Research at ESA is carried out in various professional issues, particularly in the fields of agriculture, the food industry, development, the environment and land planning. Through research, we are able to work with French and European scientific networks and also our partnerships with professionals are strengthened.
Research provides students with positive learning opportunities from the laboratories to the field, in direct relationship with firms. Each year, ESA laboratories host postgraduate students (Master or Doctorate). Opportunities to study abroad are offered within the framework of Post-doctoral studies.

Research is supervised by Alain Bourgeois, and is organised into four laboratories :

Laboratory of Plant Ecophysiology and Agro-ecology : LEVA

Research Team in the Food Industry, Products and Processes : GRAPPE

Research Laboratory in Social Sciences : LARESS

Animal Production Science Laboratory

The ESA Group is involved in several academic networks  :
  Doctoral programmes of the University of Angers
  European programmes (V° and VI° FRDP = Framework Research and Development Programme), national programmes (ANR, ADAR) and regional programmes (State and Local Governments contracts, infrastructure projects)
  Regional research Centres (INRA, INH, ENITIAA, Universities of Nantes, Angers and Le Mans, Université Catholique de l’Ouest)
  the FESIA network
... as well as professional networks :
  Companies (Glon-Sanders, Vilmorin, Terrena, Vaslin Bucher, Système U, Coopératives from the Central France ...)
  Local authorities and public agencies (Regional Council of the Pays de la Loire, towns and intermunicipal cooperation agencies, DIREN Bretagne)
  Professional organisations (Chambers of Agriculture, Trade Unions, Interprofessional organisations of the wine sector).