As usual, after every innovation and new technology show I'm lucky enough to attend, I share with you my vision, my finds, my favorites and my comments.
So let's get to work on the 2024 edition of Viva Technology, held in Paris from May 22 to 25. Accompanied by Jonathan, we're going to try and give you the lowdown on what you shouldn't miss this year.
Vivatech, a show that gets bigger and more visible every year
Like CES, Vivatech is always an intense visitor experience.
Just like CES, the 3-day show provides an opportunity to see or re-see some of our partners and startups, and to exchange ideas and take the pulse of innovation and the latest technologies.
Like CES, it's unfortunately impossible to visit all the stands and attend all the talks in such a short space of time.
But is Vivatech just like CES? Is this a valid and useful comparison?
That's what the organizers seem to want, with a great deal of publicity. It has to be said that in some respects, Vivatech rivals CES:
- 165,000 visitors this year (+10% on 2023), the highest attendance ever, compared with 140,000 at CES earlier this year.
- Prestigious guest speakers (Yan LeCun, Elon Musk, the Williams sisters, the French Minister of Agriculture, etc.)
- Global representation, with many countries represented (over 160 nationalities at Vivatech)
However, and this is just my opinion, comparison is not reason.
Firstly, if we compare the number of exhibitors: there were fewer than at CES this year (3,500 exhibitors vs. over 4,300 in Las Vegas), with certain sectors shunning this year's event, such as automotive manufacturers and equipment suppliers. And if we focus on new products, brands never make major announcements at Vivatech,
And when 3 days aren't enough to tour the CES showrooms, they're more than enough for Vivatech, which has a much smaller exhibition area.
But then again, why compare?
For me, Vivatech is a show in a class of its own, which has already achieved the merit of democratizing technology and innovation by opening its doors to the general public on Saturdays. The organization gets better every year (this year I particularly liked the even more numerous and visible country groupings).
However, Vivatech can sometimes give the impression of being underestimated by certain sectors or brands, despite their presence at CES (with the exception of the major French groups, who are always present in force and with major investments). For example, the automotive sector had little presence, even though mobility was announced as one of the show's hallmarks.
In any case, Vivatech is clearly becoming a not-to-be-missed event for those who want to keep abreast of technological trends and the forces at work in innovation. It's French, it's Europe's biggest trade show, and it gives a clear vision of the technological prospects ahead.
And speaking of which, this year's perspective, the word on everyone's lips? AI, AI, AI and more AI.
The show's flagship topic, it's everywhere, more or less visible, it's been useful and used for many years, but it's no longer a trend, it's becoming an obligation for any company that doesn't want to fall behind. Sustainable technology, or innovation in the service of the environment and health, are also the trends that stand out at this year's show.
Mobility
A dead end for some ...
As mentioned above, it's a shame not to see more enthusiasm or commitment from the various manufacturers this year. Renault didn't show up (as it did at CES, by the way). Peugeot was present with just one concept car model: Inception Concept
This futuristic electric vehicle features Hypersquare technology, a touch-sensitive steering wheel inspired by smartphones, which operates electrically to manage the vehicle's steering - no more mechanical steering column. It has a 100 kWh battery offering a range of up to 800 km and a rapid recharge of 150 km in 5 minutes.
The Volkswagen Group is barely present and visible throughAudi, which is presenting its new electric model: the Audi Q6 Etron.
Range of up to 625 km with battery capacities of up to 100 kWh, allowing 10-80% recharging in around 21 minutes.
During the event, Audi announced a range recovery of 255km in 10 minutes of recharging.
However, Tesla will be present at Vivatech for the first time, exhibiting several models from its range.
The ever-impressive CyberTruck, popular models like the Model 3, Model Y, Model S and Model X
Tesla even showcased a non-functioning version of its Optimus robot.
Mind you, I've heard a lot about a first for the show with Tesla's presence, even though they were already present at the WAICF in February in Cannes for the AI show. So it's not a European first, but only a first for Vivatech....
In short, you've guessed it, we were a bit disappointed on the mobility front: we usually see a lot more flying drones, new electric models and urban mobility than this year. Nevertheless, here are a few interesting innovations on the mobility front:
Hydrogen still one of the solutions of the future
NamX offers the HUV (Hydrogen Utility Vehicle), an innovative solution for equipping vehicles with a double hydrogen tank, comprising a fixed tank and six removable capsules, providing a total range of 800 km. The removable capsules enable quick and easy recharging, even in the absence of traditional refuelling stations.
Airbus is also investing in hydrogen energy, presenting the ZEROe, a hydrogen fuel cell engine developed to power zero-emission aircraft.
Using hydrogen fuel cells, this system generates electricity to power the aircraft's electric motors. This technology promises to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions by harnessing hydrogen as a clean energy source.
The ZEROe engine, currently in ground and flight tests, is a key component of Airbus' efforts to launch hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by 2035.
In my personal opinion, I don't think hydrogen is an alternative solution in the transport sector, if only for reasons of efficiency compared with electricity (on the order of 4 times lower than electricity), but also because the cost of producing green hydrogen (without using fossil fuels) is still too high.
However, I believe that hydrogen is part of the energy mix that will make up tomorrow's model, along with electric, nuclear and a little fossil fuel (while there's still some left...).
Electric bikes
One or two models of electric motorcycles can be found at every show. This year, the spotlight is on Maeving, a British manufacturer of urban electric motorcycles.
These are small bikes, the equivalent of 50 and 125 cc, with removable batteries for a range of up to 80 miles, and a price tag of between 6,500 and 8,500 euros.
Curvway offers all-terrain electric surfboards for riding on diverse terrain such as forests, mountains and urban roads. These boards offer a riding experience similar to snowboarding, but require a little time to manage stability and acceleration.... Right, Jonathan?
On the VTOL side, there was only the familiar Volocopter, where we were used to seeing 3 or 4 different transport or delivery UAV models in other years.
Robotics
A field widely covered at every innovation show, this year's line-up included the usual assistance, inspection and delivery robots.
Ipsumtek presented ONYRO, an autonomous service robot designed for the hotel, restaurant and events sectors.
ONYRO is capable of serving customers, transporting objects, and navigating autonomously thanks to advanced safety systems. Equipped with artificial intelligence, it can understand and perform tasks without human intervention.
CobiotX from United Robotics Group designed for various sectors, including healthcare, hospitality and industry. These robots, like Plato, are equipped with artificial intelligence to assist humans in their daily tasks.
And finally, the must-have Mirokaï from Enchanted Tools, the French company founded in 2021 that stands out for its cartoon-inspired appearance and ability to interact naturally with humans, making machines more accessible and less intimidating.
Green tech, tech for good
This is a category of innovation that is growing in importance every year. These innovations make ever greater use ofartificial intelligence to offer ever more solutions that minimize man's impact on the environment. This includes Sustainable Tech, with a focus on solutions to combat climate change, and startups such as Bioteos, which uses algae to improve air quality.
Among the solutions we found relevant and interesting, we can mention the following in detail:
Seabex, which uses artificial intelligence and data analysis to optimize agricultural irrigation. Their Agrisense platform integrates satellite imagery, vegetation indices and weather forecasts to provide precise recommendations.
All this data combined with AI makes it possible to optimize water management, improve yields and promote sustainable, efficient agriculture.
An innovation that shows that data collection combined with AI can produce beneficial effects if used properly. As ever, the use cases are numerous, you just have to think about them...
Another start-up we really liked: HelioRec
It develops floating solar panels, optimizing the use of aquatic spaces to produce clean energy.
Like aquatic wind farms, the idea is to use the sea to produce local energy, but with major advantages over wind turbines... In fact, their modular technology reduces water evaporation by up to 70% thanks to the panels' coverage, improves water quality by reducing algae growth, and creates habitats for aquatic fauna.
Suitable for installations from 10 kW to 100 MW, their systems are designed for coastal environments, offering off-grid, hybrid and boat recharging solutions, as well as self-consumption for port areas, ...
Another example of Green Tech: Zilus from Sabi Agri .
This is an all-terrain electric robot for automating agricultural tasks such as plot maintenance, tilling and pruning.
It can be operated in two ways: manually by the farmer or autonomously.
So I'm already hearing that this is proof that AI is replacing jobs, yet this innovation came about because of the shortage of manpower for these plot maintenance operations that need to be carried out several times a year.
In this case, AI hasn't replaced jobs; it's helping out with tasks that are so tedious that they can't find volunteers.
Another example is Agrist, a Japanese company specializing in intelligent agriculture that uses AI-powered agricultural robots to automate harvesting and optimize crop management.
Advanced sensors for real-time analysis of soil and plant data, computer vision systems and machine learning algorithms enable the robot to navigate and make input and dosage choices, and handle complex tasks without human intervention.
In a completely different field, L'Oréal presented a solution that uses bioprinting technology to create human skin samples. This method relies on the use of 3D printers capable of depositing successive layers of cells to recreate the structure of the skin. This makes it possible to test cosmetic products more accurately and ethically, avoiding the need for animal testing.
Innovations for health
Once again, this is a field where innovations are proliferating and multiplying. Whether it's to help diagnose people more quickly or to make their lives easier, it's always exciting to see AI helping and improving our daily lives.
Here are a few solutions that caught our attention:
FeelObject: A start-up that develops accessibility solutions for the visually impaired and blind, enabling them to move around independently. Their product, Virtuoz, is a tactile, interactive 3D map that facilitates navigation in and around buildings. The device is designed for businesses, hotels, museums, educational establishments and administrative buildings, enhancing the inclusiveness and accessibility of public and private spaces.
Genexpath develops cancer diagnostic kits that enable reliable and rapid diagnosis of several types of cancer, including sarcomas and lymphomas. This shortens detection times, increases the chances of cure and improves patient care.
Once again, this is how AI is important and plays a positive role in our lives.
German Bionic with their exoskeletons designed to assist workers in the healthcare and industrial sectors, lightening the load lifted by up to 30kg and facilitating daily tasks. However, with a price tag of close to €10,000, it's doubtful that they'll be democratized any time soon. Let's hope that the technology will evolve to become more affordable and thus more democratic.
What about Quantum?
This is one of the major innovations and revolutions to come. And it seems to have been taken into account this year, with a gathering of quantum players at the show. There were even round tables on AI and quantum computers, during which a number of key points were made concerning the potential benefits of quantum computers for training and using language models (LLMs):
- Quantum algorithms: Quantum computers can improve algorithms by using quantum data, which could increase the efficiency and accuracy of models.
- Algorithm quality: Algorithm quality is crucial to reducing energy costs, an important aspect in the context of intensive LLM training.
- Tensor networks: Used to compress classical LLM models, tensor networks can benefit from the computational capabilities of quantum computers, optimizing resource management and processing speed.
In summary, quantum computers have the potential to revolutionize LLM training by making algorithms more efficient, reducing energy costs and improving model compression techniques. We'll be keeping a close eye on progress in the months and years to come.
VR and immersive
To be honest, I expected to see more experimentation and feedback with the Apple headset.
VR was present, with a few demos on the Meta stand featuring the latest version of Quest, and a few stands offering VR training experiences, but no major innovations in this field. Could Apple have failed to revolutionize the experience of spatial computing?
To be continued in the coming months.
Rimowatheluggage brand, has developed an application for the Apple Vision Pro headset. They have integrated their 3D models, created over the last few years, enabling visualization and manipulation of their products in augmented reality. The application also includes realistic handle and closure sounds, to make the most of Vision Pro's capabilities. Their short-term goal is to integrate Apple's payment system so as not to lose out on the experience.
Another example is Sephora, which uses the Apple Vision Pro for an in-store interactive game based on scented creams and face masks. Customers have to catch virtual perfumes coming towards them and sort them into the right categories.
I don't really see the point of this experiment, but it's still a first approach with the Apple Vision Pro, even if it's not particularly innovative.
When it comes to immersive technologies, augmented or mixed reality, there's nothing new ...
One example is Veesual, they offer AI-based augmented shopping solutions for fashion brands. Their technology enables customers to visualize clothes on mannequins of different morphologies, ages and skin tones, so they can more easily project themselves onto a garment. The aim of their solution is to increase conversion rates and reduce returns. Their solutions integrate easily with major CMS.
They are also exploring the use of Apple Vision Pro to enrich this experience.
AI, AI, AI everywhere and for everything
The innovation and technology focus of this year's event was, as expected, Artificial Intelligence, and in particular generative AI and LLM.
What was remarkable was to see the extent to which AI is attempting to verticalize by business or sector. There were many solutions and start-ups in the HR and legal sectors, with dozens of more or less useful and often very similar solutions.
Chat Legal.IA offers artificial intelligence tools for legal professionals. Their platform includes a legal assistant to answer questions instantly, a Legal Design generator to create legal infographics in a minute, and a presentation generator in under four minutes. They also offer over 600 mini-assistants for various tasks, improving the productivity and quality of legal work, while ensuring RGPD compliance.
There was also a lot of embedded AI in enterprise information retrieval solutions, conversational solutions and use cases based on generative AI.
Tuito
It offers solutions based on artificial intelligence and the processing of audio and voice signals. Their technology enables the detection of sound events, the simplification of voice interactions, and the secure use of generative AI to access structured databases. Their core platform, MIVOCOM, analyzes and categorizes audio data in real time, with applications in diverse sectors such as healthcare, industry, site monitoring and financial services.
ChatFAQ
It offers an open-source conversational search platform using Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). This interface enables the customization and management of advanced chat models, integrating conversational search capabilities. The solution is designed to be flexible and secure, with no licensing costs, and compatible with multiple cloud providers. It also guarantees compliance with global regulations such as RGPD, while ensuring high data security.
PitchBOY
It offers an interactive and engaging training solution based on conversational AI. Their platform enables companies to easily create and deploy immersive training courses, integrating voice recognition and personalized scenarios. Suitable for training organizations and enterprises, the code-free authoring tool facilitates the development of training programs, from new employee induction to sales simulations.
Lampi
It offers secure AI agents to automate tasks and workflows in sectors such as corporate finance and consulting. Their platform uses the latest language models (LLMs) to deliver detailed and accurate answers, integrating data from a variety of sources. Use cases include report generation, data analysis and complex process management.
Nuvatech.me
SANPOM is a digital fashion platform that uses generative artificial intelligence. It converts 2D design files into detailed 3D digital garments, enabling consumers to visualize how garments actually fit thanks to digital avatars.
In conclusion, our thoughts on Vivatech 2024
It's always fascinating to visit this type of show. A source of inspiration, a showcase for the intelligence of entrepreneurs and start-ups, these regular meeting points for innovation enable us to see just how fast (too fast?) things are moving.
This year's event was therefore marked by the strong presence of AI, both in the solutions presented and in the many debates that took place during the show. But sometimes technology moves faster than use cases and ideas of what we can do with it...
Some solutions in the recruitment, training and education sectors, for example, have made us wonder whether they still have anything to play for when faced with the advances of OpenAI's new model, GTP4o, particularly in the areas of voice conversation, understanding the discussion environment, and reading emotions.
However, the arrival of this type of model, coupled with the robotic solutions presented at the show, suggests that 2025 could mark a giant leap forward in the integration of intelligent robots into our daily lives. In the field of robotics, we saw very concrete solutions for agriculture and service jobs such as catering. Quite apart from the marketing hype about saving time, improving service quality and providing better support, we may well wonder whether these innovations aren't also aimed at solving recruitment problems in these sectors, often linked to the arduous nature of the work involved.
In terms of renewable energy solutions, some very good ideas were presented, both in terms of production and the use of alternatives to fossil fuels. Although it's still difficult to measure the progress made in this field in our daily lives, this type of trade show shows once again that Greentech is booming and will continue to evolve over the coming years.
In any case, there's no doubt that innovation and AI are intimately linked, and one will not go without the other in the future, and the announcement made by Emmanuel Macron just before the opening of the Vivatech trade show, during " Choose France ", announcing €400m to train 100,000 AI experts in France, is a reflection of this. Even if, in my opinion, it's still too little compared to other players like the USA or China... That's something!
Let's at least hope that we in Europe can take the lead in AI investment and research. In any case, it's certain that the horizon for Tech is, and will be, AI for a long time to come..
AI as a new lever for productivity, AI as an aid to human thinking, AI as a catalyst for innovation.
"Artificial intelligence is not there to replace humans, but to help them excel." - Satya Nadella .
"AI is transforming every aspect of our lives, giving us unprecedented opportunities to improve our world." - Sundar Pichai.
Jonathan & Jérôme
