It all started with him
At the origin of ISEN, there was one man — a visionary who understood, long before his time, the emerging needs of France’s electronics industry: Norbert Ségard.
In the early 1950s, while observing the industrial landscape in northern France, he realized that to support the growth of the national electronics sector, it would be essential to train specialized engineers capable of designing and mastering advanced technologies.
With this conviction, he founded the Institut Supérieur d’Électronique du Nord (ISEN) in 1956, with a simple yet revolutionary idea for that time: to train young electronics engineers, ready for a future where printed circuit boards and microprocessors would become omnipresent.
Heading west
1994 – Opening of ISEN Brest This expansion reflected a clear ambition: to train engineers across France, far beyond its original base in the North.
While cities like Paris, Lyon, or Nice could have been natural choices, ISEN made a strategic decision to set up in Brest. At the time, the information and communication technology sector was booming, and demand for specialized engineers was growing rapidly in the region. Establishing an engineering school in Brest made perfect sense — but with a clear vision: a human-scale institution, with cohorts of 120 to 150 students, fostering close interaction between students, faculty, and staff.
Right from the start, partnerships with defense industry stakeholders helped create a dedicated research lab. The idea was simple yet ambitious: to develop research aligned with local economic and industrial needs.
Brest thus became a strategic site for ISEN, combining engineering education, research laboratories, and modern facilities. This campus embodies ISEN’s determination to anchor itself locally while nurturing innovation and academic excellence, meeting the growing need for engineers across France.
After a promising start slowed by the dot-com crisis, ISEN Brest gained new momentum with the launch of a work-study program and the opening of an integrated preparatory program in Rennes.
Geographic expansion
In 2010, ISEN Brest reached a decisive turning point with a new management team driving fresh momentum and a clear goal: to adapt ISEN to the changing job market and better prepare students for real-world challenges.
The following year, ISEN moved from vision to action, expanding its reach. Rennes was the first step in this growth, offering two years of post-baccalaureate studies. In 2017, the expansion continued with the opening of the Nantes campus, reinforcing ISEN’s role as a local training hub.
The following years saw this dynamic growth accelerate further, with the inauguration of new campuses. In 2020, Caen became the school’s latest anchor, soon to be equipped with a new building, and in 2022, Antony strengthened this regional presence. These openings demonstrate ISEN’s ongoing commitment to actively contributing to the economic and social vitality of each region — and to giving more students greater access to high-quality engineering programs.
