IMT at the heart of European innovation at VivaTech 2026
From June 17 to 20, 2026, IMT participated in the 10th edition of VivaTech, Europe’s largest event dedicated to startups and technology. For this anniversary edition, the event brought together nearly 15,000 startups, 4,000 investors, and 200,000 visitors.
Over the course of four days, startup founders, researchers, students, industry partners, public sector representatives, and investors came together to discuss the major challenges shaping the future: artificial intelligence, digital sovereignty, the energy transition, cybersecurity, the industry of the future, and deep tech entrepreneurship.
35 high-impact deep-tech startups were exhibited at our stand, providing a concrete illustration of IMT’s ability to foster and support high-potential entrepreneurial projects.
Here’s a look back at the highlights of a memorable trade show that brought together research, education, innovation, and economic development.
35 startups turning research into concrete solutions
At the heart of IMT’s presence at VivaTech is its entrepreneurial ecosystem
35 startups supported by IMT incubator network had the opportunity to exhibit at a shared booth organized by the group’s eight Technological Universities. They presented their solutions in key sectors—including healthtech, digital, cybersecurity, edtech, and green tech—to thousands of visitors, partners, investors, and media representatives attending the event.
Artificial intelligence, industry, energy, mobility, and immersive technologies: the diversity of the projects on display highlighted the richness of IMT’s tech entrepreneurship.
Increased visibility and recognition for IMT startups
The startup ShiftElec, founded by Alizée Mesnard, an alumna of Télécom SudParis and supported by IMT Starter incubator—a joint initiative of Institut Mines-Télécom Business School and Télécom SudParis—was selected as one of the six finalists for VivaTech’s Next Startupper Award, out of 495 applications!
This is a great honor for this solution dedicated to electrical flexibility and the smart management of energy consumption in industry.
Five IMT startups were also recognized with the Tech For Change label, which highlights projects with a positive impact among the trade show’s exhibitors:
- Planifia, supported by IMT Mines Albi, offers smart solutions for planning patient pathways in outpatient clinics to optimize hospital operations.
- Krysis, a startup incubated by IMT Nord Europe, has developed the C.L.E.S. app to inform and engage citizens in industrial areas.
- Anemon Sensors has developed a new generation of ultra-sensitive sensors to measure ammonia gas. The startup is incubated at IMT Nord Europe and is also a winner of the Up to Start by IMT and iPhD Bpifrance competitions.
- Bouge&Apprends, supported by IMT Mines Alès, creates educational tools that promote active learning in elementary school. The team also participated in the “Battle of the Incubators” organized by VivaTech on Saturday, June 20.
- Fairpatterns, supported by IMT Starter – the joint incubator of Institut Mines-Télécom Business School and Télécom SudParis – offers an AI solution that identifies deceptive business practices and supports companies and lawyers.
A concrete demonstration of IMT’s ability to foster innovative, responsible technologies focused on the challenges of tomorrow!
A presence spanning the entire fair
Beyond stand 3H14, several startups from our incubator network were present in various areas of the trade show, alongside major corporations and innovation ecosystems such as La French Tech, Orange, CIC, and Bpifrance.
The ECOTRAIN project, supported by ADEME as part of France 2030 and bringing together a consortium of industry partners and two IMT’s Technological Universities (IMT Mines Albi and IMT Nord Europe), highlighted more sustainable solutions for the rail sector through a presentation and an exhibition day at the trade show.
In total, more than fifty IMT-developed projects shone throughout this 10th edition of Viva Technology!
Making Franco-German cooperation a driver of innovation
Germany, designated “Country of the Year” for the 2026 edition with the largest delegation in VivaTech’s history, provided a new opportunity to strengthen Franco-German cooperation led by IMT.
This year, the event also marked the 10th anniversary of the German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future (GFA), created by IMT and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron and former Minister Sigmar Gabriel.
This collaboration took shape through several institutional meetings with German academic and political stakeholders, as well as by hosting four TUM-based startups at IMT booth: AccelionTech, Enabling Robotics, Navvego, and Keynostic.
©Axel Koenig – StMWK
IMT and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Join Forces for European Innovation
A key highlight of the first day at VivaTech: IMT and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft signed a memorandum of understanding to further strengthen their cooperation in research and innovation, in the presence of Benjamin Haddad, Minister Delegate for Europe.
Hydrogen, cybersecurity, smart cities, and sovereign data spaces: our teams will work together on several key technologies for the industrial, energy, and digital transitions.
Building a trusted European AI
This shared vision also fueled discussions during the roundtable “100 Companies. 2 Countries. 1 Vision: Building Europe’s Trusted AI from the Ground Up,” which brought together Institut Mines-Télécom, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and Inria on the Sovereignty Stage at VivaTech.
At the heart of the discussions was one question: How can we build trusted European AI to serve industry and strategic sectors?
Cécile Dubarry (IMT), Boris Otto (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft), and Bruno Sportisse (Inria) discussed data sovereignty, innovation, and Franco-German cooperation as key drivers for developing AI that meets the concrete needs of European companies.
A shared ambition in line with the Franco-German Dialogue of AI Industry Leaders: to foster a trustworthy European AI that supports the continent’s competitiveness and sovereignty.
Supporting entrepreneurial innovation with Dassault Systèmes
Good news for the startups in our incubators: IMT and Dassault Systèmes took advantage of the trade show to formalize a partnership aimed at fostering entrepreneurial innovation. This partnership provides our startups with access to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE Lab business innovation ecosystem.
The signing ceremony, attended by Cécile Dubarry, CEO of IMT, and Frederic Vacher, Director of Innovation at Dassault Systèmes, opens up new opportunities for startups incubated by IMT. They will now have privileged access to cutting-edge technologies, industry expertise, and a global innovation network. In practical terms, this partnership enables them to accelerate their development and receive support earlier in the design, testing, and validation phases of their solutions.
Artificial Intelligence, data, and trusted technologies: IMT at the crossroads of major debates
Beyond their booth, IMT experts actively contributed to the discussions shaping the future of digital technology:
- a roundtable discussion on data spaces and artificial intelligence as drivers for public sector stakeholders, featuring a presentation by Hugues Randriatsoa, coordinator of the Data Space Lab and Gaia-X Hub France
- the launch of a research partnership between IMT-BS and Publicis Connected Media to better understand the impact of artificial intelligence on the communications and media industries
- a thematic learning expedition focused on AI to boost business competitiveness as part of the ETIncelles program, featuring presentations by companies and startups at the forefront of the field
- discussions on digital sovereignty with IMT Nord Europe alumni working in the cloud, digital infrastructure, and deep tech sectors
Through these presentations, IMT reaffirmed its ability to shed light on the technological, economic, and human transformations linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Training talent and fostering an innovation community
Viva Technology is also a must-attend event for future generations of engineers, managers, and researchers. Through its participation in the event, IMT enables its student community to discover disruptive innovations, meet key players in the ecosystem, and better understand the major technological shifts currently underway.
Nearly 700 free passes were distributed to students and doctoral candidates at IMT’s Technological Universities, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the event for its entire duration.
The Learning Expeditions (LEX) organized by Fondation Mines-Télécom and IMT Atlantique were designed to immerse IMT’s young talents in the VivaTech event. These guided tours allowed them to meet entrepreneurs, exchange ideas with leading experts and companies, and gain a better understanding of the major technological transformations currently underway.
An event centered on collaboration
IMT & Friends after-work event, organized with the eight alumni networks of our Technological Universities, strengthened the bonds between graduates, students, researchers, and IMT teams around the theme of entrepreneurship.
Following opening remarks by Cécile Dubarry and Louise Lewonczuk, president of IMT Atlantique Alumni, an IMT Alumni roundtable focused on “Go-to-Market: Identifying Customers and Business Development for Startups.”
The session provided an opportunity to share concrete insights on the growth challenges faced by young companies.
Thank you to everyone who made this event possible: IMT teams, our 10 schools, our incubators, the Fondation Mines-Télécom, our corporate partners, startups, and everyone we met at the booth
