L’X at VivaTech: attracting talent and establishing itself as a key player in global innovation

What does this event involve? 

Philippe Hazet, head of École Polytechnique’s incubator, X-UP: VivaTech is a major annual international gathering for the tech sector. It brings together major corporations, the academic world, start-ups, delegations from all over the world, politicians, key players in innovation and entrepreneurship (such as French Tech), experts in new technologies, and public and private investors (such as BPI France). Viva Technology also offers an opportunity to explore current trends through the numerous conferences and workshops held over the four-day event (three days dedicated to professionals and one day open to the general public). Topics such as artificial intelligence (and its new models: physical AI, recently highlighted by researcher Yann LeCun, former chief scientific officer at Meta) and quantum computing will be discussed. 

In what context is École Polytechnique taking part in Viva Technology?

École Polytechnique is taking part under the umbrella of IP Paris alongside the five other founding institutions of this institute and their incubators. Having everyone present at this event at a single stand helps us gain visibility and showcase the breadth of our expertise in new technologies. Each incubator has its own specific focus, which attracts more visitors, who may well be future entrepreneurs or investors. 

In total, 25 start-ups, including 9 incubated within École Polytechnique’s X-UP incubator (Tinental, Lprint, Radiant, VAir, Loulou Academy, Osborne Systems, Hedi, Green-Graph and MyBubbleHealth), will be present at our stand. The sectors in which these start-ups operate are fully aligned with VivaTech’s four main themes: artificial intelligence/disruptive technologies, greentech/energy and mobility, health/longevity, and the creative industries. 

For example, Loulou Academy falls within the ‘creative industries’ sector. Its founders offer parents alternatives to screen time for their children, such as educational games.

Lprint also has an interesting project in disruptive technologies with a printer that produces printed circuit boards directly and quickly, reducing the need for outsourcing and thereby giving manufacturers greater autonomy, enabling them to produce these boards safely whilst minimising toxic waste. 

What is the benefit for École Polytechnique of attending this type of event?

Our presence at major trade fairs such as VivaTech is essential for showcasing our expertise and forging partnerships. Whether we are addressing tech professionals or the general public, we need to highlight our ability to innovate and provide solutions for society. The excellence of our research is not confined to the École Polytechnique’s laboratories. It also plays a vital role in the entrepreneurial projects we support. 

Furthermore, trade fairs (VivaTech, Spring and others) give us the opportunity to attract talent and future entrepreneurs. Nearly 25% of the start-ups applying to X-UP come from these events. 

For the start-ups we support, Viva Technology represents a unique opportunity to engage with investors and international experts, and to test their innovations with their target audience. Demonstrations or presentations can be made to professionals or the general public. We place great importance on demonstrating the value of our entrepreneurial approach through real-world examples. Greentech start-ups have projects that affect everyone and are more relevant than ever: energy security, the green transition, energy savings… These issues impact our daily lives as citizens, our industries and our national independence.

Finally, the visibility provided by VivaTech enables us to establish ourselves as a key player in innovation across Europe and the world. Three years ago, the X-UP incubator was named one of the winners of the Île-de-France region’s ‘Innov’up Incubation’ label during the event, which bolsters our credibility and confirms our expertise in the eyes of the tech sector and international delegations.