified governance model since 2018. Direct peer for site-level coordination and innovation support services.
Aix-Marseille Université: Large multi-campus French public research university formed by merger, comparable in scale to the ComUE coordination footprint. Overlaps in scientific mediation, doctoral programs, and innovation support.
Université Grenoble Alpes: Regional French public research university site coordinating engineering schools, sciences, and social sciences across Grenoble. Comparable regional academic site with strong industry partnerships and innovation focus.
Université Paris-Saclay: French ComUE-style research university coordinating 15+ institutions (CentraleSupélec, AgroParisTech, ENS Paris-Saclay) with major shared innovation infrastructure (Plateau de Saclay). Direct functional peer to Université de Lyon as a multi-campus public research coordination body.
Université PSL (Paris Sciences et Lettres): Paris-based ComUE coordinating top grandes écoles and research institutions (ENS, Collège de France, Dauphine). Direct functional peer for graduate schools, shared doctoral programs, and coordinated scientific strategy.
Université Fédérale de Toulouse: French ComUE-style federal university coordinating engineering schools (ISAE-SUPAERO, INP) and research universities across Toulouse. Direct functional peer in multi-institution coordination, doctoral programs, and innovation transfer.

Emerging players

Université de Nantes: Mid-sized French public research university with growing innovation and entrepreneurship programs. Regional peer operating at smaller scale than Lyon but with comparable doctoral and industry-partnership ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

University of Lyon financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

University of Lyon leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

University of Lyon subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries35 records

University of Lyon funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

University of Lyon M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about University of Lyon

What does University of Lyon do?

Is University of Lyon a public or private company?

University of Lyon is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was University of Lyon founded?

University of Lyon was founded in 2007. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is University of Lyon based?

University of Lyon is headquartered in Lyon, France, in the Europe region.

How does University of Lyon make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Public Higher Education Funding is the primary driver. The others are student Services and Support.

Who are University of Lyon's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Université de Strasbourg, Sorbonne Université, Université de Bordeaux, Université de Lille, Aix-Marseille Université, Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Paris-Saclay, Université PSL (Paris Sciences et Lettres) and Université Fédérale de Toulouse. Université de Nantes is listed as an emerging player.

Does University of Lyon have an API?

No public API is recorded for University of Lyon.

What industry is University of Lyon in?

University of Lyon's product category is Higher Education and Research Coordination. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAI, Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems, with a secondary code of EDAHABAH, Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization). Its NAICS code is 611310 and its SIC code is 8200.