At the end of 2013, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI) expressed the wish that ENISE should undertake its future development on the basis of a strengthened partnership with another higher education institution on the Lyon Saint-Étienne site.
Centrale Lyon and ENISE, having been partners for 25 years on research projects, naturally agreed to strengthen their collaboration. A cooperation project was commonly developed for two years around the shared ambition of superior training and research. The two institutions became associated in 2016. The prerogatives of Centrale Lyon were extended through a decree which gives the possibility to affiliate schools (Journal Officiel February 25, 2016) - a particularity limited to universities until then.
Another milestone was reached on January 1, 2021: the two schools now form one institution, turning two entities of the Lyon Saint-Étienne site into one of the largest engineering schools in France.
This newly formed alliance has initiated a new model of training which combines a non-specialist engineering school with an engineering school with specialty subjects.
It opens up perspectives for École Centrale de Lyon with higher-education courses on all three university cycles, from the recruitment phase to any level of degree or PhD, whether with the status of student or of apprentice.
It also offers Centrale Lyon new areas of excellence, broadened social horizons and a wider capacity for growth in apprenticeship and continuing education.
The advantages of this affiliation for ENISE are an increase in its global visibility and a better local integration by including it in the Groupe des Écoles Centrales.