It’s already been 10 years since the first Maritime Engineering students took the plunge and enrolled in this program!

On Friday, May 29, ENSM celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Maritime Engineering program at its Nantes campus. It was an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to welcome former staff and professors, alumni, and guests from the region.

Pascal Leblond, director of the ENSM Nantes campus, opened the ceremony by recalling the program’s inception during its first academic year, in September 2016, at Quai de la Fosse in Nantes.

“It has already been 10 years since the teaching team became convinced of the need to train a new type of engineer—engineers capable of bridging the gap between land and sea, versatile engineers capable of understanding the challenges of construction, design, safety, and maintenance of ships and offshore installations. (…)”

The campus director praised and thanked the industrial partners—shipyards, shipowners, major corporations, port authorities, and classification societies—for providing high-quality lectures, demanding internships, real-world challenges, and research projects.

Laurent Galy, Inspector General of Maritime Education, then praised the Nantes Maritime Engineering School, which “features a unique hybrid propulsion system powered by two engines (…)”: the quality of the students and the total dedication of the ENSM faculty.

François Lambert, Director General of ENSM, expressed his pride in celebrating this anniversary by paying tribute to those who had the vision to make it possible. He then discussed a thesis on maritime engineering in the 18th century, citing an excerpt from a 1783 document written by a professor who went above and beyond—even welcoming students into his home—to ensure the program’s success… call for volunteers! His heartfelt conclusion encouraged the students to have confidence in themselves and to take an active role at sea so they could commit to bringing their projects to life.

Philippe Garret, a professor of nautical sciences at ENSM, and Yves Guignot, a former professor at ENSM, discussed the history and origins of the program, which was then located on Rue Gabriel Perri. From the specialization of the sites to their involvement in creating the program and its curriculum, and the values of the modules aligned with engineering standards, the audience took a trip down memory lane.

Thank you to Charlie Bosc and Manon Payet from the first graduating class of 2021, who were among the six students alongside Victor, Vincent, Stella, and Gabriel. Thank you to Hugo Flambart and Marceau Ballester from the class of 2022, Adrien Schmitt from the class of 2024, and Mattis Robin and Pierre Joulain from the class of 2025 for their testimonials, words of thanks, and anecdotes!

Finally, Awa Sam, Ph.D. and department chair, emphasized that this celebration was one of “collective success.”
She recalled that this program began with just six students and paid tribute to those six pioneers. Since then, the student body has grown tenfold, with 41 students enrolled in 2026 and 56 set to begin the 2027 school year:

An interactive quiz, created by the teachers and consisting of 15 questions, was then held, hosted by the great Raphael Lara. Congratulations to the five winners who scored the highest on the questions!