What IHEST does

IHEST — Institut des Hautes Études pour la Science et la Technologie — is a French non-profit training institute founded in 2007 and headquartered at 1 rue Descartes, 75231 Paris Cedex 05. It operates one annual flagship product, the Cycle national de formation, a year-long program that convenes approximately one cohort per year of senior decision-makers drawn from central administrations, public research organizations (CNRS, CEA, INSERM, INRAE, Inria, Caisse des Dépôts), major French corporates (Thales, Dassault Aviation, TotalEnergies, Suez, Orange, Nokia), universities (Université Grenoble Alpes), territorial authorities (Lille Métropole), parliamentarians, and journalists. The training format brings these diverse decision-makers into a single cohort to integrate scientific methodology into high-stakes public and private decisions.

Its product surface extends beyond the flagship cycle into Séminaires et interventions (expert-led seminars), the Université Territoriale program of regional events co-organized with French regions and La Banque des Territoires, a certification (« Mobiliser la démarche scientifique dans les prises de décision à forts enjeux ») issued since 2020, and a Médiathèque of publications and the « Décider avec les sciences » podcast series (over 70 episodes). The institute holds Qualiopi certification (awarded 2022) and conducts a 20th anniversary campaign from April 2026 to January 2027 under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, anchored by a closing colloquium on January 28, 2027 in Paris.

IHEST is funded primarily through formation fees tied to its training cycle and seminars, supplemented by institutional partnerships with government bodies (including the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche) and corporate partners. Revenue and financial data are not publicly disclosed. The organization distributes through direct enrollment, regional territorial events, and digital channels (website, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky, Instagram, podcast hosts). The technology stack is standard web tooling — Google Analytics, YouTube, Google reCAPTCHA, Google Fonts, social share buttons, and the Ausha podcast platform — with no proprietary technology or AI/ML capability disclosed.

Name

IHEST

Legal name

Institut des Hautes Etudes pour la Science et la Technologie

Website

https://ihest.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IHEST is a French non-profit training institute (founded 2007, headquartered in Paris) that runs an annual national cycle and regional Territorial Universities to train senior public- and private-sector decision-makers in applying scientific methodology to high-stakes decisions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Education and Professional Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Training Delivery Services (Onsite/Virtual Instruction, Workshops, Coaching) (BPAEANAN)

Keywords

• Executive education programs
• Professional training cycles
• Science policy training
• Decision-maker seminars
• Certified training institute

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Formation fees: Revenue from training programs, specifically the Cycle national de formation. The institute charges for its certification programs and training cycles, with information available about 'Financement et prise en charge de la formation' (funding and training coverage) on their website.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

IHEST is a French non-profit training institute founded in 2007 that delivers executive education programs enabling senior decision-makers from the public and private sectors to integrate scientific and technological knowledge into strategic decision-making. It operates a national training cycle (Cycle national de formation), thematic seminars, territorial universities, a podcast channel, and Qualiopi-certified training programs. The institute serves organizations across industrial, energy, digital, and public research sectors.

Product overview

IHEST (Institut des Hautes Etudes pour la Science et la Technologie) is a French training institute that offers a portfolio of educational products centered around its Cycle national de formation (the flagship year-long national training program for decision-makers), supplemented by Séminaires et interventions (seminars and expert lectures), the 'Décider avec les sciences' podcast series, Université Territoriale regional events, and a certification program in scientific decision-making. All offerings focus on bridging science and public/private decision-making across topics including AI, ecology, technology sovereignty, and societal transitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cycle national de formation "Lucile Grasset" Flagship multi-week residential training cycle for senior executives and officials that combines scientific literacy, technology foresight, and policy/strategy decision-making. Aimed at cadres dirigeants from public administrations, large corporations, and research institutions.
• Séminaires de formation continue Short thematic continuing-education seminars covering emerging science and technology topics, designed for working professionals who need targeted updates on specific scientific or technological issues affecting their sectors.
• Universités territoriales de l'innovation Regionally-delivered training events that bring IHEST's science-and-decision curriculum to local territorial actors, including regional public officials, local enterprises, and ecosystem stakeholders outside the Paris region.
• Podcast IHEST Audio podcast channel featuring discussions among researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders on the relationships between science, technology, and society, offered as a free educational resource to the wider public.
• Formation certifiante Qualiopi Qualiopi-certified training actions registered with French training-funding bodies (OPCO, CPF), enabling client organizations to finance IHEST programs through regulated professional training schemes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 consecutive annual training cycles completed since 2007
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• La Banque des TerritoirescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Banque des Territoires is a key strategic partner for IHEST's territorial university events and seminars. They co-organize regional events on topics like territorial water management, coastal adaptation, industrial decarbonation, and sustainable land use. This partnership enables IHEST to reach regional decision-makers and territorial authorities.
• Région BretagnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRégion Bretagne partnered with IHEST for the Territorial University on demographic transition, held November 12-13, 2025 in Rennes. The region hosted and co-organized the event addressing demographic challenges facing Brittany.
• Région Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRégion Nouvelle-Aquitaine collaborated with IHEST on a territorial university event in Bordeaux focused on coastal adaptation and sea-level rise, addressing regional environmental planning challenges.
• Métropole Rouen NormandieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with IHEST for a territorial university on industrial carbon neutrality, engaging regional industrial actors in the energy transition discussion.
• The Conversation FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIHEST partnered with The Conversation France to produce the 'Défis climatiques' podcast series, extending reach through The Conversation's academic and media network.
• Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la RecherchecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Higher Education and Research is involved in the 20th anniversary colloquium, with Minister Philippe Baptiste confirmed to attend. The ministry provides institutional support for IHEST's mission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HEC Paris Executive Education: Top French grande école executive education offering certificates and programs to senior executives. Competes for the same corporate training budget from Thales, TotalEnergies, Orange, and other IHEST customers, with a stronger business/management focus.
• Sciences Po Executive Education: Executive education arm of Sciences Po offering custom and open-enrollment programs for senior leaders on policy, regulation, and society. Competes for the same corporate and public-sector training budget with strong brand recognition in French policy education.
• INSP - Institut National du Service Public (formerly ENA): France's elite public administration school, training senior civil servants for top government roles. Directly comparable audience (senior public decision-makers) and a similar role in shaping how French officials integrate complex technical and policy issues into their work.
• IHEDN (Institut des hautes études de la défense nationale): French 'instituts des hautes études' sibling organization that trains senior officials, military officers, and corporate executives in strategic thinking via multi-stakeholder sessions. Closest structural peer: same naming convention, same cross-sector convener model, same audience of French elite decision-makers.
• Ecole de Guerre: French military/strategic studies institute training senior officers and officials in strategic analysis and decision-making. Comparable in audience (senior decision-makers), methodology (multi-stakeholder strategic seminars), and institutional positioning.
• INHESJ (Institut national des hautes études de la sécurité et de la justice): Another member of France's 'instituts des hautes études' family, training senior public and private actors on security and justice issues. Same structural template (multi-stakeholder cohort, government backing, certification) but in a different policy domain.
• Mines Paris - PSL Executive Education: Executive education arm of Mines ParisTech offering programs in management of technology, energy, and industrial transitions. Comparable in training senior executives at the science-business interface and drawing on a similar elite-grande-école brand.

Emerging players

• Institut Montaigne: Leading French independent think tank producing policy research and convening senior executives, officials, and academics. Adjacent rather than direct: focuses on research output and public events rather than formal cohort training, but competes for the same sponsor attention from major French corporates.
• EHESP (École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique): French grande école training senior public-health officials and executives. Same institutional template ('école des hautes études'), same audience (senior public decision-makers), and same government affiliation, though specialized in the health domain.

Broad incumbents

• INSEAD Executive Education: Global business school with a major French presence (Fontainebleau campus) running executive programs that draw the same C-suite audience IHEST serves. Larger and broader portfolio, but a competing choice for executive science-and-strategy training budgets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IHEST
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPd4rnrGEXAzFcZUeqRJqtg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ihest
• Instagraminstagram.com/ihest75
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance1 record

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 IHEST