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SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT.
ENSEM is actively engaged with local authorities through its innovative projects.

In today’s environment, innovation projects are the beacons lighting the path toward a brighter future. For example, the VRAM and Urbanloop concepts—initiated by ENSEM—have received strong support from local stakeholders (City of Nancy, Greater Nancy Metropolis, Grand Est Region). These projects stand out for their boldness, visionary scope, and revolutionary potential.

mathieu klein, maire de nancy, Urbanloop

Urbanloop

urbanloop

Urbanloop, a system for individual urban transportation, was developed at ENSEM and has since become a registered company (SAS), deploying its solutions in collaboration with local authorities (e.g., Paris 2024 Olympics, Nancy 2027).

Urbanloop epitomizes innovation and ambition. Conceived as a pioneering response to the challenges of urban mobility, it pushes the boundaries of engineering and technology. By offering autonomous and eco-friendly public transportation systems, Urbanloop is redefining how people move through cities. Driven by a passionate and multidisciplinary team, the project captures the very essence of innovation:

Rethinking established norms to shape a better future.

VRAM

The VRAM project (“Motor-Assisted Railbike”) proposes a motor assistance system external to the bicycle.

Developed by an ENSEM faculty member and two students who adopted entrepreneurial student status, VRAM received financial support from the Grand Est Region and caught the attention of local stakeholders (Greater Nancy Metropolis). The project was awarded both the Ecology and Technology Challenge Prize and the Nancy Youth Prize by the City of Nancy.

The potential impact of this new green mobility solution is significant. Although the current case study focuses on the Brabois Plateau, cities around the world could greatly benefit from the VRAM concept in the future.

Renewable
Energy
Microgrids

An experimental training platform focusing on energy networks, this initiative anticipates more distributed energy architectures, where local actors (businesses and even individuals) can be both producers and consumers of energy.

The project aims to develop microgrid systems incorporating multiple renewable energy sources and supplying various consumption loads. Supported by the Grand Est Region, this initiative will have physical locations both at ENSEM and at the ENSAIA experimental farm in Bouzule, with a focus on bioenergy.

ENSEM
and the
AMPHy Project

ENSEM is a partner in the AMPHy project (Academy for Hydrogen Careers and Professions), coordinated by the University of Lorraine (UL) in collaboration with the Institut de Soudure (IS) and the Eastern Plastics Hub (PPE). This initiative aims to develop a hydrogen-focused training ecosystem in the Grand Est region, leveraging higher education, research, and industry partnerships.

Other projects are developed through student associations, such as the Shell Eco-Marathon initiative and various studies conducted by the ENSEM-Conseil Junior Enterprise.

ENSEM
Eco-Marathon

World Vice-Champion 2023

The ENSEM Eco-Marathon (E2M) is a student association dedicated to the design, construction, and optimization of eco-friendly concept cars powered by electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cells.

Each year, the team welcomes new members drawn by its spirit of innovation and teamwork. All vehicles are designed and assembled within the school by student engineers and faculty mentors—every component, from the motor to the windshield wiper mount, reflects the team’s ingenuity and dedication.

The strength of the association is also rooted in the support of three research laboratories:
LEMTA (Laboratory of Energy and Theoretical and Applied Mechanics)
GREEN (Nancy Electrical Energy Research Group)
CRAN (Research Center for Automatic Control of Nancy)

This work culminates in the annual Shell Eco-Marathon competition, in which E2M has participated since 1997. The objective: cover a set distance using the least possible energy.

This work culminates in the annual Shell Eco-Marathon competition, in which E2M has participated since 1997. The objective: cover a set distance using the least possible energy.