Centrale Nantes attends Naval Group’s launch of the future next-generation aircraft carrier, the France Libre

Centrale Nantes was represented by its director, Jean-Baptiste Avrillier, accompanied by seven engineering students on degree apprenticeship programmes with the company. Their presence demonstrates the direct involvement of Centrale Nantes students in the major industrial projects that underpin France’s sectors of excellence.

The PA-NG programme (next-generation aircraft carrier)

Officially launched in December 2025, the PA-NG programme aims to equip France with a new-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Its unparalleled size in Europe, its capacity to carry both piloted aircraft and drones, and the technological innovations it employs mean that this project brings together industrial, scientific, and innovation challenges.

Beyond its technical specifications, this major project demonstrates the mobilisation of an entire region: over 800 companies and several thousand jobs will be involved in its delivery, across a wide range of sectors from engineering and energy systems to materials and digital technologies.

The PA-NG programme serves as a reminder of how much major national strategic projects rely on scientific, technological and industrial expertise of the very highest standard. At Centrale Nantes, we train engineers capable of meeting these challenges through a rigorous curriculum closely linked to research and innovation. This challenge is particularly relevant to our new degree apprenticeship programme in ocean engineering, which prepares students to work in highly technical maritime and industrial environments. The fact that the skills developed by our students may one day contribute to such a transformative programme is both a source of pride and a responsibility.

Jean-Baptiste Avrillier, Director of Centrale Nantes

Expertise driving industrial transformation

This visit highlights the close link between education, research and industry, supporting technology-intensive projects, and Centrale Nantes’ commitment to training engineers capable of supporting major industrial transformations. This is particularly true of the degree apprenticeship programme in ocean engineering, (link in French) launched in September 2025, which trains professionals capable of working on large-scale, complex maritime industrial projects.