History of Centrale Nantes

Centrale Nantes celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2019. Here are some of the key dates in its foundation and development over the last century.

15 July 1919
Nantes City Council passes a bill approving the creation of the Institut Polytechnique de l'Ouest.

March 1948
The school becomes an Ecole National Supérieure d'Ingénieurs (National Engineering School) and is renamed École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique (ENSM). It relocates to the current campus premises on the banks of the Erdre River in 1978.

1978
The school leaves the heart of the city, its space having become too small, to settle on a campus in full development on edge of the city near the river Erdre. Its status is then that of a public administrative institution (EPCA).

31 July 1991
In a decree published in the Official Journal the ENSM takes the name of ECOLE CENTRALE DE NANTES, member of the Ecoles Centrale Group

1993
The School frees up a plot of land for the city to install a new stop on line 2 of the tramway which is then being extended. This stop will bear its name, and the School is thus re-integrated with the dynamics of the city whose heart is only 15 minutes away.
In September 1993, the school becomes a public institution with a scientific, cultural and professional vocation (EPCSCP) (Decree 93-1143). Its status is now that of a school independent from the universities.

November 2009: Centrale Nantes celebrates its 90th anniversary
Over 300 members of the Centrale Nantes community came together to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Centrale Nantes on Saturday 28th November 2009

January 2011, the School moves to "expanded responsibilities and competencies" (RCE)

2013: Centrale Nantes signs a structuring alliance with Audencia Nantes. 

2014
The architecture school ensa Nantes joins the Alliance Centrale Audencia

2017
The Nantes-based NExT (Nantes Excellence Trajectory) project was selected, on 24 February 2017, by an international jury to become an I-SITE within the PIA 2 - Investment for the Future Programme. It initiates a project for joining forces with Nantes University.

2019
Centrale Nantes celebrates its centennial.