Established in 1803 as the School of Design, renamed the Regional School of Industrial Arts in 1884, the École régionale des beaux arts in 1923 and the École supérieure d'art et design in 2006, ESADSE has been closely linked to the industrial development. The ESADSE is the only art and design school in France to be fully involved in an international event such as the saint-Etienne International Design Biennial. It was the school that originally started this event: it created and organised the first four editions (from 1998 to 2004). Since 2006 it has handed over the reins to the Cité du Design, which now organises th Biennial. The School and the Cité du Design have been united since 2010 in an EPCC (public institution for cultural cooperation). This association is a real asset for the Scool, which benefits form the Cité du Design's activities and networks: talks, research programmes, etc. As the Cité du design has direct links with the professional world, this provides the ESADSE with many opportunities to meet and get involved in projects with professionals, in particular through workshops organised with companies.