More than 900 students at ESTIA this year

This year ESTIA (Institute of Advanced Industrial Technologies) will welcome over 900 students across all courses and has a new 4500 m2 building on Izarbel science park. Patxi Elissalde, CEO of ESTIA, tells us how the new academic year of 2020 is shaping up.

What is the main piece of news for this new academic year?

The main piece of news on the ESTIA campus is our 4500 m2 building coming into use, which will enable us to accommodate this year’s students in all the comfort they might require. It’s a beautiful building with a particular style combining new services for students and for the teaching staff. We could mention in particular a new dining area where we are pleased to welcome the CROUS, and which offers a full menu at the price of one euro for the holders of grants and three euros thirty for other students. Previously, students had to go to the Anglet Montaury site to benefit from this and we used to hire a bus to provide a shuttle service. This new building also has a 400 m2 FabLab for prototyping projects, three amphitheatres that can seat up to 300 people, ten rooms for class-based or practical work and an underground carpark for 80 vehicles. This campus expansion doubles the teaching space and has the benefit of modern digital facilities to help provide a hybrid model of face-to-face and distance learning. 

What have you put in place to respond to the health requirements of Covid-19?

We are worried and concerned about the health of the students and of the staff. We apply the directives and health and safety measures that are necessary: social distancing, hydro-alcoholic gel, masks, cleaning of the areas, etc. We even have thermal cameras for people to take their temperatures. Fortunately, the new building makes it much easier for us to spread the students out. Nevertheless, this autumn’s events, such as the awards ceremony and the 24 hours of innovation, could be in doubt if the situation does not evolve in a favourable way. 

What are the key figures for this new year of 2020?

Last year we welcomed just over 900 students, not all at the same time because of alternate work/study periods, internships or apprenticeships. This year we have 280 new entrants in the first year of the engineering course and our total student numbers remain the same. 

Any new courses?

We are starting two new Master courses. In IT there is a Master of Science called BIHAR devoted to big data and artificial intelligence and intended for an international audience. We are expecting some twenty students at the beginning of October on that course. We are also launching a Master devoted to emerging manufacturing processes and additive manufacturing. This training will take place at the Compositadour site in Bayonne and we are expecting about twenty students there too. 

What about the new year for ESTIA Entreprendre (ESTIA Enterprise), the School’s department for business creation and support?

ESTIA Entreprendre is much less seasonal than ESTIA. Its premises are well occupied right now. We have some worries arising from the generally difficult economic situation, especially for businesses working at international level, related to the tourism or aeronautical sectors. These young businesses will need support. And then, Covid has brought about a great development in remote working. We can envisage that in the long term some software publishers might use their premises in a slightly different way, with less open space and more private offices, as well as more mobile working.

What collaborations is ESTIA developing with the Communauté Pays Basque and its dynamic science park?

The Communauté d’Agglomération Pays Basque(Pays Basque Conurbation Community)is an essential partner for ESTIA in all its activities. In the area of research, we have several PhD students whose work is financed by the Agglomération. In the area of economic development, there is close cooperation, for example within the framework of the Technopole Pays Basque, to support businesses, as well as to promote the ‘Innovation Workshop’ call for projects. In terms of technology transfer, the Agglomération is leading work to extend the Compositadour platform. In the area of teaching and training, we help strengthen the higher education offer in the region and we depend on the support of the Agglomération to develop research chairs, especially as part of the State/Region contract.

Website: www.estia.fr