VivaTech 2026: Four days to spotlight innovation at Sorbonne University

The first day of VivaTech was dedicated to the theme ‘Build’. It provided an opportunity to showcase how Sorbonne University supports its students and researchers, as well as entrepreneurs, in transforming an idea into an innovative project.

Among the highlights of the day was the final of the award Pépite France - Sorbonne University, which rewarded five of the ten student-entrepreneurs taking part. Candidates presented their projects to a jury of representatives from Essilor Luxottica, Safran, Bpifrance and the Île-de-France Region.  
Visitors of Sorbonne University stand also discovered the opportunities offered by the future Cité de l’Innovation, a meeting place for academic research, entrepreneurship and innovation. 

This first day also highlighted CIFRE theses, a bridge between the academic world and business, as well as several testimonials from student entrepreneurs, alumni and scientists supported by the university.
 

The second day, themed ‘Scaling up’, had a clear objective: to demonstrate how Sorbonne University’s research and expertise can support businesses during their growth phase.

Throughout the day, case studies illustrated the diversity of collaborations between laboratories, start-ups and major industrial groups. Projects carried out with STMicroelectronics, nke Instrumentation (which develops ocean buoys to feed climate models), Michelin and several start-ups spun out of Sorbonne University’s laboratories (HyVibe, Tortoise, etc.) highlighted the tangible impact of these partnerships on industrial, environmental and societal challenges. 

The day also featured a presentation by Arnaud Latil, Vice-President for Artificial Intelligence, Strategy and Forecasting at Sorbonne University, focusing on Europe’s role in the economic exploitation of research into artificial intelligence. This was a particularly meaningful moment, given that Sorbonne University has recently joined the European Commission’s AI Act Advisory Forum.

The university’s stand welcomed many prominent figures from academia, businesses and politics, including Yann LeCun, an artificial intelligence researcher who received his PhD from Sorbonne University, Paul du Saillant, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at EssilorLuxottica and Mélody Tonolli, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of universities, research and student life, the knowledge economy and the coordination of the scientific council.

Other notable sessions included discussions on the role of women in tech careers, the presentation of the Digital Delacroix project, and the launch of the call for applications for the future Cité de l’Innovation at Sorbonne University.
 

The third day at Vivatech 2026 was devoted to creating value through partnerships, training and knowledge transfer.

A number of sessions showcased the continuing vocational and Executive Education programmes developed by Sorbonne University. The Île-de-France Space Academy, a project supported under the France 2030 initiative, notably demonstrated the university’s ability to develop programmes that directly address the needs in strategic sectors.

Discussions also highlighted Sorbonne University’s commitment to the European 4EU+ Alliance, whose programmes help to train tomorrow’s leaders within an international and interdisciplinary context.

The day was also marked by the signing of a cooperation agreement between Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and Open Innovation AI for the creation of a new chair dedicated to artificial intelligence.

Another highlight was the presentation of the Innovation Academy, a future course to be offered by the Cité de l’Innovation at Sorbonne University. Artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, the ocean, heritage, leadership and communication: this academy will offer programmes designed to support the transformation of public and private organisations.

Finally, several research projects illustrated how data and technology can address public health and societal challenges: epidemiological surveillance via wastewater (the OBEPINE+ project), tackling food insecurity among students, and innovative tools for monitoring neurodegenerative diseases…
 

On the fourth and final day, VivaTech opened its doors to the general public. Sorbonne University presented several of its flagship programmes, such as the Student-Entrepreneur Diploma (D2E) and the Master’s in Innovation, showcased by students, alumni and academic staff who shared their personal stories.

The day also gave centre stage to the Molière Ex Machina project. The public was invited to witness a short scene from L’Astrologue ou les Faux Présages (The Astrologer or the False Omens), a play written in Molière’s style with artificial intelligence developed by Mistral AI, and then performed by the Théâtre Molière Sorbonne troupe.