In 1793, Le Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers was created in order to encourage the development of technical progress and industry. The Conservatoire thus welcomes the public deposit of inventions open to craftsmen and technicians. From 1798, the Conservatoire settled in the former priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, a building that it still occupies today.

The Museum maintains a reference collection in the technical and industrial field and offers a space dedicated to food packaging in the "Materials" collection.