Centrale Lyon at a Glance
Established as one of France’s oldest and most esteemed engineering schools, Centrale Lyon spans two campuses, hosting a vibrant community of 3000 students and 660 faculty members. Offering a diverse array of programs, including two Bachelor’s, 18 Master’s, and 5 Engineering programs, alongside a robust Doctoral offering, the university prides itself on its comprehensive educational opportunities from Aerospace Engineering to Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate Sciences. Notably, the institution champions internationalization, requiring all students to undertake a semester-long international experience, fostering a global perspective among its student body, which comprises 25% international students.
Aligned with its 2030 vision, Centrale Lyon’s curriculum places a premium on equipping students to address contemporary ecological and societal challenges, particularly in fields such as environmental science, technology, sustainable energy, healthcare, and urban planning. Through strategic partnerships with leading institutions and corporations worldwide, Centrale Lyon advises on product development and sustainability initiatives, bridging academia with industry to drive impactful change.
With 200 industrial contracts per year, Centrale Lyon works with companies like L’Oréal and Michelin to support them in making major ecological and logistical changes. “We consider it is our duty to support companies in these major transitions, whether they are energy-related, technological, or social,” explains Centrale Lyon Director, Pascal Ray. Developing corporate partnership programs supports their 2030 goal of producing even more opportunities for students and innovative research.
Focus on Research
Research at the Centrale Lyon is deeply ingrained in its educational ethos, and focuses on positive, real-world impact. Ray emphasizes, “We are a research-intensive establishment. We closely associate education and training with research, and research with innovation, fostering the creation of start-ups and businesses.”
Centrale Lyon boasts six research laboratories accredited by the National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS) which delve into nanotechnology, transport, energy, environment, and bioengineering. Their research themes are centered on sustainable energy, environmental preservation, and digital innovation, closely aligned with nine of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
In fact, Centrale Lyon was ranked #2 on the 2023 Les Echo Start list of engineering schools most committed to ecological and social transitions, reflecting the institution’s commitment to tackling global challenges.
Research at Centrale Lyon emphasizes positive, real world impact on both the local community and on a global scale. An ongoing experimental study painstakingly recreates a scale model of the Part-Dieu neighborhood in Lyon, creating a controlled site for analyzing a myriad of factors, including reducing pollution and urban heat islands (an effect caused by trapped heat in man-made environments), and improving urban logistics. The study seeks not only to improve urban systems in Lyon, but to apply the findings to metropolitan areas around the world.
Centrale Lyon nurtures a culture of entrepreneurship, empowering students and researchers to translate their research ideas into viable ventures. Support for start-up creation is comprehensive, accompanying students and researchers from project inception to full realization. Several organizations play a key role in this process, including Pulsalys, a center dedicated to furthering technological breakthroughs by providing start-ups with knowledge and skill transfer and economic development. Centrale Innovation, a Centrale Lyon subsidiary, hosts the fledgling businesses, providing support, resources, and mentorship. Investment comes from Pertinence Invest, a venture capital firm based in France, specializing in investing in innovative startups in sectors such as technology, healthcare, and sustainability.
This supportive environment has launched scores of impactful projects by “Centraliens”, the affectionate term for Centrale Lyon alumni. EventBrite, co-founded by Renaud Visage, , Is one of the leading globabl platforms for event management and ticketing. eFounders, co-founded by Thibauld Elziere, is an innovative startup studio dedicated to building and launching successful SaaS companies, having launched a total of 40 companies, with a combined valuation of over $4.5 billion. With multitudes of other Centalien-founded companies transforming environmental, technological, and social practices on a global scale, it is clear Centrale Lyon provides a unique launch point for game-changing startups.
Supporting the Next Generation of Innovators
As Centrale Lyon looks forward, it aims to continue building on its strengths, investing in its research projects and faculty, campus infrastructure, and above all, its students. The school draws inspiration from a prestigious U.S. institution for their 2030 vision; “We are setting ourselves the goal of becoming the European Caltech,” says Ray, referring especially to the level of individual guidance and support students receive there.
Increasing Centrale Lyon’s student diversity is a key objective of its 2030 plan, which seeks to nurture talent from all backgrounds. The school invests in students before they even enroll, participating in programs for underprivileged high school students called “Cordées de la Réussite”. Through career guidance workshops, campus visits, and meetings with researchers and scientists, students gain skills, knowledge, and self-confidence to pursue a career in engineering and to succeed in Centrale Lyon’s rigorous and high-performance educational setting.
Once at the university, students in need benefit from access to essential resources like computers, food drives, and financial aid. “There are many young people in France who don’t allow themselves the opportunity of pursuing their studies for socio-economic reasons. Our aim is not only how best to train and educate students, but also how best to support students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds,” explains Ray.
To achieve this goal, Centrale Lyon is developing a living expense scholarship initiative, aiming to grant 5 to 10 thousand euros per student per year, depending on their need. These scholarships allow students to focus on their studies rather than needing to resort to time-consuming jobs to support themselves. But in order to do this, Centrale Lyon requires the support of the global community through corporate and private sponsorships.
Seeking partnerships to support their student-centered initiatives, Centrale Lyon bridges the Atlantic toward American supporters of entrepreneurial innovation. Centrale Lyon’s ties with the United States are extensive, as the school has long since established close partnerships with American universities, including Penn State, Columbia, Duke, Wisconsin, and Berkeley. A large U.S. based alumni network carries on the school’s legacies in academic and professional institutions across the country.
To strengthen these academic and professional ties, Ecole Centrale de Lyon representatives will be hosting a prestigious event on Thursday, October 18 at the French Consulate General in New York, where academic partners and alumni will be invited to learn more about the school’s initiatives and progress towards its 2030 plan. For further information, interested parties can contact Joseph Rolland, Director of Development at Centrale Lyon.
Working with Friends of Fondation de France
As a non-profit public higher education institution, Centrale Lyon relies on the support and collaboration of various stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of its research and entrepreneurial endeavors well beyond its 2030 horizon. While the institution has made significant strides in advancing innovation and addressing global challenges, continued success hinges on the collective effort of individuals, corporations, and philanthropic organizations. In December 2023, Centrale Lyon partnered with Friends of Fondation de France to reach American audiences excited about the inspiring research and entrepreneurial projects the engineering school produces.
To support the future breakthroughs and advances made at École Centrale de Lyon, American-based donors can make tax-deductible donations through Friends of Fondation de France, a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to helping cross-border giving change the world. Donations go toward student scholarships, educational and skill development for startup incubators, and campus improvements. Learn more about helping the next generation of innovators create solutions to today’s problems on the Centrale Lyon’s web page on our website.
