Ecole Supérieure du Bois

What Ecole Supérieure du Bois does

Ecole Supérieure du Bois (ESB) is a French private higher-education institution — registered as an Association loi 1901 non-profit and labeled EESPIG (Établissement d'enseignement supérieur privé d'intérêt général) — that operates as the only French engineering school exclusively dedicated to wood science and biosourced materials. Founded in the 1930s and headquartered at Atlanpole in Nantes with additional campuses in Bordeaux and Lyon, ESB delivers a portfolio spanning the BTS SCBH and BTS DRB vocational certificates, a three-year Bachelor (with apprenticeship tracks including "Chef de chantier bois et bas carbone" and "Bois et transition numérique de la production"), the five-year Diplôme d'Ingénieur (CTI-accredited, 2021–2026 maximum period), three Mastère Spécialisé® programs (Composites Biosourcés; Responsable Bas Carbone de Projets de Construction with ESTP Paris; Médiation Territoriale et Gestion RSE with Bordeaux Sciences Agro), a Doctorat en Sciences du Bois, and continuing-education services for industry.

The technical infrastructure comprises wood-chemistry, anatomy, microscopy and mechanics laboratories, a fully digitized production workshop inaugurated in July 2021, a dedicated innovation-and-creativity space, and prototyping/maker spaces; the school's research arm runs three industrial chairs (Bouygues Construction, Ecorce, Bois Santé) and an engineering center that delivers consulting and testing (fire propagation in wood façades, window performance) alongside the FCBA technology institute. A double-degree pathway with Audencia Business School adds management credentials, and ESB participates in the European Innovawood network (Research Director Dr. Mark Irle serves as Vice-president).

The business model blends four recurring revenue streams: tuition fees (undisclosed, with a "Standard" French/EU tier and an EASIER Studies endowment-fund scholarship path of up to €2,000), apprenticeship contracts where sponsoring companies pay apprentice salaries and contribute to training costs, EESPIG public subsidies tied to the school's general-interest designation, and professional continuing-education contracts with wood-sector firms. Distribution channels include the national Parcoursup platform for BTS/Bachelor applicants, a proprietary My.ESB portal for ingénieur and mastère applications, direct international recruitment, and enterprise relationships supporting over 100 apprenticeship partners. Marketing combines organic social (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube), student fairs (Your Future Paris, CGE virtual fair), open days, webinars, virtual campus tours, and email/newsletter nurture flows. Reported student outcomes include >80% signing a CDI (permanent contract) after graduation, 63% securing first employment before graduation, 82% employed within two months, and a median starting salary of €37,090 gross annual.

Name

Ecole Supérieure du Bois

Legal name

ESB (Association loi 1901)

Website

https://esb-campus.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ecole Supérieure du Bois is a French private, EESPIG-labeled engineering school (non-profit association) that exclusively specializes in wood science and biosourced materials, offering BTS, Bachelor, ingénieur, Mastère Spécialisé, and doctoral programs across Nantes, Bordeaux, and Lyon campuses to roughly 400 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH), Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ), ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL)

Keywords

• Wood science education
• Engineering higher education
• Biosourced materials training
• Forest products engineering
• Wood construction programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 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: Private higher education institution collecting tuition from students. Fees vary by program and student status (French/EU vs international).
2. Apprenticeship contracts: Revenue from apprenticeship contracts where companies pay student salaries and sometimes contribute to training costs.
3. Public subsidies (EESPIG): As a labeled EESPIG institution (Établissement d'enseignement supérieur privé d'intérêt général), the school receives public funding.
4. Continuing education services: Professional training and continuing education for companies in the wood sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ecole Supérieure du Bois (ESB) is a French private higher education institution delivering degree programs (BTS, Bachelor, Licence Professionnelle, Diplôme d'Ingénieur, Mastère Spécialisé, Doctorat) in wood science, biosourced materials, and forest-wood engineering. It combines academic scientific training with hands-on workshops and industry apprenticeship tracks, and offers continuing education, research partnerships, and consulting services to companies in the forest-wood sector.

Product overview

Ecole Supérieure du Bois (ESB) is a French private higher education institution (EESPIG labeled) offering a comprehensive portfolio of wood science and biosourced materials programs. The institution operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture with its 5-year engineering degree as the flagship core product, supplemented by vocational (BTS), Bachelor, professional license, specialized master (Mastère Spécialisé®), and PhD programs. Key modules include the low-carbon construction manager mastère (partnered with ESTP Paris), bioresource composites master, and territorial mediation/RSE master (partnered with Bordeaux Sciences Agro). Research arms include three industrial chairs (Bouygues Construction, Ecorce, Bois Santé) and an engineering center providing industry consulting. Student support services include the EASIER Studies endowment fund for scholarships, the Studapart housing platform for student accommodation, and the Les Transitionneurs incubator for sustainable projects. A double-degree option with Audencia Business School expands offerings into management education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Easier Studies: Endowment fund for financing student studies
• AIESB
• Les Transitionneurs
• La Junior du Bois

Products and services

• Diplôme d'Ingénieur en Sciences et Technologies du Bois et des Matériaux Biosourcés

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of graduates sign CDI (permanent employment contract) after diploma
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Bouygues ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Industrial Chair partnership for wood construction and biosourced materials research. Jacques Bouillot (ESB President) and Thiébault Clément signed the chair creation at Carrefour International du Bois in Nantes. Focus on advancing wood construction techniques and sustainable building materials.
• Audencia Business SchoolmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2022Double degree engineer-manager program. Expansion of existing partnership starting 2022. Students can earn both engineering and management credentials.
• FCBA (Institut technologique Forêt Cellulose Bois-Construction Ameublement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner for research projects. Jointly runs engineering center offering collective support programs for companies, particularly in window performance improvement and fire propagation in wood facades.
• ESTP ParismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Specialized Master degree 'Low-carbon construction project manager' offered jointly with ESTP Paris starting September 2022.
• Bordeaux Sciences AgromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Specialized Master in territorial mediation and RSE management for the forest-wood sector, accredited by the Conference of Grandes Ecoles.
• StudapartminorOthersHousing platform partner providing exclusive student accommodation offers including studios, flatshares, and homestays with personalized support.
• InnovawoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network for wood industry innovation. ESB Research Director Dr Mark Irle serves as Vice-president of Innovawood. Mission to encourage innovation and bring commercial benefits to the entire value chain from forestry to furniture.
• Ecorce Industrial ChaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial Chair dedicated to wood science research, part of ESB's research strategy.
• Chaire Bois SantécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch chair focused on wood and health applications, part of ESB's research strategy.
• Région Pays de la LoireminorOthersRegional government partner supporting collective programs. Provides funding for wood industry support programs such as window performance improvement initiatives.
• AIESB (Alumni Association)minorOthersAlumni association of ESB graduates. Organizes network events and supports current students and graduates.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AgroParisTech: Premier French engineering grande école in life sciences, agronomy, and forestry. Comparable on Grande École structure, CTI accreditation, and applied research model; broader in scope but overlaps on biosourced materials and forest resource topics.
• Arts et Métiers ParisTech (ENSAM): Major French engineering school with strong industrial and mechanical engineering programs, including materials and manufacturing. Relevant comparison as a multi-campus private-public engineering institution with apprenticeship tracks and continuing education.
• Institut Agro (formerly AGROCAMPUS OUEST): French public grande école system covering agriculture, food, and environmental sciences, including forestry-related engineering programs. Comparable as a state-recognized, multi-campus French engineering institution with applied research and industry partnerships, though broader than ESB's wood-only focus.
• INSA group (national network): Network of French public engineering schools (INSA Lyon, Toulouse, Rennes, etc.) offering broad engineering curricula. Comparable on multi-campus engineering education, CTI accreditation, and apprenticeship tracks; competitive threat for top STEM students.

Others

• Audencia Business School: French business school partnered with ESB on a double-degree engineer-manager program. Comparable as a Nantes-based French grande école with EESPIG-equivalent recognition; partner rather than direct competitor but operates in same student/employer market.

Emerging players

• University of British Columbia – Faculty of Forestry: North American reference in wood science, bioeconomy, and forest products education/research. Comparable on wood-science specialization and international research leadership (e.g., via Innovawood network ESB participates in).
• Luleå University of Technology – Wood Science and Engineering: Swedish research university with a leading Wood Science and Engineering division. Comparable as a European specialist wood-engineering academic institution with strong industry linkage and international student recruitment.

Direct peers

• ESTP Paris: French grande école specializing in construction and civil engineering. Joint partner with ESB on the Mastère Spécialisé® Responsable Bas Carbone de Projets de Construction; comparable specialized grande école model with apprenticeship programs and continuing education.
• Bordeaux Sciences Agro: French engineering school partner of ESB on the Mastère Spécialisé Médiation Territoriale et Gestion RSE for the forest-wood sector. Comparable size and public-school status; collaborates with ESB on joint programs and competes for agronomy/forestry students.
• ENSTIB (École nationale supérieure des technologies et industries du bois): Engineering school at Université de Lorraine in Epinal, the other French grande école dedicated to wood science and materials. Direct competitor for French wood engineering talent, students, and industry partnerships; both train ingénieurs for the forest-wood value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/ESB-campus
• Facebookfacebook.com/esbcampus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/esb-campus
• Instagraminstagram.com/esbcampus

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Ecole Supérieure du Bois