since 1952
History
Founded in 1952 as the Institut Supérieur du Béton Armé (Higher Institute of Reinforced Concrete, ISBA), the institution was created to meet companies’ growing need for engineers specialized in construction techniques. From the outset, the school has operated under the aegis of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry, building close ties with the business world and the construction industry.
Over the decades, changing professions, technologies and environmental challenges led the school to gradually broaden its field of expertise. Having become the Institut Supérieur du Bâtiment et des Travaux Publics (Higher Institute of Building and Public Works, ISBA TP), it now covers the entire life cycle of infrastructure, buildings and engineering structures, incorporating innovations in BIM, digital twins, artificial intelligence and the ecological transition.
True to its heritage while firmly focused on the future, ISBA TP continues to grow around three pillars: academic excellence, research and innovation, and close ties with companies.
2025–2030 strategic plan
Our mission, our strategy
Committed to building an eco-responsible, smart world
For more than 70 years, ISBA TP has supported the evolution of the infrastructure, building and construction professions. Its mission is to train engineers and experts able to design, build, operate and transform tomorrow’s infrastructure, combining scientific excellence, innovation, social responsibility and close ties with companies.
Through its 2025–2030 strategic plan, ISBA TP sets out its ambition to become a leading player in education, research and innovation, in support of the ecological, digital and societal transitions.
The six pillars of our strategy
01
Establish ISBA TP as a recognized player in education, research and innovation at the regional, national and international levels!
02
Define and promote interdisciplinarity, both within and beyond the campus, as a strength.
03
Build an educational offering that trains experts and players in the construction of an eco-responsible world, by integrating the challenges of the ecological, digital and societal transitions throughout the school.
04
Ensure national and international appeal by guaranteeing cultural and geographic diversity and a diverse community on campus
05
Build strong, lasting partnerships with key players in the academic, industrial and R&D sectors and with service providers, based on mutual benefits and shared goals
06
Promote all the rules, methods and resources that make quality and continuous improvement practices efficient and effective across ISBA TP’s various missions
the campus
Our campus
An environment conducive to learning and innovation
Located since 2001 in the Marseille-Luminy technology park, ISBA TP offers its learners an exceptional environment dedicated to training, research and innovation. The campus is shared with the Faculty of Science of Aix-Marseille University, Polytech Marseille, Kedge Business School, the Marseille School of Fine Arts, as well as research laboratories and companies of the Luminy technology park. Learners thus evolve at the heart of one of Marseille’s major university and scientific sites, open to innovation and to local businesses. The campus thus benefits from a renowned scientific and technological ecosystem, fostering exchanges with higher education institutions, research laboratories and partner companies
The campus, fully renovated in 2024, offers spaces designed for learning: connected classrooms, laboratories, technology platforms, coworking spaces, a lecture hall, social spaces and sports facilities, fostering a rich, collaborative student experience.
Designed to support new teaching practices, the campus has modern, connected spaces that make it possible to move between classes, collaborative projects, experiments and research work in a stimulating, friendly setting.
A close-knit campus
ISBA TP provides more than 5,000 m² of space dedicated to education and school life.
The campus includes:
140-seat lecture hall
Agora and collaborative spaces
Computer labs and connected classrooms
Laboratories and technology platforms
Spaces dedicated to practical sessions
Resource center and workspaces
Social and relaxation areas (tennis court, pétanque, etc.)
Exceptional natural setting in the heart of Calanques National Park
Part of an innovation ecosystem
Located in one of the metropolitan area’s main science hubs, on the Luminy campus, the school’s campus fosters collaboration with companies, local authorities and research organizations.
Marseille, a land of opportunity
Located a few kilometers from the city center, the campus offers:
The exceptional setting of Marseille and Calanques National Park.
An easily accessible metropolitan area (TGV high-speed rail station, international airport, highways).
A major region for infrastructure, large-scale projects, the maritime sector, energy and construction.
A gateway to the Mediterranean and the wider world.
A thriving economic area with many partner companies and opportunities for internships, work-study and employment.
virtual tour
explore the campus in 360°
Before you enroll or start the school year, discover ISBA TP’s learning and living spaces with the virtual tour:
our approach
Teaching approach
Our teaching is built on a competency-based approach, in line with the frameworks of the main accreditation and certification bodies in higher education, such as the Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur (CTI), the Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE) and France Compétences. This approach aims to prepare each learner to practice their profession with autonomy, responsibility and the capacity to innovate, drawing on scientific knowledge, technical skills and soft skills.
Skills are acquired through active learning that combines academic courses, practical sessions, projects, real-world professional scenarios, internships and work-study.
This approach keeps education aligned with socio-economic needs and fosters long-term employability in a constantly changing environment
Our teaching is based on the following principles:
A competency-based approach
Each program is built around clearly identified skills, developed and assessed step by step, in line with national and international frameworks.
Career-focused teaching
Projects, case studies, internships, work-study and expert-led sessions put learners in real-world situations.
Research-based education
Courses incorporate the scientific and technological advances that come out of the work of the LabI2TEC laboratory.
A focus on tomorrow’s challenges
The skills developed incorporate the ecological, digital and societal transitions, as well as an international dimension.
A technological approach ahead of the curve
Instructors cover more than 15 professional software packages, in line with industry practice. Digital data processing, preventive/predictive maintenance and artificial intelligence are applied and tailored to the learning objectives of each program.
teaching
Teaching teams
50%
industry practitioners in every program
The quality of ISBA TP’s programs relies on multidisciplinary teaching teams that bring together faculty researchers, instructors, industry experts and professionals from the business world.
The teams take part in designing curricula, supporting learners, monitoring projects, internships and work-study, and progressively assessing skills. Their expertise covers, among other areas, civil engineering, engineering structures, geotechnical engineering, smart buildings, BIM, digital twins, artificial intelligence, the ecological transition and project management.
In every program, about 50% of instructors are working professionals, providing an industry-oriented approach consistent with our competency-based education.
experiment
Technology platforms
At ISBA TP, the technology platforms are a true testing ground where learners develop the skills companies expect. They make it possible to design, model, analyze, instrument and operate infrastructure and buildings using the latest technologies.
ISBA TP provides professional equipment for carrying out measurements, tests, surveys and experiments in the fields of building, infrastructure, energy performance and digitalization. This equipment is used in courses, projects, practical sessions and research activities to train learners in the technologies used by companies.
Main equipment
Scanning & surveying (3D laser scanner, mobile scanner, GPS, …)
Energy performance (Infrared thermal cameras,, Temperature, humidity and air quality sensors, environmental data loggers, …)
Smart Building & IoT (Connected sensor networks, IoT gateways, PLCs and BMS/BAS systems, data acquisition platforms)
Structural health monitoring (Partnership with MDS)
Virtual reality & visualization (Virtual and augmented reality headsets, immersive platforms, …)
Professional software
BIM & design (Autodesk Revit, Archicad, Navisworks, …)
Structural analysis (SOFiSTiK, Robot Structural Analysis, Graitec Advance Design, …)
Geotechnical engineering (PLAXIS, Talren, Foxta, …)
Energy simulation
GIS
Project management (MS Project, Advease, …)
Data processing (Python, UDS Atom, …)
Digital twins & Smart Building (Collaborative BIM platforms, BMS supervision solutions, IoT platforms, …)
by your side
Support and assistance
Support at ISBA TP is comprehensive: equal opportunity, laptop loans for the academic year, personalized help finding internships and jobs, and access to the ecosystem of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A disability coordinator and an inclusive campus guarantee everyone the same opportunities to succeed (see the Inclusive campus section).
living environment
Environment
Located at the gateway to Calanques National Park, ISBA TP enjoys an exceptional natural environment, famous far beyond Marseille, that draws crowds of visitors every year to discover its cliffs and unspoiled coves. Studying on the Luminy campus means enjoying an outstanding setting between the sea and the garrigue scrubland, at the gateway to this protected National Park. This natural setting, unique in France, shapes a student life conducive to sports, relaxation and a healthy balance between studies and personal life.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
ISBA TP was founded in 1952 in Marseille, at the request of construction companies in the PACA region, to meet the need for qualified engineers during postwar reconstruction and the modernization of infrastructure. It is a chamber of commerce school that belongs to the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Since 2019, ISBA TP has been located on the Luminy Higher Education Campus, at the gateway to Calanques National Park (Marseille 13009). The campus offers more than 5,000 m² of teaching spaces renovated in 2024: connected classrooms, coworking spaces, a research laboratory and a sports area.
ISBA TP upholds the values of openness to the world, ethics, rigor and professionalism. Its “learning by doing” teaching approach brings together faculty researchers and construction professionals, with hands-on projects throughout the program and personalized support in finding a job.