L’X at the 2026 VivaTech Expo, Focused on AI and Digital Sovereignty

École Polytechnique was once again present at VivaTech, Europe’s largest trade show for technological innovation and entrepreneurship, whose 2026 edition marks its tenth anniversary.

For this occasion, the event organizers thought big, and it was a resounding success, drawing a record-breaking 200,000 visitors.

Nine startups incubated at École Polytechnique at the IP Paris booth

With a focus on artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty, the VivaTech 2026 trade show also gave prominent feature to humanoids—robots powered by AI.

École Polytechnique was present under the auspices of IP Paris, alongside the five other founding institutions of this institute and their incubator.

A total of 25 startups, including 9 incubated at École Polytechnique’s X-UP incubator (Tinental, Lprint, Radiant, VAir, Loulou Academy, Osborne Systems, Hedi, Green-Graph, and MyBubbleHealth), were featured at the IP Paris booth.

“Having everyone present at this event at a single booth allows us, in particular, to gain visibility and showcase the breadth of our expertise in new technologies. Each incubator has its own unique features, which attracts more visitors—who may be future entrepreneurs or investors,” emphasized Philippe Hazet, head of the École Polytechnique X-UP incubator.

“The business sectors of these startups are fully aligned with VivaTech’s four main themes: artificial intelligence/disruptive technologies, greentech/energy and mobility, health/longevity, and the creative industry,” he added.

Roundtable: Cycle Ingénieurs Polytechniciens Students and the CEO of Orange

Three Cycle Ingénieurs Polytechniciens Program’s students —Mathilde Garet, Gokdeniz Karadeniz, and Etienne Thauvin—who are currently interns at the Orange Group, participated in a roundtable discussion with Chrystelle Heydemann (X94), CEO of the telecommunications and digital services provider, titled: “AI, Sovereignty, and Talent: Shaping Tomorrow’s Trust.”

In November 2025, École Polytechnique and Orange signed a strategic partnership to strengthen research, innovation, and training in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

This partnership involves the creation of an academic research chair, supported by a grant from Orange, dedicated to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

It includes the development of a joint X-Orange center of excellence that brings together researchers, doctoral students, and engineers from both organizations to work on applied research projects. It also includes support for high-quality training programs, notably by hosting students for internships and doctoral students working on their dissertations at Polytechnique. 

It plans to continue the joint commitment of École Polytechnique and Orange to diversity, gender parity, and equal opportunity through awareness-raising and promotional initiatives.