Fontenoy du Maritime: Setting Course for 2027 and Doubling the Number of Graduating Officers
In 2021, the President of the Republic set forth a clear strategy for the maritime sector: to double the number of officers graduating from ENSM by June 2027. This clear goal marked the culmination of the “Fontenoy du Maritime” initiative, launched by former Minister of the Sea Annick Girardin to address the sector’s growing recruitment needs.
Since that announcement, ENSM has been fully committed to meeting this challenge. The school has expanded its teaching staff by 25 percent. It has also hired 70 percent part-time instructors since 2021, while adapting its facilities to accommodate ever-larger classes.
At the same time, ENSM has expanded its professional training offerings to provide new pathways into officer careers and meet the needs of the maritime industry.
Finally, the School has increased its visibility among prospective applicants through a 360° communication strategy: hosting more on-campus events, expanding its social media presence, creating promotional teams, and launching a documentary miniseries. All of these initiatives have been carried out with the support of the ENSM Foundation to raise awareness of maritime careers and attract the talent of tomorrow.
“The Fontenoy du Maritime initiative, launched in 2021, aimed to double the number of officers graduating from ENSM between 2021 and 2027, increasing from 222 to more than 444 graduates per year. Between June 2021 and June 2026, the School has already enrolled 358 additional students in its initial and professional training programs and has nearly reached the Fontenoy goal with more than 400 graduates. With renovated campuses (Nantes, Saint-Malo, Marseille) and greater regional diversity among our applicants—although the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur and Brittany regions remain in the lead at 23% and 19%, respectively—this explains the growing success of our programs on Parcoursup, with 1,265 applicants, a 35% increase over 2021. ENSM is rising to the challenge as a team: to train more students and train them better, in the interest of France’s maritime sector.”
– Frédéric Moncany de Saint-Aignan, Chairman of the ENSM Board of Directors, and François Lambert, Director General of ENSM
This growth was made possible by government support, which has helped the School develop by increasing the public service subsidy from 18 million in 2021 to approximately 24 million euros in 2025.
As the 2026–2027 school year begins, the goal set five years ago is now within reach. This infographic highlights the key initiatives undertaken by ENSM to support this transformation and help prepare the officers needed by the maritime sector.