ESCP Business School has officially launched its new strategic plan for 2026-2030, Bold & United, a forward-looking initiative designed to prepare the next generation of leaders to thrive in a world defined by complexity, uncertainty and transformation.
The plan centres on a simple but urgent truth: success in today’s disrupted world requires more than business acumen. It demands hybrid skills that cross boundaries between disciplines, cultures and sectors. It also marks a decisive step in ESCP’s evolution—from the world’s first business school to the first European University of Management—reaffirming its academic ambition, social mission and global reach.
Preparing hybrid leaders for a D.I.S.R.U.P.T.E.D. world
From digitalisation and geopolitics to sustainability and social inclusion, today’s leaders face interconnected challenges that require agility, critical thinking and a deep understanding of multiple domains. This D.I.S.R.U.P.T.E.D. environment (Digitalised, Inclusive, Sustainable, Rapid, Unpredictable, Polarised, Tangled, Empowered, Dynamic) requires a response with purpose and bold action.
“In an age of profound transformation, where agility, inclusion and responsibility are no longer optional but imperative, ESCP stands as a bold and united force in management education. Our 2026–2030 strategic plan is not just a roadmap—it is a collective manifesto shaped by the voices of thousands across our community. This is our commitment: to nurture leaders who shape society with empathy, ethics and excellence,” said Léon Laulusa, Executive President & Dean of ESCP Business School.
A new academic architecture to match a new reality
To deliver on this vision, by 2030 ESCP Business School will be strengthened by two new schools: the ESCP School of Technology and the ESCP School of Governance, becoming a European University of Management, anchored in its historical and academic DNA.
- ESCP Business School, the historic core, will continue to deliver academic excellence through its flagship degrees and programmes in management, finance, marketing, sustainability and entrepreneurship.
- ESCP School of Technology (2027) will address the growing need for leaders who are fluent in digital transformation, AI, data analysis, and emerging technologies.
- ESCP School of Governance (2029) will focus on geopolitics, public affairs, international law, and strategy, training a new generation of leaders to navigate complexity and global shifts with foresight and accountability.
These schools will work together to deliver hybrid skills, ethical leadership, and inclusive learning experiences that align with ESCP’s humanistic values and respond directly to the demands of employers, societal challenges and student aspirations. This new university of management will be rooted in academic excellence and enriched by the diversity of its disciplines, campuses and community.
“At ESCP, we don’t just teach leadership—we live it, in how we listen, innovate, and empower our entire community. This plan reflects our identity and our ambition to lead the future of business education with integrity and impact,” said Francesco Rattalino, EVP and Dean of Academic Affairs.
Ambitious goals, measurable impacts
The Bold & United plan also reflects ESCP’s long-standing humanist values: Inclusion, Diversity, Excellence, and Merit. These principles underpin every aspect of the strategy, from expanding scholarships and flexible learning to embedding sustainability across curricula and research.
Within this model, ESCP Business School remains the academic heart of the institution and its principal engine for excellence and international recognition. The “Bold & United” plan sets measurable ambitions specific to the Business school’s growth trajectory:
By 2030, ESCP aims to:
- Enrol over 12,000 students representing 150+ nationalities
- Employ 300 professors from 50 countries and achieve full gender parity
- Reach €300M in revenue with sustainable operations
- Continue to rank in the Top 5 of the Financial Times European Business School ranking
To support these goals, ESCP will invest in new programmes, such as a Global Master in Management (in partnership with CEIBS), and launch at least four new MSc degrees including one in Business in the Space Industry.
Expanding with purpose & inclusion
By 2030, ESCP will enhance campus life and community engagement across Europe, foster a more inclusive and sustainable global footprint, and strengthen its social impact by expanding scholarships and equal opportunity initiatives.
At ESCP, we believe talent and ambition should enable access to excellence. That’s why we’re growing our €9M scholarship fund (approximately 5% of the School’s revenue) to open more doors in the years ahead. By 2030, ESCP will also expand its Extension School for accessible and flexible lifelong learning.
ESCP is expanding its international footprint while reaffirming its European roots. The school is increasing recruitment efforts in the Global South and building new academic partnerships in innovation and entrepreneurship with top institutions.
This expansion will be supported by an investment of €320 million to transform ESCP’s campuses into future-ready ecosystems. At the heart of this ambition lies the powerful synergy of ESCP alumni, Foundation, and School—a united community essential to driving sustained growth and innovation. Building on this momentum, the ESCP Foundation recently announced the launch of a €100 million fundraising campaign to empower the School to expand its mission and impact. The motto is clear: When ESCP rises, we all rise.
Leadership that serves society
Research and technology will continue to play a central role, guided by ESCP’s five interdisciplinary research institutes (LIGhTS) on topics from sustainability to geopolitics, and enhanced by the School’s pioneering use of AI—including the integration of ChatGPT Edu licenses across all levels of the school.
ESCP is also deepening its commitment to social and environmental impact, with a new Sustainability Advisory Council, carbon footprint tracking, and growing its scholarship fund.
“At ESCP, research, technology, and inclusion are not separate priorities—they are interconnected levers for societal progress. We’re embedding purpose into every part of our academic ecosystem from our full-time programmes to Executive Education,” said Véronique Tran, EVP of Executive Education & Corporate Relations.
With Bold & United, ESCP charts a new course guided by collective intelligence, built on shared values, and driven by a mission to lead not only with excellence but with meaning.
To learn more, visit escp.eu.
Press Contacts:
- ESCP
- Sera Royal
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- +33 (1) 49 23 27 66
About ESCP Business School
ESCP Business School was founded in 1819, making it the world’s oldest business school. Throughout its 200-year history, ESCP has remained committed to educating accountable, bold and creative leaders who launch trends, bring new solutions and initiate the codes of tomorrow.
ESCP’s six campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw are the stepping stones that allow students to experience ESCP’s European approach to management grounded in multiculturalism.
Every year, ESCP welcomes 11,000+ students and 6,000 managers from 136 different nationalities. Its strength lies in its many business training programmes, both general and specialised (Bachelor, Master, MBA, Executive MBA, PhD and Executive Education), all of which include a multi-campus experience.
With innovation as our cornerstone, we are accelerating academic research and business education to forge new pathways for a better future for all.
It all starts here.
- Website: www.escp.eu
- Follow us on LinkedIn: @ESCP Business School
