CEB participates in the inauguration of Icam’s new Lille campus

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), together with the Feron-Vrau Foundation and the Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers (Icam) in Lille, has officially inaugurated the new campus of the engineering school on Thursday, 22 May 2025. This major renovation and modernisation project represents a total investment of €35 million – including a €20 million loan from the CEB with the backing of the Hauts-de-France Region and the European Metropolis of Lille – and marks a transformation of a historic site into a modern, sustainable and inclusive learning environment.

A flagship educational, social and environmental initiative
Following two and a half years of work, Icam’s historic campus in Lille is entering a new chapter. This ambitious project, driven by innovation and a deep respect for heritage, blends tradition and modernity to offer students an environment conducive to learning and personal growth.

The new Lille campus meets a number of key goals:

• An educational environment designed to support Icam’s mission: architectural features that embody the school’s values of simplicity, resilience and openness; flexible spaces that encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration; and optimised layouts for greater comfort and multifunctional use.
  
• A campus open to the city: enhanced integration into the surrounding Vauban-Esquermes neighbourhood, landscaped green spaces, 200 bicycle parking spaces, and a planned development nearby including housing, a nursery and commercial spaces.
  
• A strong, local commitment: close cooperation with local businesses and training programmes targeting skills shortages in the regional labour market.
  
• Minimised environmental impact: a 28% reduction in energy use and a 59% decrease in carbon footprint, aided by the installation of 414 m² of solar panels.
  
• An international outlook: robust partnerships with universities worldwide and high levels of student mobility.

Sandrine Gaudin, Vice-Governor of the CEB, said: "The new Icam Lille campus exemplifies the CEB’s mission: to strengthen social cohesion through access to education, while contributing to the green transition. We are proud to have played a part in making this vision a reality, through our loan, which helped mobilise additional institutional and regional partners."

Jean-Yves Le Cuziat, President of the Feron-Vrau Foundation, added: "The Lille campus holds a special place in Icam’s history. It has managed to honour its past while meeting the challenges of today’s energy and environmental transition. Thanks to a bold renovation effort, it now reflects both the heritage and the modern standards that define the school’s unique identity."

Gilles Vandecaveye, Director General of Icam, commented: "Designed as a space open to its neighbourhood and to the city, the campus has become a vibrant place of diversity and civic engagement – true to the spirit of our founders and firmly oriented towards the future. Our heartfelt thanks go to all who made this exemplary transformation possible, in support of a more sustainable and inclusive society."

The exemplary collaboration between Icam, the Feron-Vrau Foundation, the CEB, the Hauts-de-France Region and the European Metropolis of Lille underscores the critical role of public-private partnerships in delivering projects with strong social, educational and environmental impact.

Background Information

Icam
Icam focuses on three key areas of activity:

• Higher education and research, offering a generalist Icam engineering degree (initial and continuing education), as well as a specialised “Industrial Digital Systems” engineering programme.
  
• Business services, where staff and student engineers operate as a consultancy unit, delivering over 200 projects annually.
  
• Vocational training, providing industrial qualifications ranging from CAP to Mastère Spécialisé® and operating production schools to support young people outside the traditional education system.
  More information: www.icam.fr
  Campuses involved in the Icam network include Lille, Grand Paris Sud, Nantes, Bretagne, Vendée, Toulouse, Strasbourg-Europe, Pointe-Noire, Douala, Kinshasa, Chennai, Recife and Quito.
  

Feron-Vrau Foundation
Named after Icam’s founders, Philibert Vrau and Camille Feron-Vrau, the Feron-Vrau Foundation has played a key role in the school’s development for over 40 years. It is a full member of the Icam group, alongside the Icam Alumni Association, the Friends of Icam, and all national and international campuses.
Promoting solidarity, inclusion, and support for major Icam initiatives, the Foundation has been recognised as a public utility since 1981, enabling it to accept donations, bequests and life insurance gifts with tax benefits for donors. Contributions come from families, alumni, companies and private foundations.

Media Contact
CEB
Alice Vandenberghe | Alice.VANDENBERGHE@coebank.org | Tel: +33 6 74 28 63 18 | Website: www.coebank.org | Press Office: CEBcommunications@coebank.org