EDF celebrates innovation at VivaTech

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For the 4th year in a row, EDF partnered up with Viva Technology, the world’s rendezvous for innovation and startups.

Inventing tomorrow’s society

For its 4th edition, Viva Technology took place at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on 16-18 May 2019. More than 124,000 worldwide visitors came to meet 13,000 French and international startups at Viva Technology.

This year, the focus was on Europe, women in Tech, and “Tech for good”. In addition to Hall 1, this ‘high mass’ of technology for the future occupied Hall 2 and le Dôme de Paris (ex Palais des Sports).  Its huge hall accommodated the audience of thousands coming to hear speakers of the highest order, such as Emmanuel Macron, the French President, Samsung’s President Young Sohn, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation Carlos Moedas, chess champion Garry Kasparov (for Avast), and LVMH’s CEO, Bernard Arnault. Le Dôme de Paris also hosted the closing concert of the exhibition, with The Avener hosted by EDF!
 

visitors
124,000

attendees

start-up
13,000

startups

investment
3,300

investors

press
2,500

journalists

country
125

nationalities

EDF partner of Discovery and Robot Park

L'espace Discovery by EDF

Each year, Paris once again becomes the world capital of innovation with VivaTech. EDF, a historical partner of this event, had to be present for this new edition from last May 16 to 18.

The Group sponsors two flagship spaces at the heart of the event:

  • This year, DISCOVERY by EDF hosted the innovations of 40 startups, many of which are supported by EDF Pulse, the EDF group's innovation network. In addition to these startups’ demonstrations, spectacular events such as "Mentalista football" (first mind football game), a chess tournament with Garry Kasparov, or a Robot Fight were held on the Discovery Central Arena.
  • ROBOT PARK by EDF featured 8 robots at the forefront of innovation, particularly in the areas of health and sustainable agriculture.
Robot Park by EDF, highlights

Discover 4 of the 8 robots at the forefront of innovation, particularly in the areas of health and sustainable agriculture.

ANTBOT

Inspired by the desert ant, researchers at the CNRS and Aix-Marseille University have designed AntBot, the first robot with legs able to move without a GPS and to automatically go home.

ANYmal

Designed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, ANYmal is a quadruped robot. It’s able to swim, walk, run, dance, jump, climb and carry objects.

DA VINCI

The American start-up Intuitive Surgical has developed Da Vinci, a surgical platform that makes complex operations less invasive, thanks to optimized visualization and increased accuracy and comfort for surgeons.

VITIROVER

Vitirover invented a lawn mower to replace glyphosate. It's autonomous and remotely controllable, allowing it to maintain very large areas (vineyards, railways, transformers, photovoltaic farms, etc.). Vitirover is a EDF Pulse start-up Awards winner.

Talent Connect, a space to boost your career

This year, the EDF Employer Brand was present at the Talent Connect space within Viva Tech in partnership with ManpowerGroup. Its goals: Show that the EDF Group recruits in Tech and find the right candidates. Recruitment, coaching, skill testing, pitches and conferences, etc. allowed numerous candidates to find everything they need for their career guidance!

Exchanging with experts from EDF’s innovation network

Open innovation is part of EDF's DNA. The EDF Pulse network is thus dedicated to innovation and articulated around 4 main devices:

Experts from these support programs were at Viva Tech on the Discovery by EDF space and on the Robot Park by EDF and visitors were able to have fruitful exchanges with them!