Against the backdrop of a nationwide slowdown in the job placement of recent graduates, the Polytechnique engineers of the Class of X2020, who will graduate in 2025, are reaffirming the strength of their transition into the workforce. One-quarter of graduates enter the civil service, 28% go on to pursue a Ph.D., and nearly half of graduates join the private sector, working at companies of all sizes. Of the graduates who join the company, 97% find their first job in Europe (87% in France), dispelling the notion of a brain drain.
Co-founded by Nobel Prize in Physics laureate Alain Aspect, professor emeritus at École Polytechnique, and Antoine Browaeys, a professor at École Polytechnique, Pasqal—France’s first quantum computing unicorn—is now listed on the Nasdaq. This listing provides the company with approximately $360 million in cash to accelerate its industrial and technological development.
Fiona O’Brien, a student in École Polytechnique’s Master of Science & Technology program “Economics for Smart Cities and Climate Policy”, was invited to present her joint research with Emma Jung, a master's student at TUM, at the TRA (Transport Research Arena). This year, Europe’s largest conference on transport research and innovation took place in Budapest from May 18–21, 2026. Fiona and Emma conducted their research on the impacts of the Paris low-emission zone (ZTL) on mobility and environmental outcomes as part of the “Cities and Transportation” course at l’X.
Nine startups incubated at X-Up, École Polytechnique’s incubator, were present at the VivaTech 2026 trade show, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. Polytech students interning at the Orange Group also participated in a roundtable discussion with Christel Heydemann (X94), CEO of the telecommunications and digital services provider, on the topic of digital sovereignty.
The winners of the 2026 edition of the Next40/FrenchTech 120 program, which supports the most promising French startups, were announced on June 17. One in three Next40 startups was founded, co-founded, or is led by an École Polytechnique alumnus; for the FrenchTech 120, the figure is nearly one in four.
Speaking to the X25 cohort of École Polytechnique students, Antoine Bordes, Chief Scientific Officer at Helsing, emphasised the importance of developing technologies that serve European defence, whilst not overlooking the issue of the responsibility of engineers and military personnel. With their first-class training in science, and now in artificial intelligence, students at École Polytechnique will be able to innovate within the government or private companies to build a society capable of protecting its values by placing people at the heart of decision-making.
Philippe Hazet, head of the École Polytechnique X-UP incubator, outlines the key considerations behind our participation in the 2026 edition of the Viva Technology trade fair. This major global event for innovation and new technologies will take place from 17 to 20 June at the Porte de Versailles in Paris.
Entrepreneurship, Corporate relations, Innovation, Sustainable Development
There is something paradoxical about the current state of green technologies. Investment figures are down. The number of new GreenTech startups, after flirting with record highs, has leveled off. And yet, in laboratories, prototyping workshops, and DeepTech incubators, the buzz is palpable. Perhaps even more intense than ever. GreenTech isn't running out of steam; it's mutating
The École polytechnique incubator is launching its 1st network events, Ecosystem Days, themed and open to all innovation players. On 30 November, the first event will focus on intellectual property and legal issues. We look forward to seeing you there!
With more than 230 start-ups supported over the past ten years, École Polytechnique and its incubator, X-UP, are contributing to the growth of European entrepreneurship. Interdisciplinary research centres, support services, the X-FAB prototyping facility and the presence of entrepreneurs in the business incubator make the École Polytechnique’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation a unique environment that fosters creativity. Project leaders – whether they are students or researchers from École Polytechnique, other institutions within the Institut polytechnique de Paris, or from further afield – will find this the ideal place to bring their ideas to life.
Edwin De Leon, a second-year Energy Environment - Science, Technology and Management (STEEM) MSc&T student, currently doing his internship at Osborne Systems, explains why MSc&T students at École Polytechnique are particularly well-prepared to make their internships a success for both the companies hosting them and their future careers.
The École polytechnique incubator is looking for its new Promo for its X-UP CREATE support package for innovative technology start-ups in the seed stage.
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