l'Union des Professeurs de Sciences et Techniques Industrielles

What l'Union des Professeurs de Sciences et Techniques Industrielles does

UPSTI (l'Union des Professeurs de Sciences et Techniques Industrielles) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 1982, headquartered in Paris at Lycée Chaptal. It is the only national association representing professors of Industrial Sciences (Sciences de l'Ingénieur) and Informatics who teach in CPGE scientific preparatory classes, in lycées, and in post-bac programs. Its core constituency is more than 700 teachers operating across over 200 public and private high schools under contract, and it links these teachers to more than 300 industrial partners and the wider engineering-Grande-École ecosystem (Arts et Métiers ParisTech, CentraleSupélec, ENPC, CCINP, CCMP).

UPSTI's product portfolio is a portfolio of programs and events rather than a traditional software stack. The flagship is the Olympiades de Sciences de l'Ingénieur (OSI), an annual national competition launched in 2009 that engages 950+ teams and 4,300+ students each year, with academic finals across France and a national final hosted at a top engineering school (École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in 2026). Other programs include the international teacher conference ICSTEng, the gender-diversity initiative F.I.R.S.T. and Sciences de l'Ingénieur au Féminin, the primary-school outreach A Step in STEM using Thymio robots, the practitioner event Démosciences, and the policy conference #FrenchSTEM. Supporting infrastructure includes the upsti.fr website, ADAGE-based competition registrations, and digital pedagogical resources covering SI, NSI, STI2D, and SNT curricula.

UPSTI is funded primarily by individual membership dues (€20-€60 per year depending on teacher category) and by the French apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage), the latter via its association-of-general-interest status permitting receipt of up to 3.9% of designated company flows. Additional support comes from 300+ industrial partners and government bodies (Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale). Operating on a lean staff of 1-10 employees and relying on member volunteers, UPSTI's mission is advocacy, pedagogical resource production, and community-building rather than commercial monetization.

Name

l'Union des Professeurs de Sciences et Techniques Industrielles

Legal name

UPSTI

Website

https://upsti.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UPSTI is the French national non-profit association uniting more than 700 Industrial Sciences professors across 200+ high schools, running the annual OSI student competition, the ICSTEng teacher conference, and STEM outreach programs, funded by membership dues and the apprenticeship tax.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education Association

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Advanced STEM & Competition Coaching (MathCounts/AMC/AIME/USAMO, Science Olympiad, Physics/Chem Olympiads) (EDANAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gifted, Advanced & Acceleration Centers (Honors/AP/IB Enrichment) (EDANAHAL), Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Engineering education
• STEM teacher network
• National science competition
• Professional teacher association
• Technical sciences pedagogy

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Annual membership fees from teachers. CPGE teachers pay 60 euros per year (90 euros for couples, 30 euros for retired members). College/high school/post-bac teachers and DDFPT pay 20 euros. Non-teaching supporters pay 30 euros.
2. Taxe d'apprentissage ( apprenticeship tax ): UPSTI receives funds from the French apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage). As an association of general interest, it is authorized to receive up to 3.9% of companies' total apprenticeship tax, designated specifically to support actions such as the Olympiades de Sciences de l'Ingénieur, FIRST, ICSTEng, FrenchSTEM, and Demosciences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

UPSTI is a French non-profit professional association founded in 1982 that unites more than 700 professors of Engineering Sciences teaching in Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles (CPGE) across 200+ public and private high schools. It delivers a portfolio of annual events including the Olympiades de Sciences de l'Ingénieur (national student competition), the ICSTEng international conference, A Step in STEM outreach for children, the F.I.R.S.T. gender-diversity program, #FrenchSTEM policy conference, and Démosciences teacher training, alongside pedagogical resources for SI, NSI, STI2D, and SNT curricula.

Product overview

UPSTI (Union des Professeurs de Sciences et Techniques Industrielles) is a professional educational association organized around a portfolio of programs and events focused on promoting engineering and technical sciences education in France. The core offerings include the Olympiades de Sciences de l'Ingénieur (annual national competition for high school students), ICSTEng (international conference on science technology and engineering), F.I.R.S.T. (women in engineering outreach program), A Step in STEM (STEM education for children ages 4-10), Démosciences (hands-on teacher training), and #FrenchSTEM (STEM policy conference). These programs are complemented by educational resources, pedagogical materials, and the Cordées de la Réussite outreach program. UPSTI serves as a network hub connecting over 700 teachers in CPGE scientific preparatory classes across France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Olympiades de Sciences de l'Ingénieur (OSI): Annual national competition for high school students (1st and Terminale) working in teams on innovative projects in Engineering Sciences.
• ICSTEng
• A Step in STEM
• F.I.R.S.T
• Démosciences
• #FrenchSTEM

Products and services

• Olympiades de Sciences de l'Ingénieur (OSI) Annual national competition for high school students in Première and Terminale (SI and STI2D) to work in teams of 2-5 on innovative pluritechnological experimental projects in Engineering Sciences. Reaches over 4,300 students and 950+ teams annually across 24 academic finals, culminating in a national final.
• ICSTEng (International Conference on Science Technology and Engineering)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,300 students and 950+ teams participate annually in the Olympiades de Sciences de l'Ingénieur, with ~60 projects reaching the national final
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fondation C.GénialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation whose purpose is to raise young people's awareness of science and technology. A key partner in promoting engineering education among youth.
• Fondation L'OréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe L'Oréal Foundation embodies the group's commitment to social utility actions, listed as a supporter of UPSTI.
• French Fab (La French Fab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched on October 2, 2017, by the French government as the banner of French industry in motion. Supports UPSTI's mission to connect industry with education.
• Arts et Métiers ParisTechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrande École d'Ingénieurs and founding partner. Arts et Métiers hosts OSI finals and ICSTEng conferences, provides prizes for OSI competitions, and participates in teacher training through LIESSE stages.
• ALTENcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean leader in Engineering and Technology Consulting. Provides prizes at OSI competitions and supports events promoting engineering careers.
• Concours Commun INP (CCINP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetition for entry into 62 French engineering schools. Provides prizes at OSI competitions and represents the pathway that OSI participants may pursue.
• Concours Mines-Ponts (CCMP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetition for entry into Grandes Écoles d'Ingénieurs. Provides prizes at OSI competitions and partners for ICSTEng.
• Femmes IngénieurescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation that promotes engineering careers among young women. Co-organizes the FIRST event and provides prizes at OSI for performance and gender mix.
• MathWorkscoreTechnology or IntegrationAmerican software publisher specializing in mathematical computing (MATLAB). Sponsors OSI national finals and provides prizes for modeling and simulation achievements.
• Académie des TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Academy of Technology that makes proposals to public authorities on technology issues. Awards prizes at OSI and invites OSI winners to the Académie des Sciences.
• Fondation Marius LavetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation dedicated to engineer and inventor Marius Lavet, contributing to better recognition of French engineers. Supports OSI prizes.
• PFA - Filière Automobile et MobilitésminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive and mobility platform bringing together the French automotive sector. Provides prizes for innovative mobility at OSI competitions.
• Syntec-IngénieriecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional federation of engineering firms, representing over 400 companies. Partners with OPCO Atlas for 'Ingénierie du Futur Junior' prize at OSI.
• Fondation Arts et MétierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation raising funds for higher education including Arts et Métiers ParisTech. Provides prizes at OSI competitions.
• CentraleSupéleccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrande École d'Ingénieurs resulting from the merger of École Centrale Paris and Supélec. Hosted OSI 2024 national final and provides prizes.
• École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench engineering school founded in 1747, forming high-level engineers. Hosted OSI 2026 national final at École nationale des Ponts.
• Université Paris-Saclay / CentraleSupéleccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity campus and engineering school hosting OSI 2024 national final at CentraleSupélec - Université Paris-Saclay.
• EPF (École Polytechnique Féminin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrande École d'Ingénieurs (formerly École polytechnique féminine). Partner providing support and prizes at OSI events.
• ISEP (Institut Supérieur d'Électricité de Paris)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate engineering school and OSI partner providing prizes and support.
• ESIEE ParisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic engineering school specializing in digital, energy, and environmental transition. OSI partner.
• Concepteurs d'Avenirs (OPCO Atlas / Syntec-Ingénierie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative promoting engineering careers to young people, operated by OPCO Atlas and Syntec-Ingénierie. OSI partner.
• Université Paris Dauphine - PSLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university with ENS Paris-Saclay campus involvement. Mentioned in OSI context.
• Ecole Centrale de Pekin (Centrale Pekin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe first French-language engineering school in China. Partner in UPSTI's international collaboration initiatives.
• Institut sino-français d'aviation civile Beihang-ENAC (ZFAI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSino-French civil aviation institute in Hangzhou, China. Participates in OSI with multiple teams annually, representing international reach of the competition.
• Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale (French Ministry of Education)coreOthersThe French Ministry of Education provides institutional support to UPSTI. UPSTI participates in all debates concerning the scientific stream in CPGE and advocates on topics affecting the national CPGE system. The Ministry provides official backing and recognition.
• Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university involved in OSI hosting and academic collaboration.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• IEEE Education Society: International IEEE society focused on engineering education research and pedagogy. Comparable international peer to UPSTI in advancing teaching methods, curriculum innovation, and teacher professional development in engineering sciences.
• American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE): U.S.-based professional society for engineering education with comparable mission of connecting engineering faculty, schools, and industry. Represents an international counterpart whose conference/recognition model parallels UPSTI's ICSTEng.

Direct peers

• Femmes Ingénieurs: Association promoting engineering careers to young women; co-organizes the F.I.R.S.T. event with UPSTI and provides OSI prizes for gender-mix performance. Direct operational overlap in gender-diversity STEM outreach.
• Conférence des Classes Préparatoires: Founding-member umbrella for French CPGE, co-founded with UPSTI. Represents the institutional layer that defines CPGE policy alongside UPSTI's teacher-network perspective; the two organizations work in tandem on curriculum reform and CPGE advocacy.
• Fondation C.Génial: Foundation dedicated to promoting STEM awareness among young people in France. UPSTI's OSI and A Step in STEM initiatives overlap directly with C.Génial's mission, and the two are formal partners sharing teachers, events, and corporate sponsors.
• Union des Professeurs de Physique et de Chimie (UdPPC): French association for physics and chemistry teachers. Mirrors UPSTI's structure for an adjacent scientific discipline, serving CPGE and lycée teachers, producing pedagogical resources, and engaging in science education advocacy.
• APMEP (Association des Professeurs de Mathématiques de l'Enseignement Public): Largest French association of mathematics teachers. Closely analogous to UPSTI in mission and structure (subject-specific teacher professional association producing pedagogical resources and competitions); comparable in size, funding model, and CPGE relevance.

Broad incumbents

• Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE): Umbrella organization for French engineering Grandes Écoles, of which UPSTI is an associate member. CGE represents the receiving end of the CPGE-to-Grande École pipeline that UPSTI's teachers and competitions feed; both organizations co-shape engineering education policy in France.
• Syntec-Ingénierie: Professional federation representing 400+ French engineering firms. Partners with UPSTI through OPCO Atlas on the 'Ingénierie du Futur Junior' OSI prize, bridging industry demand with student engineering talent that UPSTI develops.

Others

• Arts et Métiers ParisTech: Founding partner Grande École d'Ingénieurs that hosts OSI finals and ICSTEng, provides prizes, and participates in LIESSE teacher training with UPSTI. Closely intertwined ecosystem player rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/upstifr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/upsti
• Facebookfacebook.com/upstifr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about l'Union des Professeurs de Sciences et Techniques Industrielles