École Supérieure du Bois -ESB (France)

The ESB Group trains managers for the various fields of the wood industry. It offers a wide range of courses in the field of wood science and technology. This Engineering school specialised in Wood Science and Technology, is a non-profit institute under the supervision of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Higher Education and a “Conférence des grandes écoles” member.

Established in 1934, the ESB Group moved from Paris to Nantes in 1993 and since then has benefited from the dynamic region Pays de Loire and exerted its influence in France and abroad. Its creation was possible with the help of the wood sector itself and the French Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Industry. The group’s aim is to:

· train future managers: HND, professional bachelor’s degree, engineer diploma.

· conduct research for the wood industry,

· play an active role in technology transfer.

The main contact person at ESB is Mark Irle, who is also the current president of Innovawood.