Founded in 1857 by François Barthélemy Arlès-Dufour and Désiré Girardon, Centrale Lyon is a public engineering institute with a strong focus on research. Its 160-year history reflects its ability to evolve alongside the development of its region, the transformation of the engineering profession, and major societal challenges.
The beginnings of the institute
- November 3, 1857 The "École Centrale lyonnaise pour l'Industrie et le Commerce" was founded at the initiative of François Barthélemy Arlès-Dufour, a Lyon businessman and humanist, and Désiré Girardon, a teacher at the École de la Martinière. Their goal was to "train the best students at La Martinière in chemistry, industrial mechanics, civil construction and industrial design". The school was established in Lyon at the corner of rue d'Enghien (future rue Vauban) and cours de Bourbon (future quai Castellane, then quai Général-Sarrail).
- 1860: Graduation of the first class, comprising of 14 students
- 1866: Founding of the alumni association (today "Association des Centraliens de Lyon").
- 1930: Admission of the first female student-engineer in a graduating class.
- 1947 : The school is transferred to state ownership
The new campus at Écully
- 1967: The institute is transferred to Écully. The new campus is built by architect Jacques Perrin-Fayolle.
The birth of the Groupe des Écoles Centrale and its international expansion
- 1963: Establishment of a joint entrance exam with École Centrale de Paris.
- 1968: Launch of the Centrale-Supélec entrance exam.
- 1970: The institute is officially renamed École Centrale de Lyon.
- 1990: Creation of the Intergroupe des Écoles Centrale.
- 2005: The École Centrale de Pékin is established by the Groupe des Écoles Centrale.
- 2007: The Intergroupe evolves into the Groupe des Écoles Centrale, encompassing Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, and Paris.
- 2014: Establishment of the École Centrale de Pékin by the Groupe des Écoles Centrale.
- 2015: Creation of Centrale Casablanca by the Groupe des Écoles Centrale.
International expansion
- 1968: Signing of the first exchange agreement with the Technical University of Darmstadt (Germany).
- 1980: Establishment of the first agreements with Japan and the United States.
- 1990: First agreements with China and Central and Eastern European countries.
- 1996: Launch of the European university network for double degrees (TIME network).
- 2000: Signing of the first agreements with South American countries, including Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.
An In-House institute in Saint-Étienne and New Academic Alliances
- 2007: Creation of the ComUE Lyon Saint-Étienne, Université de Lyon, a community of universities and institutions (ComUE) that unites 10 members and 25 associates to coordinate the Lyon Saint-Étienne academic site.
- 2010: Establishment of the Centralyon Endowment Fund.
- 2013: Centrale Lyon and several institutions from the University of Lyon launch the Collège des Hautes Études Lyon Sciences to foster interdisciplinary skill development.
- 2017: Inauguration of the ECL 4.0 real estate project, marking the renewal of the school’s infrastructure.
- 2021: ENISE, the École nationale d'ingénieurs de Saint-Étienne, becomes an in-house institute of Centrale Lyon.
- 2022: Centrale Lyon, ENTPE, INSA Lyon, and Mines Saint-Étienne establish the Collège d'ingénierie Lyon Saint-Étienne.
- 2024: Adoption of Centrale Lyon’s Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility Master Plan.