The school
France’s leading higher education institution specialising in wood sciences and technologies, ESB was founded in 1934 at the initiative of the French Ministries of Agriculture, National Education and Industry. Committed to innovating with wood and biosourced materials, the school has broadened this vision to each of its areas of expertise: training, research and R&D engineering at the service of companies.
Our mission: to explore sciences and technologies relating to wood and biosourced materials
In a context of environmental challenges, wood and biosourced materials are up-and-coming resources to invent a sustainable future. Natural and renewable, these plant-based materials are allies of the circular economy.
Every year, the expertise built up by ESB for more than 85 years allows it to train some 100 young graduates capable of developing knowledge on properties, technologies and uses in the fields of wood and biosourced materials.
What is our ambition? To imagine, design and develop innovative and sustainable solutions meeting our society’s needs.
Our missions: training, research and R&D engineering
ESB was founded in 1934 at the initiative of the French Ministries of Agriculture, National education and Industry and is one of the French leading higher education institution specialised in wood sciences and technologies.
Committed to inovating with wood and biosourced materials, the school has broadened this vision to each of its areas of expertise:
- training professionals of tomorrow who are capable of working in companies, contributing to their growth and supporting sustainable development,
- research to develop knowledge on properties, technologies and uses relating to wood and other plant-based biosourced materials,
- R&D engineering to share its knowledge with the industrial world and assist companies in developing innovative solutions.
Resources to carry out its activities
Since its establishment in Nantes in 1993, ESB has been aligning its resources with its ambitions.
The School’s missions are carried out by a team of 46 permanent employees and nearly 150 external speakers.
Built in 1992 and expanded in 2012, the 8,500 m2 building is an exemplary achievement: wood is dominant and pairs perfectly with the other materials used.
It accommodates more than 400 students who, during their schooling, have access to:
- Training spaces: 120-person tiered rooms, 220-person amphitheatre, IT rooms, language laboratory, library, work rooms.
- Spaces for student associations: offices, storage areas, cafeteria.
- A 1,300 m2 material processing workshop equipped with industrial machines.
- A 1,100 m2 technology centre for carrying out scale-1 construction projects.
- A modelling space equipped with small materials for creating models and small prototypes.
- Scientific laboratories in the areas of microscopy, wood anatomy, chemistry, mechanics and finishing.