On 28 March 2026, the inauguration ceremony of the IIOE France Training Centre was held in Brest, France. The Centre was jointly established by the International Centre for Higher Education Innovation under the auspices of UNESCO (UNESCO-ICHEI) and Brest Business School. Following the establishment of IIOE Training Centres in Hong Kong and Singapore, this is the third IIOE Training Centre worldwide and its first in Europe. It aims to leverage the industrial advantages and high-quality resources of developed countries to create branded training programmes, promoting local talent development, serving industrial growth while empowering IIOE's global network members.

High-ranking representatives from the French political and business sectors were invited to attend the inauguration ceremony, including Mr. Jacques Le Failler, President of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Brest (CCI Brest); Mr. Jean-Christophe Cagnard, President of Movement of the Enterprises of French (MEDEF) Finistère; Mr. Denis Le Saint, President of Réseau Le Saint, France's second-largest fruit and vegetable distributor; and Mr. Clément Quéguiner, President of Groupe Quéguiner, the largest building materials enterprise in Brittany, France.

IIOE France Training Centre officially inaugurated

Other participants included Prof. HU Weiguo, member of the French National Academy of Surgery and Board Member of Brest Business School; Ms. LAN Haiqing, Global CEO of 

Wedon DEMOS Group and Executive Chair of Brest Business School; and Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI. The event was hosted by Mr. ZHANG Gao, Executive President of Brest Business School.

Mr. ZHANG Gao, Executive President of Brest Business School

Mr. Jean-Christophe Cagnard, President of MEDEF Finistère, expressed strong support for the establishment of the IIOE France Training Centre. He noted that, amid the global wave of digital and intelligent industrial transformation, the sustained competitiveness of enterprises increasingly depends on the reskilling and upskilling of talent. By building a collaborative platform connecting industry, education and research, the Training Centre will better align training provision with market needs and provide strong talent support for industrial upgrading in Brest and beyond.

Mr. Jean-Christophe Cagnard, President of MEDEF Finistère

Prof. Bertrand Pauget, Dean of Brest Business School, stated that, drawing on the School's academic strengths and France's industrial advantages, the IIOE France Training Centre will take the lead in developing micro-certification training programmes in the fields of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and "AI + Tourism". Through collaboration with CCI Brest and leading enterprises, the Centre will promote deeper integration between curriculum content and industry practice. While supporting local talent development and industrial upgrading, it will also provide high-quality training resources for Europe, Francophone Africa, and IIOE partners worldwide, thereby advancing the global sharing of educational resources.

Prof. Bertrand Pauget, President and Dean of Brest Business School

Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI, noted that the establishment of the IIOE France Training Centre at Brest Business School is a significant outcome of the long-standing and fruitful cooperation between UNESCO-ICHEI and Weidong Education Technology Co., Ltd. She emphasised that the Centre will focus on AI-driven industry–education collaborative talent development by developing training programmes that are immediately applicable, locally relevant, and recognised by industry. In doing so, it will support enterprise growth and industrial transformation while contributing to equity and quality in global education.

Ms. BI Xiaohan, Deputy Director of UNESCO-ICHEI

The inauguration of the IIOE France Training Centre signifies that, building on its deep roots in AI application and industry talent training in the Global South, IIOE will further leverage the resources of institutions in developed countries to enrich the "AI + Industry" training programmes and promote their implementation in countries and economies around the world. This aims to build a new ecosystem for industry-academia collaborative talent development that links the Global North and South.

Founded in 1962, Brest Business School is one of France's internationally oriented elite institutions for management education and is accredited by AACSB, one of the most prestigious global accreditations for business schools. The School is committed to advancing management education driven by digital technologies and artificial intelligence, continuously developing a digital campus and preparing a new generation of business professionals with global vision and strong digital capabilities.

Leveraging France's strong industrial foundation and Europe's innovation ecosystem, Brest Business School maintains close partnerships with numerous international companies, higher education institutions and public organizations. It has established an extensive network of educational and industry collaborations in France and across Francophone regions of Africa, playing an active role in international talent development, corporate innovation, and digital transformation.

The CCI Brest belongs to the CCI Finistère. The latter represents and defends the interests of 44,000 businesses in Finistère, across the trade, industry, and service sectors. Through the facilities it manages, the number of its members, and more broadly, the overall economic impact of its region, CCI Finistère ranks 5th among French territorial chambers of commerce and industry in terms of economic activity generated.

As the voice of all businesses, the MEDEF is the primary point of contact for policymakers and public authorities. With 117 regional organisations in mainland France and its overseas territories, 102 federations and professional groups representing 400 trade unions across all sectors, and 18 associated and partner organisations, MEDEF has over 240,000 member companies, the majority of which are very small and small businesses (VSEs/SMEs). In France, more than half of all private-sector employees work for a company affiliated with the MEDEF network.

Comprising over 40 companies, the Réseau Le Saint (family business founded in Brittany) is the second largest fruit and vegetable distributor in France and the regional leader in seafood distribution. It also serves as a professional distributor specialising in fresh products and meat, flowers and plants, hygiene and tableware, and wine.

Deeply rooted in Brittany and Loire-Atlantique, the Quéguiner Group (family business) designs, produces, markets, and transports innovative, high-quality, and environmentally friendly building materials. Leveraging a network of sales offices and production sites, it supports professionals and individuals in their construction, renovation, and development projects.