From June 17 to 20, VivaTech 2026 once again brought together the leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and institutions shaping Europe’s technological future. For the European Champions Alliance, the week was marked by a strong institutional presence led by President Michel Sérié, Supervisory Board Member Emmanuelle Morice, Secretary General Andrea Vaugan and Sabrina Job, who also served as a VivaTech 2026 Ambassador.
Throughout the week, the Alliance engaged with founders, innovators, industrial leaders and policymakers, driven by a shared ambition: strengthening Europe’s innovation ecosystem and helping build the next generation of European champions.
Tuesday: From Vision to Action
Even before VivaTech officially opened, the week started with a series of strategic discussions reflecting some of Europe’s most pressing priorities.
At France Quantum, Andrea Vaugan met with Didier Carré to discuss Franco-German cooperation in quantum technologies, reaffirming the importance of cross-border collaboration in one of Europe’s most strategic sectors.
The day continued with another EuroStack meeting focused on a key issue for European competitiveness: how to better organize and stimulate demand for European technologies.
It concluded with the European Sovereignty Summit, held on the eve of VivaTech. Throughout the discussions, one message emerged clearly: Europe has spent years defining ambitions and identifying priorities. The time has come to move from “we should” and “we must” to concrete action.
Sovereignty as a Strategic Imperative
Technological sovereignty remained a central theme throughout the week.
One of the defining moments came from Hélène Huby, whose powerful address delivered a compelling message: building sovereign European technologies is not optional it is existential.
As geopolitical tensions, industrial competition and technological dependencies intensify, Europe’s ability to master critical technologies has become a strategic necessity.
Strengthening Franco-German and European Cooperation
Germany’s strong presence at VivaTech highlighted the importance of cross-border collaboration. Startup Germany Night and numerous meetings throughout the week showcased the dynamism and complementarity of European ecosystems.
Thursday proved particularly intense, with three high-level discussions addressing some of Europe’s key challenges.
The first panel, hosted by T-Systems France, focused on digital sovereignty and reinforced a simple yet powerful principle: “We cannot protect what we do not control.”
Another discussion brought together leading voices from the French and German quantum ecosystems and marked the launch of the Franco-German Quantum Dialogue website, further strengthening cooperation in this strategic field.
A third session explored how France and Germany can empower startups, scale-ups and SMEs to drive Europe’s innovation economy and strengthen European competitiveness.
The day concluded with the Franco-German Tech Evening, opened by Ambassadors François Delattre and Stephan Steinlein, illustrating once again the strategic importance of Franco-German cooperation for Europe’s future.
Where Technology Meets Creativity
At the European Champions Alliance, we believe that Europe’s future will not be built by technology alone.
Innovation reaches its full potential when it connects with creativity, culture and human imagination. This conviction lies at the heart of The Art of the Possible, an initiative dedicated to celebrating Europe’s creative vanguard.
At VivaTech 2026, this vision came to life through an extraordinary performance by Franco-German soprano Lola Volonakis. In a unique experience, her voice interacted with artificial intelligence in real time, culminating in the appearance of her own digital twin on stage.
Supported by ECA Member Kai Henrik Müller and the teams at Experience One, the performance offered a striking illustration of how tradition, emotion and emerging technologies can come together to expand the boundaries of artistic expression.
Building Europe’s Champions of Tomorrow
Throughout VivaTech, Michel Sérié and Emmanuelle Morice represented the European Champions Alliance, meeting with founders, investors and strategic stakeholders to strengthen connections across the ecosystem.
Their presence reflected the Alliance’s mission: contributing to the development of a competitive, innovative and sovereign European ecosystem capable of nurturing the champions of tomorrow.
VivaTech 2026 delivered a powerful reminder that Europe’s future will not be shaped by technology alone. It will be built through cooperation, ambition and execution.
Because Europe’s next champions will emerge not only from ideas, but from our collective ability to turn vision into action.
