When VivaTech first opened its doors in 2016, it gathered 45,000 visitors. This June, the 10th edition is expected to welcome more than 180,000 attendees from 171 countries, a 300% increase that reflects not just the event’s growth, but the pace of transformation reshaping the global tech landscape.
From 17 to 20 June at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, VivaTech 2026 promises to be its most ambitious edition yet: 15,000 startups, 4,000 investors, 1,500+ live demos, and a program built around the questions that actually matter right now, AI and productivity, cybersecurity and defense, the energy transition, and the frontier technologies redefining what’s scientifically possible.
Here’s a look at some of the conversations and speakers you won’t want to miss.
The Energy Transition Gets Real
The climate debate at VivaTech 2026 moves past ambition and into execution. The Energy, Greentech & Mobility track tackles the uncomfortable math behind decarbonization: can renewables scale fast enough? Can AI be sustainable when data centers are consuming energy at record rates? Who pays for electrification and who profits?
To answer these questions, VivaTech is bringing together some of the sector’s most consequential voices. Lei Zhang, CEO of Envision, one of the world’s leading renewable energy and smart energy companies, will be at VivaTech alongside Philippe Piron, CEO of Electrification at GE Vernova, the energy technology spin-off now at the center of the global grid modernization effort. François Provost, CEO of Renault, will represent the mobility side of the equation at a moment when the European automotive industry is navigating one of its most complex strategic pivots.
Rounding out the track: Siddarth Singh, Co-lead of Energy and AI at the International Energy Agency, and Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, bringing both data-driven rigour and accountability frameworks to a conversation that needs both.
On the floor, startups like Nyobolt (ultra-fast charging), Bienesis (climate-resilient agriculture), and Tenaka (ocean regeneration, world exclusive) will demonstrate that the energy transition isn’t a future story. It’s shipping now.
Tech Beyond the Obvious
If one track captures why VivaTech still surprises after a decade, it’s Tech Beyond the Obvious, dedicated to deeptech, radical science, and the innovations that seem implausible until suddenly they aren’t.
Jerry Chow, IBM Fellow and CTO for Quantum-Centric Supercomputing at IBM, will be at VivaTech to present the “quantum chandelier”, a world exclusive demonstration of a system capable of computations that classical computers simply cannot perform, with applications in healthcare, telecommunications, and industrial optimization.
On the space side, Helene Huby, Founder and CEO of The Exploration Company, represents a new generation of European private space ventures redefining what independent orbital infrastructure looks like. And Madeline Lawrence, Chief Growth Officer of Aikido, speaks to a parallel frontier: AI-assisted tools that detect and fix code vulnerabilities at the speed the threat landscape now demands.
The track also features Adel Haddoud, CEO of Infinite Orbits, working on satellite life-extension technology, and world exclusives including Xpanceo’s AI-powered smart contact lens capable of projecting information directly into the field of vision.
Where Tech Leadership Gets Tested
The Tech Leaders Summit, powered by QuantumBlack AI by McKinsey, Nebius and Orisha, is where the conversation shifts from what’s possible to what’s actually hard. CTOs, CIOs, CISOs, and CDOs gather to work through the tensions that don’t resolve neatly on a slide deck: how do you harden cybersecurity while accelerating deployment? Where does digital sovereignty end and operational paranoia begin? When every layer of the stack is becoming intelligent, who actually controls it?
The speaker lineup reflects the stakes. Elizabeth Stone, Chief Technology Officer at Netflix, brings the perspective of an organization that has made infrastructure a competitive advantage, and must now navigate what AI-native product development means at global scale. Jens Holtinger, CTO of Volvo Group, represents an industry in the middle of one of its most complex technological transitions: electrification, software-defined vehicles, and autonomous systems converging simultaneously. Damien Lucas, CEO of Scaleway, speaks from the front line of European cloud sovereignty, a question that has moved from policy debate to operational urgency. And Thomas Dohmke, Founder & CEO of Entire, brings a builder’s perspective on what it actually takes to modernize enterprise infrastructure from the inside.
At a time when cyberattacks surged 75% in a single year (Accenture, 2024) and AI is simultaneously the most powerful tool available to defenders and attackers alike, this forum is less a conference track and more a pressure test for tech leadership in real conditions.
A New Format, A New Audience
VivaTech 2026 also marks two firsts in the event’s history. On 14 June, three days before the main event, VivaTech will take over the Champs-Élysées for a free, public-facing day of innovation, pedestrianizing one of the world’s most iconic avenues and transforming it into an open showcase for AI, robotics, mobility, health, and climate tech.
On 20 June, the general public day becomes the VivaTech Festival, opening the event’s final day to 18-35-year-olds, with programming focused on AI & Society, the Creator Economy, and career opportunities in tech, including a dedicated Careers Festival and exclusive demos.
Join VivaTech from June 17 to 20 at Paris Porte de Versailles.
Book now at vivatech.com, before the robots do.
