Tutored Partner Project (P2T)

At Centrale Nantes, we are convinced of the value of active teaching methods, particularly project-based learning, for developing cross-disciplinary skills. In addition to developing these skills, the P2T (Tutored Partner Project) exposes engineering programme students to the complexities of the professional world as early as possible, by giving them an assignment in their first year with a partner from the local business world. By anchoring students in local activity in this way, we encourage them to consider their future role in society in a given area.

Teaching objective

To give first-year engineering programme students an insight into their future profession as engineers, by having them carry out a project entrusted to them by local associations, local authorities and companies.

Hands-on projects

Do you have a new idea in mind that you'd like to develop within your organisation, but don't have the time or resources to do so? Centrale Nantes' Tutored Partner Projects can be a good springboard for developing your ideas!

The school invites associations, companies or local authorities to entrust a study project to a group of first-year engineering students on one of their technical, organisational, economic or environmental issues, free of charge.

How the project works

The students will be divided into groups of 6. They will work independently for a minimum of fifty hours, from March to June, at least half a day a week.

The partner will appoint a contact (tutor) within their organisation to monitor the students and their project. The students will also be tutored by a teacher from the school. They will work in project mode and communicate regularly with the partner throughout the project. Finally, the students will also be able to benefit from project management support, help from the Communications department and so on.

The project team acts like an external engineering consultancy, working remotely and communicating through working meetings, telephone meetings and email exchanges.

At the end of the project, the group of students will report on their work to the partner in the form of a final presentation.

Subject areas
The P2T teaching team can help the partner to draft the subject and define the deliverable, depending on what the students can be asked to do.

The assignments that can be entrusted are diverse: state of the art, specifications, environmental and societal impact study, eco-design, sizing, feasibility, concept research, etc.

The fields covered may be varied, but they are all areas in which Centrale Nantes has expertise:

 
Automation and robotics

Product and industrial systems engineering

Mathematics, computer science and biology

Mechanics, materials and civil engineering

Fluid mechanics and energy

Ecological and social transition
Examples of past projects

The video below was produced by students in the P2E 22 group (Student Business Project) to present their 2022/2023 project with the Grand Port Maritime de Nantes/Saint-Nazaire.
 



Other examples:
 
  • Study of a launching ramp
  • Identification of solutions for the reuse of off-cuts in industry
  • State of the art of corporate climate commitment standards
  • Study of the sizing of a drill bit
  • Study of AI in sport
  • Developing tidal predictions in the Loire estuary upstream of Saint-Nazaire
  • Energy-efficient whisky production: solar thermal heating of water in vats of juice (barley + rye)
  • Improving the flow of machinery in the warehouse
  • Reducing rainwater run-off on pavements
  • Scoring the claims portfolio
Schedule

In order to guide the students throughout their project, we recommend regular meetings between the group and the company. These meetings can be held remotely if required, but the following three meetings must be held face-to-face:
 
1st meeting: present the company and its activities, explain the deliverables and define the milestones with the students
Progress review: check the progress of the project in relation to the objectives/milestones, give feedback on the initial results, redirect the project on the basis of the results
Final review: final presentation of results, discussion on the next steps to be taken, feedback on the quality of the work produced.

In addition to the in-company deliverables, students will also be required to produce academic deliverables such as a scoping document, progress  reports and minutes as well as presentations.

Timeline

June - October

Proposals for topics from external partners and drafting of project descriptions in collaboration with the course supervisor.

January

Teams are formed and students are allocated subjects.

Image description
  • Jan-Mar
    • School: launch
    • Partner: 1st meeting
  • Mar: project scoping
  • Mar-May: undertake the project
  • Apr-May:
    • progress review
  • May-Jun
    • Delivery
    • School: final presentation
    • Partner: final review

Interested in working with our students?

Do you want to work with future engineers from Centrale Nantes?
To propose a project, please fill in the form

Company feedback

Franck SAMSON
Head of Atlantic Damage Insurance - SNCF Voyageurs
"Every year, working with groups of students allows us to ask ourselves the right questions and to come across highly creative solutions proposed by the students, which are always tailored to the company. Centrale Nantes students have the ability to move from concept to professional application in a very pragmatic and effective way."
Clémence PÉTILLION
Climate trajectory Project Manager - Décathlon
"I'm keen to provide students with a link to the world beyond their degrees, particularly in areas related to environmental issues where it can be difficult to project a career path. And the students always reciprocate by providing a factual, objective and relevant vision. This allows us to have frank and honest feedback on our activity, which I think is necessary, especially on current and sensitive issues such as the ecological and social transition."

400 companies over the last 20 years have entrusted the school with over 500 industrial study projects.

Published on March 27, 2017 Updated on September 26, 2024