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57% of people say they use AI technology daily. But how is it impacting our world? We dive into the full report from Roland Berger. 

![Graphic "how deep is AI changing our societites?"](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/roland_berger_report_c78891141f/roland_berger_report_c78891141f.png)

Artificial intelligence has become inescapable in both our private and public lives. It raises fears, sparks hope, and ignites polarizing debates. But even with all the risks it carries, AI stands as a powerful catalyst for transformation.

Given this context, Roland Berger and Viva Technology sought to answer the question: How deeply will AI transform our daily lives?

This new study is fueled by insights from the community brainstorming event, The Good Hack, which took place at VivaTech in May 2024. The theme: “Navigating AI for a Better Future." 

Roland Berger surveyed more than 14,000 VivaTech participants about their opinions on AI, the major challenges ahead, and how AI can be used to solve societal and environmental problems.

Here are five valuable takeaways from the report:

## 1. High levels of optimism for AI’s potential in health, employment, and the environment, but deep divisions over its influence on democracy.

Roland Berger’s analysis found that AI is already massively used in French society, and the vast majority of people recognize AI's potential to positively impact our world. But few respondents at VivaTech had more than a surface-level understanding of how AI works and the underlying technology that powers it. Still, they were excited about how AI could improve their lives.	
- 57% say they use AI technology daily. Only 5% report never using it.
- 92% anticipate positive effects on Health and Wellbeing, 81% on Employment and Inclusion, and 80% on the Environment.
- Perception of AI's influence on citizen trust and democracy is deeply divided: 48% anticipate a “negative” or “very negative” impact, while 50% foresee a “positive” or “very positive” outcome.

## 2. AI will improve trust in technology, make education more accessible, and increase fairness.

AI is opening the door to a more connected and fairer future by reshaping how we engage with technology and institutions. Here are three of the many ways outlined in the report:

1. AI tools can help governments create more inclusive and effective policies, thereby strengthening public trust.

2. AI is making education more accessible by helping students and educators easily access and organize information.
_“Artificial intelligence allows everyone to access knowledge even more easily, as its capacity for data structuring and retrieval is unprecedented.”_ - Fabien Versavau, CEO of Rakuten France, at The Good Hack
3. AI reduces biases in hiring by focusing on skills rather than demographic factors.

## 3. AI will drive better quality of life

AI is revolutionizing the healthcare sector. Advancements include analyzing DNA for disease diagnosis and making it easier to develop treatments for rare diseases. In fact, “disease detection and diagnosis support” was the #1 response from The Good Hack participants when asked about the positive effects of AI on health and wellbeing (13%).

The report shares many more ways AI is transforming healthcare including powering [wearable devices](https://www.vivatechnology.com/news/wearables-the-future-of-health-and-wellness) to enable remote patient monitoring and enhancing hospital efficiency.

AI can also improve overall quality of life by playing a key role in climate change solutions, particularly the advancement of decarbonization and accelerating R&D in green technologies.

## 4. AI also poses risks to humans.

While AI holds the potential for many positive breakthroughs, it also carries considerable risks. We are already seeing the negative effects of AI’s influence in these spheres:

- **Misinformation and Manipulation**: AI increases the spread of misinformation, can generate factually incorrect or fabricated information, and can be manipulated to produce harmful or offensive content. 

- **Environmental Impact**: AI models require substantial computing power, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Data centers that support AI computations, also contribute significantly to global electricity demand and carbon emissions. This impact is expected to grow.

- **Job Automation and Inequality**: AI-powered automation poses a risk to many jobs, particularly ones involving repetitive tasks. Women are at a higher risk of job displacement because they work more often in administrative roles. In France alone, 1.4 million jobs could be augmented by AI.

## 5. More regulations are needed to encourage ethical AI development and protect people.

AI technologies carry significant ethical and privacy challenges, and there is an urgent need for regulations. AI's ability to analyze and cross-reference vast amounts of personal data is already leading to privacy violations, such as TikTok's €76 million settlement over unauthorized AI-driven data collection. 

Generative AI has also upended Intellectual Property structures, and the dispute over using copyrighted content to train AI models remains unresolved. Roland Berger’s survey found that “intellectual property” was the #2 response when VivaTech participants were asked about concerns over “AI and Trust.”

Roland Berger’s report also provides many proposed solutions to the potentially negative impacts of AI, including recommendations directly from The Good Hack participants. **Check out the [full report](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/Etude_HOW_IS_AI_CHANGING_OUR_LIVES_Viva_Tech_x_Roland_Berger_1d9d09fba7/Etude_HOW_IS_AI_CHANGING_OUR_LIVES_Viva_Tech_x_Roland_Berger_1d9d09fba7.pdf) for more insights**.

Be sure to [join us](https://vivatechnology.com/get-your-pass?ca=FPB7UCH5) at next year’s Good Hack during VivaTech 2025, where we’ll explore a new societal issue in the tech world. The theme will be **Tech as a Bridge: Closing the Rural-Urban Gap Together.** We look forward to seeing you in June!


How AI is Reshaping Our Lives: 5 Key Insights from Roland Berger’s AI Report

5 Key Insights from Roland Berger’s AI Report

News Feed

Session Digests

Balancing ethical regulation, combatting misinformation, and empowering all of society with Artificial Intelligence. We recap what was said in the top AI sessions at VivaTech 2024. 

![2 speakers on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/societalimpactofai2_8de759666e/societalimpactofai2_8de759666e.jpg)
_Session The Societal Impact of AI. Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## The Societal Impact of AI
As AI transforms society, the challenge is no longer just about innovation—it’s about making sure everyone, from tech-savvy youth to non-digital natives, can benefit from its power. The panelists in [this session](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/a7e7d580-d207-ef11-96f5-000d3a29980a) explored how AI can empower individuals and reshape societies. 

**Anne Bouverot of Ecole Normale Supérieure** stressed the importance of making AI understandable and accessible to all, particularly non-digitally native and older populations. She called for capacity building and inclusive AI education, advocating for social dialogue to address common concerns around bias, job displacement, and disinformation. Bouverot referenced the report titled "AI: Our Ambition for France," which she presented to President Macron, focusing on the need for AI literacy across all sectors of society.

**James Manyika, SVP of Tech & Society at Google**, added to the discussion by highlighting the empowering potential of AI, especially for those with less specialized skills. He noted, "Quite often it is the less skilled workers... that should get the most out of it," underscoring how AI can democratize access to opportunities previously restricted by expertise. Manyika further emphasized the role of generative AI in leveling the playing field, explaining, "The fact that I can interact with these systems with very little expertise and still get something useful... is very empowering."

The session also touched on broader societal fears about AI, with a focus on understanding the risks to mitigate fear and anxiety. Bouverot called for ongoing social dialogue to study the challenges AI presents—like bias in algorithms and job automation—and create solutions that protect workers and uphold public interest.

![4 panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/airulebook2_69e0f6f5b1/airulebook2_69e0f6f5b1.jpg)
_Session The AI Rulebook: What is to be Regulated, How and by Whom? Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## The AI Rulebook
Who controls how AI is developed? What is to be regulated, how, and by whom? [This panel](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/7d9932c6-d7f0-ee11-aaf0-000d3a2b945f) explored how different regions—Europe, the USA, and China—are approaching AI regulation and development.

**Dragos Tudorache of the European Parliament** emphasized the EU's shift from skepticism to adopting the AI Act, which aims to safeguard against AI risks while allowing innovation. He noted, "If you're a democracy and care about your people and societal risks, you need a rulebook because general principles have not been effectively applied in the past." This highlights Europe's commitment to a regulatory framework that prioritizes societal well-being.

**Anu Bradford from Columbia University** discussed the US perspective, where the focus has been more on AI development than regulation. Bradford advocated for a balanced approach, saying, "We need to recognize the importance of regulating AI to protect citizens and maintain technological leadership responsibly." Her comments underscored the tension between innovation and the need for regulation to avoid harm.

The session also touched on the global challenges of regulating AI, with **Raffi Krikorian of Emerson Collective** addressing the misconception that regulation stifles innovation. He explained, "There is a false dichotomy between regulation and innovation. You can have both at the same time." His statement highlights the importance of crafting regulation that fosters the right kind of innovation, ensuring technology benefits society without causing harm.

![4 panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/canwehaveitall2_dc2cff48de/canwehaveitall2_dc2cff48de.jpg)
_Session Can We Have it “All” Safe, Profitable, and Ethical AI. Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## Can We Have it All?
Can AI truly be ethical, profitable, and safe? That was the burning question tackled by leading voices in the AI world. From critiques of tech monopolies to calls for decentralization, this session sparked a lively debate about the future of AI. [This panel](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/deaba4da-f1f0-ee11-aaf0-000d3a2b945f) shared a compelling vision for AI's future, one where inclusive, ethical frameworks shape technology and the societies it impacts.

**Meredith Whittaker, from the Signal Foundation**, took a critical stance on the current concentration of AI power within a few large U.S. tech companies. She argued that this monopoly undermines the potential of AI to benefit society at large. Whittaker advocated for a shift away from the surveillance business model, promoting decentralized, open-source AI development as an alternative. She called for the creation of new tech infrastructures that empower people, saying, “We must reject the surveillance business model and create alternative tech infrastructures.”

**Sneha Revanur, Founder of Encode Justice** and on this year’s TIMEs list of the 100 most influential people in AI, echoed Whittaker's call for decentralization and regulatory measures. She stressed that while AI holds great potential, the current trajectory lacks inclusivity and proper regulation. Revanur highlighted the need for diverse voices, particularly youth, to shape AI’s future. She emphasized, “Right now, we’re heading down the wrong path, but it’s entirely reversible... this is a matter of human decision-making.”

On a more technical note, **Jonas Andrulis, CEO of Aleph Alpha**, discussed the challenges of developing AI technologies in Europe amidst the dominance of U.S. tech giants. He emphasized the need for tech sovereignty, urging Europe to build its own AI infrastructure to remain competitive. Andrulis offered a forward-looking perspective, stating, “The next generations will grow up and will be built by AI. If we don't have a positive vision... we’ll end up with a world we may not like.”

![4 panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/isgenaifeedingfakenews2_16697203f9/isgenaifeedingfakenews2_16697203f9.jpg)
_Session Is Generative AI Feeding the Fake News Machine? Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## Is Generative AI Feeding the Fake News Machine?
Generative AI is not just a tool for creativity—it’s also fueling the spread of fake news at an alarming rate. Experts in [this session](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/9ead289e-d4f0-ee11-aaf0-000d3a2b945f) discussed how AI is being weaponized to flood the media landscape with misleading content, deteriorating public trust, while also exploring potential solutions to mitigate these risks.

**Mario Vasilescu, CEO of Readocracy**, highlighted the erosion of trust between media and the public, driven by AI’s ability to flood the information landscape with misleading content. He explained the "bullshit asymmetry principle", which makes disproving false information significantly more difficult than creating it. Vasilescu urged the tech industry to take responsibility for mitigating the spread of misinformation, calling for improved media literacy and alternative models that value quality content and critical thinking.

**Alexander Nicholas, from XPRIZE**, stressed the need for robust policy responses, particularly during election periods, when misinformation can have serious consequences. “What’s at stake is essentially our democratic systems. When citizens no longer believe that they can trust an election or that their voices count, they often resort to other means of expressing their voices.” Nicholas emphasized that beyond technological solutions, society needs prebunking strategies—proactive measures to arm people with the tools to recognize and reject false information.

**Chine Labbé, from NewsGuard**, echoed these sentiments, advocating for the responsible use of AI to combat misinformation at scale. She urged the industry to take a more active role in identifying harmful AI-generated content, noting how NewsGuard collaborates with companies like Microsoft to reduce the spread of such content. Labbé also pointed out that AI can be part of the solution, stating, “We have to use AI to empower us more in the fight against misinformation."

Finally, **Ana Carcani Rold of Diplomatic Courier**, raised a provocative question about the audience’s role in spreading misinformation, asking, "Even when we know something is fake, are we going to really care that it’s fake?" Her remarks underscored the broader cultural and behavioral challenges that AI-generated fake news presents.
## AI for All
The AI leaders at VivaTech 2024 tackled pressing issues like ethical governance, the battle against misinformation, societal inclusion, and the balance between regulation and innovation. But beyond innovation, the majority of speakers ultimately highlighted the need for responsible AI development that empowers all of society while safeguarding democratic values.

Want to dive into more VivaTech sessions? Check out all of our **[2024 Session Recordings](https://vivatechnology.com/replay)** for more insights into other technologies.

Digesting AI from VivaTech 2024

Digesting AI from VivaTech

Harness new energy, decarbonize industries, optimize agriculture. We digest the top sessions from VivaTech 2024 about the latest climate technologies leading the way to a resilient future.

![5 panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/carbon_reduction_947aef01a3/carbon_reduction_947aef01a3.jpg)
_Session Carbon Reduction or Carbon Capture? Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## Carbon Reduction or Carbon Capture?
This [session](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/1a4fde74-f0f0-ee11-aaf0-000d3a2b945f) delved deep into the transformative power of technology in the fight against climate change, highlighting the practical steps industries are taking to slash CO2 emissions. Bringing together thought leaders from Airbus, Google Ventures, Plan A, Capgemini, and CUR8, the discussion revolved around how technology is reshaping entire sectors, helping businesses cut their carbon footprint and fast-track their journey to net-zero.

Aviation took center stage as a critical battleground for emissions reduction, with **Julie Kitcher of Airbus** underscoring the company's dedication to pioneering greener skies. She painted a compelling picture of Airbus’s next-generation aircraft designs and their bold strides in developing sustainable aviation fuels, signaling a new era of low-carbon air travel.

**Marta Krupinska from CUR8** weighed in on the growing importance of trust and large-scale investments in carbon removal initiatives. “How we generate trust is actually working with large organizations that we can trust. So when Microsoft, Google, Airbus, or Amazon make massive investments into carbon removal the world assumes that these organizations have done their due diligence to invest in the right thing.”

However, while carbon removal technologies are evolving, they’re far from the scale we need warned **Lubomila Jordanova from Plan A**. "At the moment, some of the biggest facilities for carbon removal are at the capacity of a few thousands cars. India, last year, introduced one million cars on the road so obviously we need to be looking at reduction first before anything else."

![5 panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/waste_not_2d2ae173b4/waste_not_2d2ae173b4.jpg)
_Session Waste Not, Want Not: How to Rethink Our Food Systems. Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## Waste Not, Want Not: How to Rethink Our Food Systems
Food waste accounts for one-third of global food production and significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In this [session](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/adbe8c2a-f1f0-ee11-aaf0-000d3a2b945f), the panel explored cutting-edge solutions aimed at reducing this waste, with speakers emphasizing the role of technology and innovation in reshaping the food industry.

Stressing the urgency of addressing inefficiencies in the food value chain, **Christophe F. Maire of Foodlabs** noted that the food industry is responsible for roughly 30% of global emissions. He pointed to initiatives like Klim and Too Good to Go, which offer immediate ways to reduce waste by using tech-driven approaches to food distribution and sustainability. Maire's call for swift action was echoed by other panelists, who focused on how technology can streamline the food production process.

**Julie Klinge Johansen** of Too Good to Go, highlighted the power of AI in managing food expiration in retail, stating, “Even if we save four meals every second, it’s not enough—we need to aim higher.” The session also introduced other innovative technologies like urban rooftop farming for local produce, regenerative farming supported by digital platforms, and advanced fermentation techniques for producing sustainable proteins. With $1 trillion in food waste annually and 783 million people still undernourished, the speakers underscored that tackling food waste is not just a technological challenge, but a moral imperative.

![5 panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/can_ai_help_bb86ce9110/can_ai_help_bb86ce9110.jpg)
_Session Can AI Help Us Speed Up the Energy Transition? Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## Can AI Help Us Speed Up the Energy Transition?
As AI becomes more integrated into society, its potential to optimize energy systems is increasingly recognized. The panelists from this [session](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/8d343aba-d1f0-ee11-aaf0-000d3a2b945f) discussed AI’s advantages and drawbacks in the race to reduce our global carbon footprint. 

According to the International Energy Agency, AI is already applied in over 50 areas within the energy ecosystem, with a projected market value of $13 billion. However, as **Jeremy Kahn of Fortune** pointed out, even tech giants like Microsoft, despite pledging net-zero targets, have seen their carbon footprint increase due to growing AI use. 

The panelists remained optimistic about AI's potential however. “My belief is AI can really help the climate transition despite the energy consumption associated with,” said **Philippe Rambach of Schneider Electric**. AI can optimize processes, forecast demand, and help avoid peaks in energy consumption, which is crucial for the green transition. **Hiroshi Matsuda of Mitsubishi** highlighted innovative ways his company is reducing energy use in data centers, a key driver of electricity demand. **Thomas Spencer from the International Energy Agency** added that while data center energy use has grown 40% since 2015, their workload has increased by 350%, showcasing the sector's progress in energy efficiency.

The conversation also touched on AI’s role in climate justice and bridging the gap between data-rich and data-poor regions. **Claire Monteleoni of Inria Paris Centre** underscored the importance of applying AI to energy forecasting in developing nations, helping them plan and manage resources more effectively. While AI is not a silver bullet, she highlighted its potential to drive inclusive and sustainable energy solutions globally, particularly in regions most affected by energy scarcity.

![4 panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/green_metropolis_6e825a88df/green_metropolis_6e825a88df.jpg)
_Session Green Metropolis: Shaping Climate-Smart Cities. Photo credit: VivaTech 2024_
## Green Metropolis: Shaping Climate-Smart Cities
Cities are the largest contributors to global emissions. This [session](https://vivatechnology.com/sessions/ff7394b8-d3f0-ee11-aaf0-000d3a2b945f) brought together experts to discuss innovative urban planning strategies, including green buildings, resilient infrastructure, and advanced technologies like digital twins and AI for resource and space management. 

**Jacques Beltran of Dassault Systèmes** emphasized the shift from intuition-based urban planning to data-driven approaches. “We are trying to bring more scientific precision to city development with our technology.”

**Cecilia Kushner from the New York City Economic Development Corporation** shared how NYC’s green economy action plan was grounded in data analysis to identify the city's most significant climate challenges. The discussion also touched on how vulnerable regions need to rethink urban expansion to avoid climate hazards, as pointed out by **Helene Chartier of C40 Citites**.  “90% of the urban expansion that is happening in global south is happening in climate hazard areas or very close to it.” Better planning can help manage this expansion sustainably.

A key theme was the importance of collaboration between cities and tech providers, as well as public-private partnerships to fund these advancements. Beltran dispelled the myth that digital twins—virtual models of cities—are only for large urban areas, pointing out that smaller cities are also adopting these solutions. The panelists agreed that technological innovation, combined with community-led planning, is essential to create equitable, climate-resilient cities.

## Collaboration and Innovation
The insights shared during these sessions at VivaTech 2024 make it clear that while the challenges of climate change are monumental, technology offers a powerful toolkit for solutions across industries. However, tech alone isn’t enough—collaboration between governments, corporations, startups, and communities is essential. As we accelerate climate technologies, a balanced approach that combines tech advancement, equity, and climate justice will be key in making impactful, lasting change.

Want to dive into more VivaTech sessions? Check out all of our **[2024 Session Recordings](https://vivatechnology.com/replay)** for more insights into other industries.


Key Climate Tech Insights from VivaTech 2024

Key Climate Tech Insights

Artificial intelligence is permeating more industries every day. Two you might not guess: defense and architecture. We recap sessions from The Symposium: AI Edition. 

![the symposium: ai edition](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/symposium_e092b4862e/symposium_e092b4862e.jpg)
150 influential figures came together to explore AI’s transformative potential during an exclusive evening at the National Library of France. This VivaTech partner event, **The Symposium: AI Edition**, was hosted by [Edda](https://edda.co/) and [The University of Tokyo](https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/) and gathered various panels of AI leaders to delve into AI applications in several industries, including **defense and architecture**. 

Let's take a closer look at how AI is reshaping these fields in this **modern renaissance of technology**. 

![panelist talking on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/aiindefense_328f353d96/aiindefense_328f353d96.jfif)
_Antoine Bordes, VP of AI at Helsing. Photo credit: Edda_
## AI in Defense: Accelerating Innovation
The defense sector has always been a catalyst for major technological breakthroughs, and AI is significantly accelerating this trend. During the Symposium: AI Edition, Antoine Bordes, VP of AI at [Helsing](https://helsing.ai/) and former researcher at CNRS and Meta AI, spoke about the subject.

Bordes highlighted how AI is transforming defense by drastically **reducing the time** required for innovation. Traditionally, the development of advanced defense technologies, like the French fighter jet Rafale, took decades. Today, AI can shorten conceptualization and testing for similar projects to just a **handful of weeks**. 

The crucial part of using AI in defense is teaching it to recognize targets correctly and accurately with large amounts of data. “If you have 24 hours of footage of a large area, it would take people days to comb through to find what you are looking for, but with AI, they can find it in a matter of seconds,” he emphasized.

Bordes also touched on the unfortunate but undeniable role of conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, in **accelerating technological advancements**. In times of war, the need to gain an advantage over adversaries—whether by being faster or working smarter—drives rapid innovation. Ultimately, the aim is to leverage these advancements to **uphold and advance democratic values**. “The goal is to help advance these technologies as much as we can so that we hand the power to governments and serve democracies,” he explained.

By harnessing AI in defense, Bordes believes that we not only enhance our capabilities but also work towards a future where technological progress supports global stability and democracy.

![two panelists talking on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/aiinarchitecture_b08eea6c11/aiinarchitecture_b08eea6c11.jfif)
_Right, Yuki Ikeguchi, Executive VP at Kengo Kuma & Assoc. Left, Asger Taarnberg, Project Manager at Kengo Kuma & Assoc. Photo credit: Edda_
## AI in Architecture & Design: Redefining Design Processes
Architecture, much like defense, is experiencing a significant disruption with the advent of AI. In the following panel, Yuki Ikeguchi, Executive Vice President at [Kengo Kuma & Assoc.](https://kkaa.co.jp/en/), and Asger Taarnberg, Project Manager at Kengo Kuma & Assoc., discussed the transformative potential of AI in architectural design and planning.

Taarnberg began by comparing the slow adoption of technology in architecture to trying to accelerate an old truck. Each new technology represents a new gear that takes time to switch into, but AI offers significant potential. He explained that **AI can process vast amounts of data** from architectural models, transforming elements like windows, doors, and columns into comprehensive data sets. This data includes details on materials, life expectancy, and more.

AI's ability to handle data processing and pattern recognition allows for faster and more accurate estimates, which is crucial for architectural planning. “However,” Taarnberg adds, “**AI still lacks the ability to experience**, to have sensorial touch and read the atmosphere inside of the room. I don't think there is a data model that can do just that yet and it’s a key aspect of architectural design.”

He emphasized that AI should be seen as a companion, aiding in research and data analysis. For example, AI can help architects understand local requirements for projects worldwide and simulate different design scenarios quickly. This enhances the ability to create well-informed and contextually relevant designs. It can also render 2D images in 3D, speeding up architectural representation.

While AI excels in processing and generating data, Taarnberg pointed out that the creative process of architecture involves multiple stakeholders and negotiations, something AI is not yet equipped to handle independently. However, he noted, “**This is the worst that this technology will ever be, it will only get better.**”

## Embracing AI's Transformative Potential
AI is transforming unexpected industries, from defense to architecture, by accelerating innovation and enhancing capabilities. The insights from these panels reveal that while AI holds immense potential, it is most effective when used as a companion to human creativity and expertise. 

Want to explore more ways AI is being used across different sectors? Watch any of the **VivaTech 2024 [Session Recordings](https://vivatechnology.com/replay?hashtag=Artificial+Intelligence)** for more insights from experts from around the world. 



AI’s Surprising Roles in Defense and Architecture

AI’s Roles in Defense and Architecture

From cultural fails to unexpected successes, we digest the key moments from our recent New York and London VivaTech Startup Meetups. What would our panelists do differently if they had a rewind button when embarking on their global expansion?

![Scaling globally visual](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/scaling_globally_b0ba93eb28/scaling_globally_b0ba93eb28.jpg)
## Make a Cultural Impact
Matt Cooper is the co-CEO of [Crowdcube](https://www.crowdcube.com/), a crowdfunding investment platform that’s raised over 1.4 billion pounds in the last 10 years for its clients and has successfully gone from a local solution to a global operation all over Europe. 

Matt implores startups to take culture into account when expanding beyond their own borders. 

“When you start a business, your company’s core values are very culturally aligned to the values of where you operate and where the founders are from. If you're a British business, you have predominantly British values.

“We began to understand that different societies are perhaps high context versus low context, and what that means is when you're communicating as a team, you can actually be having very different conversations.

“When you think you're being explicit as a CEO in your message to a team in Paris or a team in Stockholm, the context in which they take that conversation is entirely different from the way you try to deliver it.

“You can't change your values. They are based on how you are raised, your parents, and your social group. But what we can do is work on behaviors. It’s one of the important things that we got wrong in the first instance but I now think we get quite right.

“So really be aligned with what behaviors you expect from your team but be aware of the fact that the cultural differences can create misalignment.”

![London panel of speakers](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/vttour_3915445bcd/vttour_3915445bcd.jpg)
_London VivaTech Tour panelists. Photo credit: VivaTech_ 
## Find Local Solutions
Hasna Kourda, co-founder and CEO of [Save Your Wardrobe](https://www.saveyourwardrobe.com/for-consumers/), was the winner of last year’s LVMH Innovation Award at VivaTech 2023. Since then, the startup has expanded its sustainability fashion tech beyond its home market.

Hasna encourages other expanding startups to search for local solutions to make the transition easier. 

“Brexit was quite a big pain point for our growth. The UK was settling and trying to differentiate from regulations but also ways of working with the EU so we had to adapt to that. And so Germany became really fast our first market even before the UK. We started to headquarter there, but we had to travel back and forth, understand taxation laws and accounting and we found more reasons not to set up an office there.

“What we did instead was find other local startups to work with that would take those hassles from us, that knew the culture way better than we could. So instead of investing in having an office in Germany and having a local team, we outsourced it. 

“While managing a very tight budget with a pre-seed round you can't do much. So we had to make sure that we were not overspending but also being in the same space as the client we wanted as targets.”


## Know Your Budget
Richard Kotite is the Vice President at [Accel](https://www.accel.com/), an early-stage venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, California that’s backed over 25 unicorns since its beginnings, including Spotify and Meta when they were young. 

Richard's advice for European businesses that are thinking about expanding to the US is to understand the cost. “Do a lot of homework in advance and avoid making costly mistakes. Launching into the US is very expensive.”

“For hiring talent, it is probably twice as expensive in high-cost cities like San Francisco or New York. You have to think okay am I ready to actually make that investment to move into the US? It doesn't make sense in the seed stage when you're at pre-product market fit or if you don't have the resources.”

“Also, know that the competitive dynamics are oftentimes very different in the US versus your local market. Your product may be working for you in the UK or France, but may not necessarily pass well into the US. You have to be very intentional about crafting the product strategy to adapt to the US market.”

![NYC panelists on stage](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/DSC_00023_min_6713b803a8/DSC_00023_min_6713b803a8.jpg)
_New York VivaTech Tour panelists. Photo credit: VivaTech_ 
## Find Success in Failure
Max Rivera, Global Expansion Lead & Partnerships at [Snap Inc.](https://snap.com/en-US), was hired at Snap eight years ago to help the American company expand to Latin America. After a rocky ride, but eventual success, Max created the playbook for the company for its expansions beyond the LATAM markets and into Europe and the Middle East.

“International expansion is risky business. You should look at it as a high-risk endeavor and go in with a mindset of getting something out of it even if you fail.

“So go in with a plan. Test the market. Reduce the risk as much as possible. But most importantly, figure out how you can develop lessons. Can you develop a playbook? Can you learn something from that experience and apply it as you go further? So that even if this expansion fails, don’t have an aversion to international expansion or completely rule out a country or region just because you didn't make it the first time.

“Try to extract those learnings. It took us some time to realize that and to really learn things even in failed endeavors.”

![François Bitouzet talking at NYC panel](https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/_vt-prd/medias/DSC_09884_min_57f3622e7e/DSC_09884_min_57f3622e7e.jpg)
_Francois Bitouzet, VivaTech’s Managing Director, at the New York VivaTech Tour. Photo credit: VivaTech_
## Go Time
Whether you’re a startup that’s already started scaling, or just starting your homework, Richard leaves us with this reminder: “There's nothing that really prepares you for [expanding internationally] no matter how many panels you listen to or advisers that you talk to. You just need to be on the ground and learn for yourself.” 

Looking to expand outside your market? [Join us at VivaTech 2024](https://vivatechnology.com/get-your-pass?ca=FPB7UCH5) this 22-25 May and meet with investors, major corporations, and the leaders of tech from over 174 countries to start making your global connections. 




Session Digest: Scaling Globally, the Keys to Success

Scaling Globally, the Keys to Success

Multiple breakthrough decarbonization technologies are now on the market. How viable are they? 2 We digest the VivaTech 2023 panel session on the tech leading to a cleaner Earth.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/Pw1LgikNBQH6d3SM-7UQ9IlKeLgDXxoTGQ77r8fiRcYqsMK-UJSBwNbQaSu-Qv4qKZpikTr6JZNekAsUjPRSc8YdSCbiUYmA5GmrnVAMvTY59UULJZEPEwtRiEBUmba_L_0ULFyS3o3dM7iiHla-RUQ" alt="Industrial facility emitting smoke into the atmosphere.">Photo credit: Chris LeBoutillierThe effects of climate change around the world are getting more extreme every year. Just in 2023, we’ve seen wildfires in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/10/18/canada-historic-2023-wildfire-season-end/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Canada</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150994/fires-scar-the-chilean-landscape" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chile</a>; typhoons in&nbsp;<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151910/taiwan-braces-for-typhoon-koinu#:~:text=Several%20typhoons%20have%20affected%20this,develop%20between%20May%20and%20October." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">southeast Asia</a>; floods in&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Emilia-Romagna_floods]" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Italy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-03-uncharted-territory-south-sudan-years.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">South Sudan</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2023-000169-bra" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brazil</a>; cyclones in&nbsp;<a href="https://reliefweb.int/report/malawi/southern-africa-snapshot-tropical-cyclone-freddys-impact-february-march-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">southeast Africa</a>, and more.Humans have generated so many greenhouse gasses that lowering emissions won’t be enough to reverse the trend of climate change. We need to heavily decarbonize the atmosphere. Decarbonization technology seems like a promising solution, but what is it and is it&nbsp; practical?&nbsp;At VivaTech 2023, we sat down with three decarbonization experts to find out. CEO of Dioxycle&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/28c46a17-0ac8-ed11-9f73-6045bd8890e4/sarah-lamaison" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sarah Lamaison</a> and her team have built a technology to capture CO₂ and transform it into a variety of usable products.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/c77fa054-c2d2-ed11-9f74-000d3a2dcd55/julie-gosalvez" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Julie Gosalvez</a> is the CMO of Climeworks, a company specializing in direct air capture technology.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/11b9cbe3-bae5-ed11-8e89-000d3a4a8203/cyril-garcia" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cyril Garcia</a>, Global CSR Head at Capgemini, is responsible for the integration of sustainability across Capgemini’s portfolio of client services.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/UA8rBZd6RNlJ1LAYXPXs5iqWxDm3n35bsBmrk5sDCdhGjRFSrgspopKXyyPMu9NXA3PLe6gyTUKu5JcG7diAFlVDUKSowYiuqD1JT-jxdJV3gCc_iUSHBGgafHxAwWk3bzU2KgyzKW2LWvym4kyH1BU" alt="VivaTech panel arah Lamaison, Dimitri Carbonnelle (moderator), Julie Gosalvez, &amp; Cyril Garcia. ">Sarah Lamaison, Dimitri Carbonnelle (moderator), Julie Gosalvez, &amp; Cyril Garcia. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>So, what is decarbonization?</h2>Decarbonization is the strategic reduction of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions to combat the severe impacts of global warming, according to our friends at&nbsp;<a href="https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/company-guide/decarbonization-meanings-technology-and-goals" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Greenly</a>. This effort demands a worldwide pivot away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy.&nbsp;Unfortunately, some industries aren’t able to completely get rid of their carbon emissions, such as chemical, steel, and cement production.&nbsp;To combat these “undecarbonizable” industries, several processes exist to remove carbon from the atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Carbon Capture &amp; Storage</h2>This is a linear&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_AnnexVII.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">process</a> in which carbon dioxide from industrial and energy-related sources is captured, conditioned, compressed, and transported to a storage location for long-term isolation from the atmosphere.The most effective method of storing CO₂ for carbon capture and storage (CCS) is by injecting CO₂ deep into naturally existing, porous rock formations, such as abandoned oil or gas reservoirs, unmineable coal beds, or saline aquifers.Startup&nbsp;<a href="https://www.carboncure.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CarbonCure</a> has built a solution to decrease emissions of one of the hardest to decarbonize industries: concrete production. They introduce recycled CO₂ into fresh concrete. Once injected, the CO₂ undergoes a mineralization process and becomes permanently embedded—an innovative way to sequester CO₂ emissions without compromising quality. &nbsp;<img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/L5YR4H_uSmGAttUfH_GqgcI3e1B3D2pbbASpTf3R0tKAZ55J-XFa0F10nuKClNTEy7cgqpLPx7WkxQk--dawmmchpYaJBVvL8D0448YpZvVAbd4CmB3GApr9uKhB0JM6PXx7sjDW29jWdH2HeYuyBSc" alt="Sarah Lamaison and David Wakerley, co-founders of Dioxycle.">Sarah Lamaison and David Wakerley, co-founders of Dioxycle. Photo credit: La Tribune Bordeaux<h2>Carbon Capture &amp; Usage</h2>This process refers to a range of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iea.org/energy-system/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage/co2-capture-and-utilisation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">applications</a> through which CO₂ is captured and used either directly in its original state or indirectly after its transformation in various products.&nbsp;Carbon Capture and Usage (CCU) is&nbsp;<a href="https://dioxycle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dioxycle</a>’s main focus. “We are developing ways to take CO₂ and make it into a feedstock and then recycle that into many different products,” explained Sarah Lamaison. “What’s interesting is that with CCU we are implementing a circularity of carbon and use what is already available on the surface of the earth.”Dioxycle’s solution has already turned CO₂ into jet fuel, sustainable packaging, recyclable plastics, synthetic fabrics, plant hormones, shipping fuel, and more. Proof that carbon can be used in more ways than we might think! &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/-8MSBLs4W7cpa798yddioN3kR6Ef4NYF6aZ6o92eLeQAl8CPrHcMDXRQE4abSmeSp07Wk2Q42UofTK_GaGOHpMH9X8Ygv3omUQ875KVr1eZGp9_SxxabiqtCIRhLQnZrsI4UF38ID9ucxbggcYOt85o" alt="Climeworks carbon-removal plant in Iceland.">Climeworks carbon-removal plant in Iceland. Photo credit: Climeworks<h2>Direct Air Capture &amp; Sequestration</h2>While both CCS and CCU capture carbon at the point of emission such as at steel plants, direct air capture is quite a different process. Direct air capture (DAC) technologies extract CO₂ directly from the atmosphere at any location which can then be permanently stored in deep geological formations or used for a variety of applications.<a href="https://climeworks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climeworks</a> has built the world’s first large-scale, commercial DAC+Sequestration facility,&nbsp;Orca, located in Iceland. “Iceland is made up of 90% basalt rock underground,” explained Julie Gosalvez. “Basalt is very porous. So when CO₂ is mixed with water and injected deep underground, in under two years it is mineralized. This is a permanent solution to remove carbon from the atmosphere.” &nbsp;<h2>Time to Level Up</h2>The work that decarbonization companies are doing is a huge step towards a cleaner earth. However, in a world where we continue to use fossil fuels, the progress made can only go so far. All three of the panel experts evoked the need for decarbonization plans to also involve a transition to renewable energies.&nbsp;“Our technology goes hand in hand with large-scale renewable energy deployment. It takes energy to power what we do,” remarked Lamaison.&nbsp;Yet the implementation of renewable energy and these decarbonization technologies depends largely on how fast governments can create policies and allow for permitting. “Governments can act in many different layers,” added Gosalvez. “One is demand. Creating the demand on their end and regulating the markets. Another is incentivization taxes for different industries. And lastly is the role they can play in the scalability. The faster [these technologies] will be deployed, the faster the prices will go down, and the faster the capacities will be built.”A wide range of diversified and complementary technological solutions exist for decarbonization. Now it’s time to implement them and scale up. “The [decarbonization] battle has started,” Garcia stated.&nbsp;There was a lot to dissect about carbon removal solutions on our VivaTech stage. Keep learning and&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/4002e892-cdef-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">watch the session recording</a> on our Digital Platform! &nbsp;

Can We Decarbonize Earth?

Decarbonize Earth

There are fewer and fewer tech unicorns emerging each quarter. Should we be worried? We digest the VivaTech 2023 panel session on unicorns and startup growth.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hrEQ0cEXOCxSboPJ_jGBgLi9iHs-cvclb1xqa1A_aMIzWdJSixYXuawE1nJqu9N2FZdqNdPTQjui2AFoNJNe19NGB-wV3N725QMtnuHftxczP0pL9VcP9OGrvIgU9QpZzhqTtNLGOSCRWqMRi4cL97Y" alt="Are Unicorns An Endangered Species$5">Session Panel: Are Unicorns An Endangered Species? Photo credit: VivaTechThe tech world is fascinated by unicorns, those rare startups that achieve billion-dollar valuations. But are they becoming even scarcer$7 As the economic climate changes and investors demand more profitability, will unicorns still be able to grow and innovate at the same pace$8 Should valuation remain a key metric$9 And if not, what are the key factors that will drive their success and growth$10We sat down with a panel of four experts to chat about it during VivaTech 2023.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/a5eabe23-438c-ed11-9d7a-6045bd8894c2/jenny-fielding" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jenny Fielding</a>, Managing Partner at Everywhere Ventures;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/b56e26a6-bcd7-ed11-9f74-000d3a2dcd55/ilya-strebulaev" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ilya Strebulaev</a>, Professor of Finance and Private Equity at Stanford;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/630bc477-83d3-ed11-9f74-000d3a2dcd55/jp-lee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">JP Lee</a>, CEO and Managing Partner of Softbank Ventures Asia; and&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/266fae77-bcde-ed11-8e89-000d3a4a8203/maya-noel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maya Noël</a>, Director of France Digitale.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>We’ve seen fewer unicorns emerge over the last few months. Is this good news or bad news$11</h2>“What we saw in 2020 and 2021, is really not sustainable. There were dozens of companies being minted unicorns every week. That’s just not realistic. The reset, although painful for everyone, including companies in our portfolio, is actually a positive,” explained Jenny Fielding.&nbsp;Ilya Strebulaev and his team from Stanford have been following and analyzing every single US unicorn for a number of years. “We have found that valuations are indeed lower now compared to a couple of years ago,” he shared.&nbsp;“Looking back in time, the most successful venture-backed companies of all time were created when valuations were lower. Either from 2001 to 2003 or from 2009 to 2011. This means that my students, the ones creating businesses right now, will be more likely to succeed than the ones that started in 2020,” Stebulaev announced.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/8onzp-Lyl_7gMbXuMpyqqOfYIZFkq06PcdHkBMEHVZouPKthfxJbPTv6DOdE323e80Xu4GixDuMJvSOP82HJsUXwBc8_oY2KR1zmGI3MFNvwysgbfcdFEvzewMnsKPZuUepFgtcQvPZTTW0abWjq42A" alt="Ilya Strebulaev and Maya Noël. Source: VivaTech">Ilya Strebulaev and Maya Noël. Source: VivaTech<h2>Are unicorns born in 2019, 2022, and 2023 all worth the same$12</h2>The term unicorn means a business with a billion-dollar valuation, so one might think that all unicorns are worth the same. However, there are mixed emotions among the VC crowd.&nbsp;JP Lee explained how Softbank Ventures Asia felt like they couldn’t do proper due diligence with&nbsp;valuations in the past few years for fear of losing out on a startup. “We had a lot of founders that came to us with a ‘take it or leave it’ mindset because they had other investors wanting to give them a billion-dollar valuation,” said Lee. “But now, we have the time to look at the numbers and come up with a proper valuation. The unicorns that are identified today have a higher chance of being successful.”For Maya Noël, becoming a unicorn isn’t based solely on the valuation. “In France, the president made a huge push for unicorns with a goal of 25 French unicorns by 2025,” she explained. “It became a common dream to achieve this goal. But this made the focus too much on the valuation of a company, which isn’t the most important thing for entrepreneurs. There are a lot more components to success than this.”&nbsp; &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/oIKQrbDTvoRO6TNxLGPg1TZXjitSyhroMHeklmcL30ZjE-DiVMhNNVQY6KriJxg5g5ZYJ18RbM5XbhV-bxE6lPG6PUsUeEvpOh_C1VrOQa-f9z678-0onhCMHu5z63ek-cgj3lHNBQ10WcJeLpbswtc" alt="Jenny Fielding, JP Lee, and panel moderator Charlie Perreau. Source: VivaTech">Jenny Fielding, JP Lee, and panel moderator Charlie Perreau. Source: VivaTech<h2>So what are the indicators of a successful startup then$13</h2>Unanimously the panel agreed that valuation wasn’t the only component of becoming a successful unicorn.&nbsp;“When you look at the prediction of success, valuation doesn’t play the most important role,” Stebulaev stated. “It is the founding team, their experience, education, and work experience that plays a much more important role. For example, serial entrepreneurs, specifically ones that have experienced failures in the past, are much more likely to be successful. So we should go beyond valuation and look at all the factors that contribute to success.”&nbsp;“Within those factors, it’s important to include metrics about the environment,” Noël added. “You can’t be successful if you don’t consider this in your strategy. Why build a company if it’s not for the planet these days.”&nbsp;“It’s not just one factor. It’s about a lot of factors,” Fielding chimed in. “One unicorn I have invested in is amazing at hiring because they have created a culture. And people love working there. It’s a fintech that wins every award for company culture and that attracts incredible talent. And when you attract incredible talent, those people work really hard. It’s kind of self-perpetuating. So, I believe the metrics like impact, job creation, culture, happiness, etc. are all part of creating this unicorn.”&nbsp; &nbsp;<h2>Will unicorns remain a key indicator of growth going forward$14</h2>“Good companies will keep on coming out. There are companies making profit and continuing sustainable growth. But I think that the definition of unicorn is going to evolve and it’s already evolving now,” Lee responded.Stebulaev agreed with this prediction of startup growth and added, “As I look at the young companies coming out of Silicon Valley, I think that the most interesting companies have yet to be born. If you look at the 100 largest companies in America 10 years down the road, my prediction is that at least 15 of them do not yet exist today.”“I invest in companies that are making an impact on the world. I think that’s what we should be focused on,” Fielding pointed out. “We invest in healthcare, in the future of work, areas in which we are really excited to make an impact. If that’s your goal as a founder, rather than a milestone to become a unicorn and whatever that means, that’s a better place to be.” &nbsp;There was a lot to dissect about <a href="https://www.vivatechnology.com/news/2023-top-100-next-unicorns-shaping-the-next-gen-of-tech" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">unicorns </a>and startup valuations on our VivaTech stage. Keep learning and watch the entire session on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/c8c3fe3a-c9ef-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>! &nbsp;

Session Digest: Are Unicorns An Endangered Species?

Are Unicorns An Endangered Species?

With over 95 hours worth of talks with the leading voices in tech, it’s hard to decide what to watch from VivaTech 2023. Our VivaTech team picked their favorites to help you choose.

We welcomed over 450 speakers on our VivaTech stages a few weeks ago. From insights into climate technologies and artificial intelligence to Elon Musk’s advice for young entrepreneurs, we learned so much from the brightest minds in tech. Check out our selection of top sessions from VivaTech 2023.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3WLDlfhfRfUKq_I7dIHZpcfPKTC1WvPkAs--KiENMI_RAl3rmxLpplTK1cIDbL0Mq01dR5v1t7dVNNo5CgD3ZWwzK2Um-79Fk1V6m_qYnVX7fNGy71wA-Hx9zwaM-6jDIOVLgFvo-8N7TMFgEa6zB5k">Jacques Attali, Yann LeCun, &amp; Nicholas Thompson. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>AI By the People, For the People$1</h2>Futurologist Jacques Attali spoke about the impact of artificial intelligence and how its use can both be detrimental and beneficial to society. While Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Meta, implored the fact that AI is intrinsically good because the goal is to make people smarter, even if “we’re missing something really big in AI still in order to reach human intelligence.” Watch the debate on AI&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/f78a83dc-4cf6-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HERE</a>.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/gIf_iXOnhRTVfeltn86Y65iESxStayCqC-2BU4LbTWEtfuTHLAv2fmULpZWV3v8PZFIRQoNFc7s7AfibHWLp8YcvKFlErqXRG-ONRm4REQpSOrJJe8cl5_ZM-bwKbkQa8RoejAzEjOZCmnoVdBIEU2M">Fotis Fotiadis, Samantha Gadenne, Joanna Gordon, Berta de Pablos-Barbier, &amp; Aude Guo. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>Adapt to Survive: Climate Change and Food Production</h2>Climate change and demographic growth are driving the food industry to innovate. As we face a future with more frequent natural disasters, reduced crop yields, and increasingly scarce resources, it is essential that we explore innovative ways to sustainably produce food. Our speakers discussed how technology could help us balance the need for efficient food production with environmental sustainability.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/18454e55-3ac7-ed11-9f73-6045bd8890e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH IT HERE</a>.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/V5lKCSzLmOHfWc-_pAcp0n-NsB5OVXyuZy_CC5TbeaW9mJamhJcfMUX7r9TD7qAQtDRuWkhxTPaiealqjRNs0IYbpTijYueVvEo73BWDqFJB6em9xySrgERGxDlCblNqUshG1DaIFC1klPD4NFelw1k">Lara O’Reilly, Sid Odedra, &amp; Peggy Johnson. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>Is the Future of Automotive in Augmented Reality$2</h2>Extended Reality technologies seem to be permeating every industry these days. But when you think about XR in a vehicle, the idea of donning a headset that replaces a traditional dashboard and controls has never been considered, until now. Explore the future of automotive design without limits with Audi and Magic Leap.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/5c9784c2-4df6-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH IT HERE</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RFqnckWOyCTLUshqd5iVM4A--7EjMLr_yfwRUPPcLw3VGo1WquYvrnSxXw8DmfZcjvTGqkWIvlFIvOVGLNtTbyhFcEJUrCcJC5qa31iVyVDuoY6BJfTRUjkmJNAGrOc7NCgkbwJEovWiPr8rlYqmgtY">Elon Musk. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>A Conversation with Elon Musk</h2>Our most-viewed session of VivaTech 2023. Listen to Elon Musk’s animated session about his beginnings at Paypal, the founding of Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink, and if he thinks his purchase of Twitter was worth it.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/7bb98fc0-98fd-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH IT HERE</a>.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/REkuQNrizD20iw2bNZ0A-ycmr27bu0qXDY1-b8s_TCi0nYzmESKJ5NecxPjmLhROEclAdyrJN0W2LTXMVOVLcUyF9Z1DVTBpWdUobuUiUw4VTQvHL-oCzBKY4nP4D1emEAYJ-6Z9hnqWRA3pMLzgyM8">Pierre Côte, Françoise Baylis, Catherine Feuillet, &amp; Baldomero Alonso-Latorre. Photo credit: VivaTech&nbsp;<h2>Copy, Paste: What Can Gene Editing Do$3</h2>CRISPR allows scientists to edit genes with unprecedented precision and efficiency. Our speakers dove into the ethics of this technology, how safe and reliable it actually is, and what the possible risks and benefits are for individuals and society.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/0ab2cade-4fc7-ed11-9f73-6045bd8890e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH IT HERE</a>.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FeupsxMd-ru3Rou2gbc6T2kni86vthFupdrUatV_D4e0cfWBUHOArupFAp-AC3vn4tTdq-lh7TdQrBDwjxlhvrlIX-4X6vmv_Ll0DOjSl22zpFg3Mx7qoTgKk0arKw8Ch3BsxtcnAHDxusF-uiswBrw">Clara Hainsdorf, Andy Yen, Nia Castelly, &amp; Julia Sieger. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>Does Privacy Still Exist$4</h2>Never have our lives been more reliant on digital technologies. From the rise and evolution of social media, where millions of users share details of their lives, to the blurring of public and professional spaces during the pandemic, we are constantly generating and sharing data online. Our speakers discuss best practices for maintaining privacy.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/3842e9ab-efef-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH IT HERE</a>.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SlnxTzXM_LFwz8m2eHhwuhuQSoBQmZduytzLICfwdmXBxZR7kxxRaBTSb8d1szp-NTiEyffDaG30Q3Foi4hm74cDSsIqwhRnoOZF8VLg2di5Z_9IdZmECubA_2ZVDCmI-c74nyDsY0c_AQDO4DTwl7I">Bob Metcalfe. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>Connectivity</h2>Ethernet computer networking technologies were first documented in a memo that Bob Metcalfe wrote in 1973, exactly 50 years ago. In 2023, Robert Metcalfe was awarded the Turing Award for its creation. Nicholas Thompson sat down with the inventor to discuss the effect of modern telecommunication networks.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/1e919d1a-52f6-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH IT HERE</a>.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/L1wqyOxb_iS66FAyCBKQ4JGP0umtmexZOTiRYIAgmaZb2LZdDfwmALukw5tpsSOyI18PRxBotX7Sd1HAq_WVEgHZMNtjWxgivMEezLl9VeNWzTIEhz-EDMLBN1JBoGrpacZgToMuCVayoQ4LjkSQ590">Marc Benioff &amp; Maurice Levy. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>A Conversation with Marc Benioff</h2>Salesforce Chair, CEO, and Co-founder Marc Benioff sat down with Maurice Levy to chat about his love for France, how Salesforce has become the&nbsp;world’s 3rd largest software company in the world with $35B in yearly revenue, and why he thinks that businesses can be a force for positive change in the world.&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/0d3c91b4-95fd-ed11-907a-000d3a474dec" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WATCH IT HERE</a>. &nbsp;Watched them all$5 Dive into more of our 180 sessions on topics like Deep Tech, Web3, Diversity &amp; Inclusion in Tech, Food Tech, Health Tech, Marketing, and more. Find all our sessions on video on demand&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/content/replays-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">HERE</a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Relive VivaTech 2023: Watch Top Sessions on Demand

Watch Top Sessions on Demand

We chat with space experts on how microgravity helps develop space-based experimentation. 

<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ueQUiVI3kP9w80HPxwCN9ZUlz5AdMyHRHXWJBA_VML5nIo4Rvq1Lf6nl1EuJJVspSr4pS6_0i6pHsYxZ5bW8WOLUVB1DbFa90fFqa9iOAIyAvdf16hgfWGCuN3u5FQqYlMFa72U4NISM0kkYCOhRAgK8c83QptCG1XU0qNq_Es051JnqtFYRldtBjioYyg">Nicolas Gaume, Louise Ekland (presenter), Hélène Huby, and Daniel Campbell. Photo credit: VivaTechSpace is no longer exclusive to astronauts and astronomers. It has become a limitless laboratory for startups, corporations, and institutions to test their experiments thanks to a single ingredient that does not exist on Earth: microgravity. What is microgravity and what new experimental frontiers does it open$1We&nbsp;<a href="https://event.inwink.com/vivatech-2022/onlinesession/4768259c-e4ca-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sat down</a> with 3 space experimentation experts on our VivaTech stage in 2022 to learn more.&nbsp;Nicolas Gaume, Co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://space-cu.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Space Cargo unlimited</a>,&nbsp;Hélène Huby, Co-founder and CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.exploration.space/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Exploration Company</a>, and&nbsp;Daniel Campbell, Managing Director of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spacepharma.health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SpacePharma</a> gave us their insights on what’s going on in space. &nbsp;<h2>What is microgravity research$2</h2>Astronauts have been experimenting on the International Space Station (ISS) since the late 90s. Research centers, pharmaceutical companies, and even middle school classrooms have sent projects into space to understand the effects of microgravity – the condition in which people or objects appear to be weightless.&nbsp;“The ISS is a pressurized vehicle, in orbit about 450 kilometers above our heads,” explained Nicolas Gaume whose company sent viticulture experiments to the ISS. “Inside the space station, everything is recreated to feel like earth: temperature, pressure, oxygen level. But one thing is not – gravity. And that changes everything.”Without gravity, experiments in space can have completely different results compared to ones carried out on Earth. Gaume’s experiments on the ISS used this factor in its research of grape plants and wine production.&nbsp;“We took grape plants from Bordeaux and sent them to the ISS for 10 months. We then brought them back and replanted on earth,” Gaume said.&nbsp;Because these plants were exposed to a microgravity environment, the plants were more resistant to stressors on Earth like mildew disease or changes in water levels.&nbsp;“Now wine producers can buy these plants which are more resistant to climate change thanks to this ‘boot camp&quote; that the space environment has given them.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CuS0ZdvVTsqIhoEJRX1GzRx-wJi0MtKFdwaFGnZuNS5tke02d9sOkjt8IOEw3ix3Tl0OkPWmTAZwyHYObcPbq4IMr8KKNg9rN9FUmxqXva38NGRhtiq6VF6gNvrfA_4usp4P122gUWsmAXYcPLN6-O_QH9RQIOeHlsMBJAXupOL1SIFn6o1PBHZA6DTT8A">The International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA<h2>When will we all be able to fly to space$3</h2>As of now, recreational space travel is only available to those who can shell out for the experience. “If you want to fly to space today you have to pay 100-300k minimum. And if you want to stay a couple of days, it’s 50 million dollars,”&nbsp;explained Hélène Huby, CEO of the Exploration Company.&nbsp;“Space travel is a growing market. Sub-earth orbit is going to become a sort of suburb of the earth. We want to serve these stations, to resupply them, to bring experiments to no-gravity environments at 10% of the current price.”With solutions like The Exploration Company that are cutting costs through reusable and refuelable vehicles, recreational space travel will be more accessible sooner than we might think. &nbsp;<h2>Is space the newest place to experiment and develop drugs$4</h2>The pharmaceutical industry has been conducting biomedical research in space to create therapies or drugs that can improve health back on Earth. Daniel Campbell, at the head of SpacePharma, is pioneering Microgravity research and manufacturing drugs in orbit.“We allow researchers to not only send their experiments to space but to remotely control it from our own ground station,” explained Campbell. “Physics, chemistry, and biology behave differently in space. Which means we accelerate processes and tests accordingly like drug discovery and drug delivery and anti-aging products.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iNpHbVkXhyc8LVW_pcBcLCBeHfs-2afSPNsSY700Kgyv0vkzI7mYWuMdm0FvToCYqF6oSY_P0lr5O8hX3eqWHDs0BL9Yb3Vr1hox4B85yJz_FsuiS3iJAujYAlsk23sA66Z0yrdE4J8cymulC4Rxiz3mQGnKM1YlekW5P8k3M-NyUNeY-clWLpxYn96x0Q">Configuring the ISS’s Microgravity Science Glovebox for research operations. Photo credit: NASA<h2>How else can space experimentation benefit us back on Earth$5</h2>“The absence of gravity allows you to do many things,”&nbsp;said Gaume. “For instance, you can make new materials. On earth, if one material is heavier than another there won’t be a perfect blend, but in space, the blending can be perfect.&nbsp;But beyond experimentation in space from materials gathered on Earth, space also can provide an opportunity for raw materials.&nbsp;“There are many raw materials in space like cobalt, that are expensive and unsustainable to extract on earth,” continued Gaume. “We can find meteors or celestial bodies in space that could be mined and brought back to earth.” &nbsp;<h2>Can space discoveries help with climate change on Earth$6</h2>“When you’re in a spaceship or on a space station, you’re there for quite a while, so we have to recycle a lot of things,”&nbsp;explained Huby. “Technology membranes for purifying water for example were first created for space applications and then scaled for earth use.&nbsp;“We also recycle plastic on space stations. We take plastic and create a powder, which we use to print pieces for repairs on the station. Now imagine we scale this on earth by recycling plastic bags to print pieces for repairs on PCs, cars, or much more.” &nbsp;<h2>“This is a new era where space supports Earth.”</h2>There was a lot to dissect about microgravity on our VivaTech stage. If you want to watch the entire session with these space experts, you can watch it on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://event.inwink.com/vivatech-2022/onlinesession/4768259c-e4ca-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">here</a>!&nbsp;

Session Digest: Gravity Matters

When it comes to scaling, what are the worst (and best) mistakes to make$1 We chat with John Chambers on scaling up efficiently.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/L0SnCc7hXwGOr9-BM7WQedURVdDzRvEHp0ESJgSpVH_9CB7cqEAA_uKdNM8jAP7s5mAF2Eu8o_VM5_jjkJoj7p-Q0GURePtf-DjTtSE_H7xOmFAVHqz549-KdxVRpNmpLjj6rnQoeW7b6caxmSzFibUKBsya1tyrr1r2_m_Jml1CP2XK08afY7Ryahm1NQ">Photo credit: VivaTechGrowing up is hard. More responsibility, more decisions, and in turn more mistakes. From idea to startup to scaleup to unicorn, the journey can be kind of rocky. Yet, how do successful startups manage the rocky journey from startup to scaleup and – maybe one day – to unicorn$3At VivaTech 2022, we sat down with the expert of scaling up. John Chambers, former CEO of Cisco, serial investor, and Global Ambassador of French Tech.Chambers has been a part of every size company and scaled multiple businesses and startups. From a headcount of 400 people to 75,000 and from sales revenue of 70 million to 48 billion. He shared his insights on success (and meaningful failure).&nbsp; &nbsp;<h2>What are the common mistakes that entrepreneurs make, and how can they be avoided$4</h2>Not focusing on differentiation. Having competitors is fine, but startups can use technology to differentiate their business. “Use a new technology like AI to change your business model, like the internet changed business models 30 years ago,” Chambers suggested.Yet as we enter a period of uncertainty, it’s important to keep growth in check and focus more on what can be controlled.&nbsp;“You need to focus on a plan for an economic slowdown – which I believe is going to happen – you need a plan A, B, and C to navigate through it going forward.”But the biggest mistakes Chambers has seen$5 Not hiring the right people for your business.&nbsp;“Engineers, you will hire a Chief Revenue Officer who talks like an engineer, who’s really a business development person in disguise. And for those with a business background, you will make the same mistakes on engineers. You’ll focus on engineers who can really articulate their vision well, when in fact in engineering lead you want someone who can build great products.”&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>With the market changing, how should startups adapt their business models$6</h2>Chambers was leading Cisco in 2000 when the market crashed because of the dot-com bubble. He considers the period right after as his most challenging moment as a leader. From its stock rising every week by 50% to an immediate 80% decrease, Cisco had to find a way to stabilize again.“You see that with great companies today like DocuSign, their stock is going from 300 to 60. Cloud Flair their stock is going from 200 to 40. There is a natural adjustment happening here, I don’t think that’s bad. The market has been 2-3 times what we’ve traditionally seen, so I think it’s a natural resetting.&nbsp;“Great companies are always formed during the economic downturn. You are more a product as a leader of how you handle your setbacks. So until you have a near-death experience, you’re not going to have a great company. So I would prepare for the tough times, hope for the good times, and then be very agile as we go into this next year.” &nbsp;<h2>How can founders build more sustainable growth$7</h2>The four biggest focuses for sustainable growth for Chambers are: a clear vision, the best team, an incredible company culture, and risk-taking.&nbsp;“It starts with really understanding your vision and strategy. It would shock you how many times I sit down with a startup and ask them for their vision and strategy and I can’t differentiate that from what I’ve heard from 5 other startups. Understand what is really unique about your vision, and what is your sustainable differentiation.“Then it’s candidly about the team that you build. How do you get your engineering team to be world-class$8 How do you get your sales team to be world-class$9&nbsp;“Most startups underestimate how important culture is. Warren Buffet said it best: “Culture eats vision and strategy for lunch.” I believe that great companies have really strong cultures. Whether it’s at Tesla or Cisco or Microsoft, cultures are all different.“And then you have to take the courage to disrupt yourself and continue to take risks. If you’re not disrupting yourself, your competitors and the markets are. Doing the right thing for too long is a common mistake.”&nbsp;<h2>Become the next unicorn</h2>There was a lot to dissect about scaling up on our VivaTech stage. If you want to watch the full session with John Chambers, you can watch it on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://event.inwink.com/vivatech-2022/onlinesession/56830570-bfc7-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>!Learn more in this reporter by Roland Berger, in partnership with VivaTech, exploring the nitty gritty of scaling up with interviews of 40 CEOs from European tech unicorns and scaleups.&nbsp;REPORT:&nbsp;<a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/Roland_Berger_Vivatech_Study_FINAL_ef85c5ddb1/Roland_Berger_Vivatech_Study_FINAL_ef85c5ddb1.pdf$10utm_source=sfmc&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Newsletter_281022_B">Scaling-up Efficiently While Being True to a Company’s Values</a>. &nbsp;

Session Digest: From Startup to Grown-up

A chat with CZ, founder and CEO of Binance, and Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, on Crypto, Blockchain and Web3.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ms2UZZi0876bqvCdEAqGOhrX_TMsaoA2akXk-2PMlPYtARnl5tYl7HIbOHm9aG_WXUbN2LE47TxJXatccuYv0MHLa3f4bmdBuJxCOe8p5J2uQh3sbt8BoYtv4hmc2FJhrkx1ffTh80njw2g5bzocmqgtvHAqx7LHo_6NQ_uXphs-4QVW_GvwVPJAj19XWaS_aqg">Photo credit: VivaTechWhile crypto encompasses a world of decentralized finance, it also leads the way in innovations related to Web3, NFTs, decentralized applications and more. Two of the biggest names in the crypto industry joined our VivaTech stage in 2022 to discuss the latest happenings in the ecosystem: Changpeng Zhao, founder and CEO of Binance and Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum. Here’s a recap of what went down on stage. &nbsp;<h2>The lineup&nbsp;</h2><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/e33574b5-37a1-ec11-a22a-a04a5e7cd2d9">Changpeng Zhao</a>, known as CZ, is a serial entrepreneur with an impressive track record of successful startups. He launched Binance in July 2017 and within 180 days, grew Binance into the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.binance.com/en">Binance</a>, since its beginnings as a crypto currency exchange, has also evolved to encompass&nbsp;<a href="https://www.binance.com/fr/wallet-direct">Wallet Direct</a>, one of the most popular decentralized wallets,&nbsp;<a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/">CoinMarketCap</a>, a media where people can get information about the crypto ecosystem, and its own crypto Binance Coin (BNB). The exchange platform has over 120 million users, which has grown from 20 million just last year.<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/9a64b86c-68e3-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">Vitalik Buterin</a>&nbsp;got into the crypto world in 2011 as a writer for bitcoin magazine. Through speaking with an international network of crypto enthusiasts, he came up with the idea to create a blockchain technology and make it work for a multitude of applications. Ethereum was born in 2015.<a href="https://ethereum.org/en/">Ethereum</a> is a general purpose blockchain, meant to support a wide range of applications, such as open and decentralized financial systems, DAOs, create an alternative to a domain name system – replacing a lot of the infrastructure that runs the internet. The crypto currency Ether is second only to bitcoin. &nbsp;<h2>The nitty gritty</h2>With currencies all around the world, including crypto currencies, fluctuating based on markets and local economies, are non-volatile currencies possible$1 How much should governments be involved in the creation and control of finances$2 How does blockchain technology change the future of Web3 and what is possible for the internet$3&nbsp;Our two crypto experts answered the questions most of us are asking surrounding this new, and sometimes confusing, industry.&nbsp;<h2>How can we address the issue of volatility and guarantee that these currencies have a real value over time$4</h2>CZ:&nbsp;“I’m not saying that governments shouldn’t be involved in currencies, I’m just asking how much$5 Can private enterprises be involved too$6 We are just shifting the spectrum and exploring those options.&nbsp;Will a free economy cause more volatility, yes. Is that good or bad, we don’t know yet. But the idea that everything should be controlled by the government, I’m not sure about it.I don’t think it’s black or white. I&quote;m not for anarchy, governments are necessary so that society can work together, but we need to test those limits and explore if there are better ways to do things.”Vitalik: “As our society enters the information age, the most important things are going to become digital. That’s going to create a society and economy that looks weird. But that’s not just crypto, it’s just the stage of technological advancement our society is in.I don’t think that crypto currencies are going to take over the world, but I do think that they play an important role in creating an alternative currency.&nbsp;This is especially true, not for wealthy countries whose currency is rather stable, but for developing countries where they can’t always trust the currency there.&nbsp;It’s an evolving space.”&nbsp;<h2>CZ, you created a new blockchain, is this in competition with Ethereum$7</h2>CZ:&nbsp;“Vitalik is a genius in creating Ethereum. And I have to admit I actually doubted him previously. Back in 2015, Vitalik came to my house in Tokyo and told me about his idea. I told him that&quote;s too big of a bite to chew. So, I didn’t buy Ethereum when it came out. But now I have total confidence in him and his team.We actually did create BNB from parts of the Ethereum code, but it’s not about competition. Each is different in its own way. We see high-value transactions on Ethereum and smaller retail transactions through BNB since it is cheaper. Overall, we encourage as much innovation as possible from everyone, that is how the industry develops.”&nbsp;<h2>Both of you are at the forefront of Web3 with your technologies. Can you define the role of Binance and Ethereum in the world of Web3$8</h2>CZ:&nbsp;“Vitalik is a true genius and I think Ethereum is the one pushing the innovation front for Web3. But I see Binance as more the application side. We are trying to scale and make as many technologies available to as many people as possible.”Vitalik:&nbsp;“My view of Web3 is a collection of efforts to make a better internet that uses blockchain, zero knowledge proofs, and other kinds of technologies that try to solve the problems around centralization, privacy, security, the problems that people are concerned about in Web2 right now. Blockchain definitely plays a role in the creation of Web3, but it’s not it entirely. And blockchain isn’t just finances either, there are&nbsp;<a href="https://vitalik.ca/general/2022/06/12/nonfin.html">other applications</a> for it as well. It’s about identity, creating better formats of internet applications, and improving upon privacy.I also think that Binance is a really great gateway for Web3 and its application. These gateways, and what CZ has done, have an important function to play.” &nbsp;<h2>Web3 will be a great tool for the decentralized economy. What is your view of the future economy$9</h2>CZ:&nbsp;“Web2 really decentralized information. created a better way to transfer information, which has completely changed the way we live, interact, communicate, etc.&nbsp;Web3 is going to change the way we transact value. It’s going to change how we invest, how we raise money, how we do transactions, how we do business globally. There will be more participants in the ecosystem. We will see more startups – we’ve now seen startups raising money using blockchain is much easier than before. So I see this as a more fundamental change of how we do business and how we structure business models.”Vitalik:&nbsp;“As I said, I think that there are a lot of different applications of Web3 and blockchain than just financial. Improvements in the internet such as reducing the infringements on privacy, a level of centralization and much more that go beyond finances. I think that the blockchain space has a lot to contribute to those areas.” &nbsp;<h2>Access the full video</h2>There was a lot to dissect about crypto on our VivaTech stage and luckily no crypto rivalry came about – there was nothing but support coming from each of the blockchain experts.If you want to watch the full session, you can watch it on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/a2c50257-e9e0-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">here</a>!&nbsp;

Session Digest: The Future of Crypto & Blockchain

A discussion with Jared Spataro, Anne Helen Petersen, and Michael Gervais on the future of work.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OYK0gEgTD7Uj4uMSmLS9fHqRO7Kn07Iex1vA9MWSNWWwzC2zmsVJ0EhfK7GNtB7vgtalfO4kYC9-v4YGn3rsnoE3QWG1rhxNA4yuOJzef6mlk3LX4fPzg4WcrwEUx9TSP2HqmaU0OQxm_NaKqJ98w1IT9K-m9TwbJJ3UlP9ZzSNaTWnLlSuwGokpww">Spataro, Petersen and Gervase on stage at VivaTech. Photo credit: VivaTech&nbsp;The power of&nbsp;who has the say is tipping in favor of employees. With remote work and flexible schedules more appealing than ever to their workforce and recruiting the right people with the right skills becoming more tough, employers are left no longer holding the upper hand. So, what does this mean for the future of work$1 How far can employees go in their demands for different working conditions$2 And will employers ever get back the control they had before$3&nbsp;During our sixth edition, we welcomed&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/919441c8-dfca-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Jared Spataro</a>, the Corporate Vice President of Modern Work at Microsoft on stage at VivaTech to lay out his thoughts on where the future of work is heading. Halfway through the session, he was then joined on stage by&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/05e411a2-91dd-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">Dr. Michael Gervais</a>, a high-performance psychologist, and&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/289ecf90-77e1-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">Anne Helen Petersen</a>, an author and public speaker, for a short panel discussion.&nbsp; &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/AXbwmQ4NNyrUgddu91GZpbvNGf3DTehUlyBVu5fTdTSknboc5Rb6qpD0taexQkmd-J_iB00LgoOfHlyIYTb-KZaFpCPPg0lIhmY4IbkXkYFdiyfM4K4AtCpdZqygCiBWwzGPlj3dnYVelKADs9KL2PPV0bNEt2C9R4aA8B6kMgU4B4OG3joBj3E-2w">Spataro speaking on stage. Photo credit: VivaTech&nbsp;<h2>The Age of Agency</h2>It’s evident that the workforce has changed its opinion on how we should be working, but to understand how much, Microsoft completed a survey of 31,000 people from 31 different countries titled “<a href="https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2022/03/16/great-expectations-a-roadmap-for-making-hybrid-work-work/">Great Expectations: A Road Map For Making Hybrid Work&nbsp;Work</a>”. The results showed that now more than ever, people are prioritizing their family, health, and freetime over their careers. Spataro shared some key numbers with us.<ul><li>53% of employees are prioritizing health and wellbeing over their job and 47% would prioritize their personal life and family over their careers.</li><li>18% of the global workforce changed employers last year. But the number one reason wasn’t pay, it was health and wellbeing – specifically work-life balance.</li><li>46% of the global workforce is now made up of millennials and Gen Z and 70% of them have a side hustle – typically something they are passionate about.</li></ul>“What these results show is that employees are looking for a&nbsp;‘new deal’ when it comes to employment,” Spataro noted.&nbsp;“People might think that the future of work is about&nbsp;where&nbsp;we are working and new work patterns. That is true superficially. But what is actually happening here is we are negotiating a new deal between the individual and the organization.”So, what is the new deal$4 The CVP described it as Agency. Which is a fancy way of saying that workers want more control over how, when and where they work – they’ve been able to assert that control during the pandemic and now want to keep it.“The idea of agency comes from Hollywood and the dissolution of the Studio system in the 1950’s,” Petersen explained further. “Agents would work for agencies on behalf of individuals and give them the ability to advocate for themselves and create a new deal with the work that they did. So the word Agency, in the way that we are using it, means autonomy.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/iu1arOLTacoJqVT56VSWcX1xdlijSsmUsKYNlm-COgc7LkP92uA8vXoRDdSk4MROTC8jtNk1l7-mEstXMqJKyam6kZfSacpvEznEnv2mHvO7GtIwMeF0yvt8ziowtzUfBJHP0czEHuUP8x1gUTFoSOvDzI9ZhAzxA3TKFx0vQbIMOlkIJMxQ72SSzg">Some parents who worked from home during the pandemic realized that the flexibility allowed them more time with their kids as well. Photo credit: Tatiana Syrikova&nbsp;<h2>Hyper personalizing work</h2>Where does this sense of agency stem from$5 “For me, it’s the hyper personalization of our world,” Spataro said. “For example, everything we do with our phones, shopping, reading, gaming, is hyper personalized around the individual and what we want. And workers are taking this expectation for hyper personalization to work. They want their employers to understand and support their needs and values.”People voicing their concerns in the workplace actually leads to more diverse opinions and challenges the status quo of how organizations function by putting the individual at the center of the equation.“Yet this comes with a warning too. If left unchecked, this hyper focus on individuality on the agency of workers comes into direct conflict with the unity required for an organization to function,” Spataro warned. &nbsp;<h2>Better leaders for a better workforce</h2>So, how do employers balance agency within their workforce$6 Between giving individuals more voice in how, when, and where they work and also creating a cohesive work environment so that employees can collaborate, many employers have felt lost after the pandemic. Setting full-time return to office mandates has received lots of pushback. But at the same time, completely giving up office space to allow 100% remote work can result in a lack of company culture and employees feeling isolated.&nbsp;The deciding factor is firm leadership. “It takes real leadership to take a group of diverse actors and bring them together and turn them into a team, because this is not just about coaxing people back into the office, this is about the tension between individuals and organizations.”&nbsp;In Spataro’s opinion, this requires a new pattern of leadership based on two concepts: empathy and stewardship. Empathy means being the leader that listens carefully, tries to understand, and finds solutions together. Stewardship means creating culture within a team, which is the most effective way to build and sustain the unity that is required for an organization to pursue its mission.“Leaders who are able to balance this equation of the empathy required to focus on individuals and the stewardship of the mission, set the tone for their organization and teach others how to be leaders with this example.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/yYsbVSdFfwYhgRoj57N23Ycndd9XTTseF76C5rsEbETYdyp0agi8mmB3b9tJbeodi7JdGdfEolKjW8qRjNAhGKSz5_GiEcYvelBGShY7ix2aTGGxG2_xOmpNo_lGhZKmKFcTMwZwLYGYEtx06BBBdDiGa8SYW7nXfa_G9hoyQjijAfc9NMg8io_Hwg">Managers also need to learn to be leaders. Photo credit: RODNAE Productions&nbsp;<h2>Taking up the challenge to upskill leaders</h2>Right along with the upskilling revolution for employees, managers and leaders should also be learning new skills. Becoming a leader doesn’t happen overnight, so investing in learning how to be a better leader is gaining more importance in every company.“The investment in culture is one of the deepest investments that we can make and from our standpoint, culture is the artifact of relationships,” said Gervais. “The investment in self first is where leaders are going to help build that sense of belonging and purpose at work. And teaching the psychological skills to help do that is a requirement in the new workforce.”Yet the pandemic has not only brought to light the issues of leadership nowadays, but also why it is important to have leaders who know their workforce. Spataro put it, “It’s easier to think that this is a moment of getting people back into the office, or refurbishing your conference rooms. It is not that. This is a moment of change. It’s the moment for the emergence of new leaders and new leadership patterns. When we think about the Future of Work it is all about how we are going to change culturally the way that we get things done. And I’m excited about that. I think that there is real opportunity there, if we take the bull by the horns.” &nbsp;<h2>Leading into the future</h2>As many businesses struggle to find a good balance for their teams in this age of agency, it’s important to remember that no one else knows much better! With such big changes happening in the workplace, companies all over the world will be trying out new work models, remote structures, learning tools, and managing frameworks.“Even with the looming of an economic recession, I still think that our best days are ahead of us,” Spataro reminded us. “And if we realize what is happening now, if we understand the issues at play, I think that together we can build a better tomorrow for employers, for employees, for everyone in the world.” &nbsp;If you want to watch the full session, you can watch the replay on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/930061c2-3cdb-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">here</a> ! &nbsp;

Session Digest: Understanding Your Workforce in the Age of Agency

Skills are the newest currency. It’s time to upgrade our CV and master a new skill this back-to-school season.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4Wml_K6zszLTUD6FwjdBYOl4N-VJXXTpq4iMB_9RxZdD77l9Ap2TPKan6X4qRsw4QtNjC6oGiutkRyc-Xaqpps0OkFrzh5IqrWN9M_j0CAk4Q4dmgNdKi0WhwaPP-8k-HhpLTdhPv4ouLU-Kb1au4fo">It’s the beginning of September and that means getting back into the swing of a fall routine. While kids will be heading back to the classroom, excited to see their friends and start learning new subjects, many adults see the return from summer break as the end of their summertime freedom and work picking back up as more colleagues return from their holidays. The reality of the season change typically brings more stress into the workplace and leaves you wishing you had just&nbsp;one more day on the beach.While one more day on the beach would definitely be nice, what if we took this opportunity of changing seasons to learn something new$1 Learning new skills doesn’t have to end when we stop going to school. In a world where the future of work is changing rapidly, gaining new skills has become a way for people to make their CVs more attractive or advance in their current company – and also learn some pretty cool things (hello, new video-editing, website-coding, analytics-collecting master!).We got the scoop from a few industry experts at VivaTech this year to understand what the future of work might look like and discussed topics from upskilling and reskilling to hybrid work and the Great Resignation.&nbsp;Check out the most popular sessions about The Future of Work to learn some of the key developments and trends and discover why you should master a new skill this back-to-school season too! &nbsp;Trust us, these replays are worth the watch, but we’ve given you the TLDW in case:&nbsp;&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gJHLKAYbz4bBfy5UQq-popW5ae2RzcRCSmJqWsHap_OAv1-VX1KqLbl1EcGx08vV7XufEIi4YeY7p2p0PUgvsX4gT-skgSKruJus5_qk86-bVsDLGtc-EgrJFjfny6Zt6v1pjQU_wfV5tnPTILde8qE">Photo credit: VivaTech<h3><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/c4c6c535-08c7-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Staying Ahead: Skills for lifelong learning&nbsp;</a></h3>TLDW:&nbsp;“Get a good education, then work.” This traditional model is under strain. Advances in technology, longer career spans and the increasingly fast transformation of the job market all play a role. Technical skills are in high demand, but need to be updated often and some industries undergoing digitalization are trying to access pools of talent they did not traditionally need in their workforce. Since employers can’t hire all the skills they need, it’s up to them to empower their employees to start upskilling or reskilling so they can have an optimized workforce. &nbsp;Notable and quotable:&nbsp;“Companies have realized since the pandemic that skills are becoming harder to find and they need to retrain their workers. But what is even more interesting is that the individual is taking it into their own hands to increase their employability. Learning platforms have changed from B2B to B2C because individuals are taking the initiative to start learning on their own.”&nbsp;–&nbsp;Marie-Christine Levet, Partner at Educapital“About 70% of our lifelong learning doesn’t come from formal training. It comes from our colleagues, our mentors. It doesn’t have to be something very formal. Learning is a fun journey. It’s important for people to have a fun experience with learning as well as useful.”&nbsp;–&nbsp;Francesca Borgonovi, Head of Skills Analysis at OECD &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xnLbgGrIs1RZh5aFjYR04zSHVmJa4d3K7ipgSoCab1A2XctQwW-LdoPjLknTDAnBooqKLWtLxb9JxtNp-ns7yP1GLgq3Lwbs04lVGI0A-qOIKtsSfObhcLxKAkPlzy4fZegnx0aQIWuxDzwbsduADyw">Photo credit: VivaTech<h3><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/e6d939da-83c5-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Work(place) revolution: What needs to change$2</a></h3>TLDW:&nbsp;The world of work is in flux. The pandemic accelerated a transition to hybrid and often untested models of work that will have far-reaching implications in everything from hiring policies to management practices. At the same time, many economies, particularly when it comes to the tech sector, are under pressure to attract qualified workers. Our panelists noted the importance of trust between employers and employees, ensuring that work gets done, but allowing more flexibility for workers to be human.&nbsp; &nbsp;Notable and quotable:“As a hybrid organization, we make sure to put the employees first – empower the employees to decide on what’s best for how they want to work, when they want to work and where they want to work. It’s not about “today we are at the office,” it’s each employee choosing what they want to do. Each manager decides which hybrid structure is best for their team.”&nbsp;–&nbsp;Caroline Leroy, Chief People and Fulfillment Officer at Payfit“We have to manage by performance vs. attendance. Before it was making sure people show up, but that’s not an effective way to manage. If you manage based on results, it becomes easier to gauge. I personally don’t care what you do during the week as long as by Friday all your work is done. I take a break every afternoon to walk my dogs, some people pick up their kids. As long as the work gets done, that is all that matters. And this comes down to hiring top talent too, they have more leverage than before. If you want to hire someone who wants to work from home 3-4 days a week, you’re going to need to be flexible if you want that person.”&nbsp;–&nbsp;Guillaume Vives, COO of Klaxoon &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/hEALFZTcwJRM39Nl8Cnn1-N3HOi3Wo_14EkNWbeBM-IXoRaRF5naLdLzGP5z_CxQ7mgUozSIR52KTFNju9LeK70-U8iDR1tp4SvCvhOHOcYGE5bqjMz-cjJ2cavzRp_kyhIB0grGQsM8Yg4jpy7DVX0">Photo credit: VivaTech<h3><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/43dec33e-a1da-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">Fireside chat with Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn</a></h3>TLDW: LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky chats about the lessons learned from leading through the pandemic and unique insights into the Great Reshuffle and its impact on the marketing and advertising industry. For him, the pandemic has made companies and individuals think about their core values. There is a lot of movement in companies and with talent because people are deciding what they want to do with their lives and companies are deciding how they want to operate moving forward. Which is the Great Reshuffle of Employees.&nbsp;Notable and quotable:“The younger the generation, the more job shifting we see. Gen Z is off the chart with how frequent they are moving jobs. They see that changing jobs is not only okay, but it’s actually how the world should work. It’s normal to see them changing full-time jobs but also having 2-3 side hustles. So it’s interesting to see where that generation is going, but I think that it’s going to be the new norm moving forward.”“Whether it’s due to Covid, or the digital transformation, or a fourth industrial revolution, skills are critical and are becoming the new currency of the future of how the world is going to work. That’s why we think LinkedIn Learning is such an important tool, because professionals anywhere can upskill themselves and learn across thousands of courses and topics.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/lECks4TXu0P56wOwNu0x1M6nU6VtNc_6itlXybH4J4z_TN5jwFj0z42AVT_LFr7DgcBezNsKwJqpt9MNtwmO1ckfjEoH0nJBMft5e5TbOEndrQ3XDd8rxQYnJ0vzzeb92mTrp8tif1EcpqKu9I7dPas">Photo credit: VivaTech<h3><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/session/71707009-e9e0-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">How to find the best people and keep them</a></h3>TLDW:&nbsp;The past two years have been like no other for both businesses and employees. The power has shifted from organizations to the people. Employees are starting to ask a lot of questions like: What kind of job do I really want to do$3 Where do I want to be in my career$4 Who do I want to be$5 And they have the upper hand because they are choosing when to leave a job or accept a new job. In order to attain top talent, companies need to understand what employees are looking for, whether it be flexibility, more support from management, or even compensation.&nbsp; &nbsp;Notable and quotable:“Companies that want to keep top talent need to upgrade their corporate culture. Businesses need to make shifts and be aware of mental health, well-being, diversity and inclusion, etc. It’s important to step back, look at your employee value proposition and think, what are we offering, what is in it for the employee, not just the employer.”&nbsp;“Managing skills can be taught easily, managing workload, distributing projects, time lines, but what we are doing is upskilling managers to become leaders, not just managers. They become someone who their team members can come to, to problem solve with, etc.”– Michelle Nettles, Global Chief People and Culture Officer at ManpowerGroup &nbsp;<h2>Become a master</h2>We don’t know about you, but that convinced us that we need to start gaining some serious skills. If you want to start your learning journey already we have plenty of replays for you to learn about new topics from blockchain to healthtech. See what you missed during VivaTech through our main topic replays available on our digital platform. Or&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/partners$6searchtext=&amp;secteurdactivit=hrtrainingeducation&amp;page=2&amp;%24pagegroup=startups">check out our list</a>&nbsp;of startups that are helping the upskilling revolution for corporations and individuals. &nbsp;Our favorite topic replays:&nbsp;<ul><li><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/eventtheme/0edc56e2-43c5-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Blockchain, NFT, Crypto, &amp; Web3</a></li><li><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/eventtheme/5dd7efd0-42c5-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Healthcare &amp; Well-being</a></li><li><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/eventtheme/5cd7efd0-42c5-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Deeptech &amp; AI</a></li><li><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/eventtheme/64d7efd0-42c5-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Tech for Society</a></li><li><a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/eventtheme/5bd7efd0-42c5-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">Cloud, Cybersecurity &amp; Data Management</a></li></ul>

The Future of Work; Why Adults Should Learn a Thing or Two This School Year

A chat with Ellen Dunham-Jones, Sampo Hietanen, Lawrence Leuschner, Oren Ezer, and Alexander D’Orsogna on the current mobility landscape.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PxHUd9ZHpfz4QIOLjovIN4nrrLHhaSanvLRRGPEcdhzf7WYzcTLATpmgkkQdT6k_reL5Why_5rGK7uWtX38FyH_xesMm5xKrnRJ1LzXBxl38ansV1u5qwTrqFTvlt7hclINMuUTO3epaSKCmdYRJDCBwRKUrnQOS_zA2NkIQT4sBFxSoZZZ8FCt1ig">Busy city street intersection. Photo credit: Deva Darshan &nbsp;The pandemic has caused a paradigm shift in the way people move. New work habits and a preference for proximity have increased the popularity of electric and micro-mobility solutions in cities around the world. This shift has caused professionals and consumers alike to start asking: What will tomorrow&quote;s urban landscapes look like$1 And what are the implications in terms of mobility$2 We sat down with a panel of mobility experts during VivaTech to discuss the evolving mobility trends and how urbanists and service providers can work together to achieve efficient and green urban mobility.&nbsp; &nbsp;The discussion started off with an introduction to urban mobility with&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/ba4d82e0-3ba4-ec11-a99b-a04a5e7d3e1c">Ellen Dunham-Jones</a>, Professor and Director of the MS in Urban Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology and was followed by a panel made up of&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/b0111a41-f79e-ec11-a22a-a04a5e7cd2d9">Sampo Hietanen</a>, founder and CEO of MAAS Global;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/c001cc35-d9bb-ec11-997e-a04a5e7cf9dc">Lawrence Leuschner</a>, CEO and Co-founder of Tier Mobility;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/a72472b4-6ca0-ec11-a22a-a04a5e7cd2d9">Oren Ezer</a>, CEO of Electreon;&nbsp; and&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/aa79f446-c8eb-ec11-b47a-281878354003">Alexander D’Orsogna</a>, Head of Business Development at Volocopter. &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/A9Ttfgfd0FPwgbO-2HH57bQL5_iwStbZ89Js8bIqx6aGGKjfv7wIuaKoewTlu-Lg2QGb0ETCnFKC4Jr6KRd1ro4wuAz_-ECnfKkq0vAe0ZRH7QFt2h9NB8x_bvqlZ6SYGs57w2r4pY5h-Sq3Mj1Xe5U">Panel discussion with Hietanen, Leuschner, Ezer, and D’Orsogna. Photo credit: VivaTech&nbsp;<h2>Back to our routes&nbsp;</h2>When it comes to changing how we move and what the future holds for the mobility industry, our experts invited us to look back at how our cities have evolved into their present-day set up. Up until the invention of the automobile, cities and towns were built mainly around town halls, religious buildings, and gathering places. But over the decades following the marvelous invention of the car, cities have evolved to include more and more space for vehicles and less space for pedestrians and bike-users. And our public actions have changed in reaction to these spaces as well. “People are no longer the friendly neighbor type; we are now competitors on the road, battling for road space and for parking space,” stated Dunham. &nbsp;What used to be a pleasant stroll down the road, has now become a stressful and tiresome drive. As Leuschner put it, driving in a city is not safe, it’s loud, it’s not joyful, you are always in traffic jams, and it&quote;s 10x more polluting than a bike. “We are trying to emphasize the idea that using a car in a city is pointless. Obviously in the countryside it is different, and even necessary, but for cities, there are better options. Driving a two-wheeler is much more practical.” &nbsp;So this begs the question, why do we still use cars in cities$3 With a plethora of public transportation and ever more popular micro-mobility options, it seems the “need” for a car within a city should be dwindling. &nbsp;Hietanen weighed in to talk about this dependence on cars. “Everywhere I go, all these cities want to reinvent the city, less cars, make it better for the environment, more sustainable, etc. But no one dares to ask the question ‘What would it take, for all of you, to give up your personal car$4’ Is there something better$5 The car has dominated the market for 100 years because it’s not just a car, it’s a symbol of freedom. Your personal freedom. Being able to go anywhere, anytime, on a whim. So if we aren’t trying to tackle this or find a solution, we’re just kind of skirting around the real problem. And this is the biggest problem to solve for our cities, for our economic growth, for sustainability.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0EH4bGmVZ5P1X5r48Gy6nlzeJc2nbF-LxR5I4GKU89ntmRzYc10nK1XU7laT7YPCObTAWbByHznC5d3dB9A_F5TmBigir9W_s8v3FGQGJGGy3ONv5F5UpOJVxrKecXrjjB8V2Xc7otX6SGP18C3xkjg">Making space for grass in urban areas. Photo credit: Caio&nbsp;<h2>Human-centered cities</h2>So, if leaving car-centered cities behind is the goal, what needs to change$6 Or even further, what do people want from a more human-centric city$7 Less asphalt, more green spaces. Less overbearing structures for transportation, more open air. Less pollution, more sustainable transport options. Basically, a return to a more local way of life, with more nature involved in our very urbanized environments. &nbsp;Our panelists mentioned the idea of the 15-minute city, a concept that the Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, popularized. The concept is based on the idea that most daily necessities should be accomplished by either walking or cycling from residents&quote; homes – gone would be the days of long commutes to get to shopping centers or doctors offices on the other side of town.&nbsp;While the concept is a great idea, its implementation in different parts of the world is easier said than done. Restructuring cities overnight is quite impossible and many solutions need governmental support or approval. But our mobility experts don’t think we’re doomed to stay where we are. In fact, city structure changes might start with our four panelists and their companies themselves. &nbsp;<h2>Visions for an interconnected future</h2>Our panel members are all part of the mobility industry, yet they each have their own solutions to propose for its future. Let’s dive into their ideas. &nbsp;<h3>The micro-mobility revolution</h3>Leuschner’s company, Tier Mobility, is Europe&quote;s leading shared micro-mobility provider, and has a mission to Change Mobility for Good. With his goal to give city space back to the people, Leuschner believes that it all starts with finding an alternative to cars.&nbsp; &nbsp;“We believe that micro-mobility will be a catalyst for completely disrupting the cities. At the end of the day, people are selfish, and want to go from A to B whenever they want. So we want to play a part in that by offering bikes, scooters, etc. which are more economical, more sustainable, and more joyful than a car and in the end leads to more people-centric cities.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/A6GkR9ZN_RogPu6PHkT9I74kf3X-5MKvD69PecHwAcBgCb1hOYp9HxCSG_Lbzf9jncbWoGEkQMRmYlYqu0VNirEXW2uV6a64-jXAC9bNDhMhuwOwE5WK8_ObNgEClgT6ogCPP0kU_LcbqLXfMBuJ-ag">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tier.app/en/">Tier Mobility</a> &nbsp;<h3>An all-in-one ecosystem</h3>Not quite a believer that the car should be scrapped all-togather, Hietanen has included cars in his business model, but goes far beyond personal car ownership. MAAS Global Ltd. is creating the world’s first mobility ecosystem. A single app that allows people to travel as much as they like with a flat fee, or pay-as-you-go, with buses, trains, taxis, bikes, cars and more.&nbsp; &nbsp;“People are lazy and we are individualists. So we need to offer solutions that do not jeopardize your personal freedom. Right now in Europe, there are 70 million EU citizens looking for an alternative to car ownership today. And I think that we as an industry suck if we cannot provide that to them.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oxPS7ZYx9jJ4j8ZTop5bgGt_dRFvV6T_OApUhxqOzx-m6fNJjh4I_kcokCmvZu0M-xXD1rvSzEyJ2AvrVTBw_Wr3NJRFINWwz78qLmClIcgZAV1BTsN_U6iFG0f2zCcowihCQcisJCtIpXoysh0Wvy8">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://whimapp.com/">Whim</a> &nbsp;<h3>Roads that charge as you go</h3>With electrical vehicles becoming more and more popular, whether for personal use or for public transport like buses or trams, Ezer’s company Electreon is creating an ingenious solution for charging these vehicles. Their wireless charging technology enables any electric vehicle to charge whilst driving or stationary on Electreon’s Electric Road Systems, which are simply installed beneath the road’s surface. &nbsp;“We need to have more dedicated bus and public transport lanes in cities, and there needs to be better infrastructure for charging. Everyone plans on charging their vehicles overnight, but the electrical grid will become overwhelmed. So we need solutions that offer charging capabilities during the day as well.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ICzNPiZzOLLOsnBKoXGXN40HLVW4yCV7I31q8TIDNLn5ZBfUO7UaTagx7GA2N1p8kkNrftw_UBlIAg4KZCciRIso4Gs0hb9j8YSBUjeV_Wv2oZ0WVpudz-r8efuITsuS8OGrravm2tjv72myE_D9prw">Photo credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://electreon.com/">Electreon</a> &nbsp;<h3>Passenger Drones</h3>In a completely other ballpark for the future of mobility solutions, we have Volocopter, where D’Orsogna is hoping to get city-dwellers off the streets completely. Volocopter’s family of eVTOL aircraft are building the foundations to offer passengers and goods swift, secure, and emission-free connections to their destinations. &nbsp;“What we are doing with our eVTOLs is focusing on flying over city centers to bring people from point A to point B in a fast, sustainable, clean environment.” &nbsp;D’Orsogna also stated that Volocopter is planning on having their passenger drone services in place in Paris before the 2024 Olympic Games.&nbsp; &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/eqcJL84X-9K5TfV0YrbGhM6hf3SUYDi5gl4f7vc6Zdu8qBRA8QbPKPuQm3ErYe9tObCotpNZKir-Y91rlewRrcV8QA9cZyT4k740NfZl8Gofo_soK3yCYkdKxkTxWwm4Yt5h4gwA4rLqiHgrZMpUlBk"><a href="https://www.volocopter.com/">Volocopter</a>. Photo credit: VivaTech &nbsp;<h2>United in the revolution</h2>What’s certain is that there are many solutions out there and a plethora of people trying to make this urban mobility revolution possible. From our panelists on the stage to startups that exhibit on the VivaTech floor and beyond, urban mobility is starting to change for the better. &nbsp;Yet what can we do as consumers to help this revolution$8 “It begins with asking yourself, how can I contribute to a net zero city,” Leuschner said.&nbsp;“Be vocal in your local communities and advocate for creating more space for micro-mobility. Ask, how can I engage my friends to challenge what we believe and how we move in cities to create a more sustainable world. Be thought leaders in your community.” &nbsp;If you want to watch the full session, you can watch the replay on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/6c4f1c81-bdc7-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">here</a>! &nbsp;

Session Digest: Urban Mobility Reimagined

A chat with Sébastien Badault, Nelly Mensah, Sebastien Borget and Marc Petit.

<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/0VRJDpDYzRBG4RB7rjJ8Q7Bd48X3yCJQuA5-_UxtP--a8X4fyBM_pgY0xNVX9wHZ8iY8xuxJLYQJFpTSy4Z4iBZqhyXeInHYL9eyIb0O-Wb0FInsZVKbjnN52KWWvkQp4ieuX7MWXx8fl9HyItT0hw"> It’s not all fun and games in the metaverse. Many industries are looking to tap into new ways of conducting business in this digital space. Yet how does it create new opportunities for businesses in a range of industries from entertainment to sports retail$1 What is the economic behavior of users in the metaverse$2 We explored the economy underlying the metaverse with four experts in the area:&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/b584695f-0eb4-ec11-997e-a04a5e7cf9dc">Sebastien Badault</a>, Vice President of Metaverse &amp; Web3 at Ledger;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/58821994-ffd7-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">Nelly Mensah</a>, Head of Crypto &amp; Metaverse at LVMH;&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/a285ec72-79a3-ec11-a22a-a04a5e7cd2d9">Sebastien Borget</a>, Co-founder &amp; COO of The Sandbox; and&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/speaker/87e11f7c-67a4-ec11-a99b-a04a5e7d3e1c">Marc Petit</a>, Vice President of Epic Games at Unreal Engine Ecosystem. &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/73gSKwRC1gAkKXsi5jeyXqltnBCMrpYn7f62KlJ3hlvvS1tiDI4vaquumxNgliZqkX_9anJJ-ZExhRrEbgloq_qloewQrqRwTGLv_KVP7WYUouTxm6XBT2Ad5TPMDoJLsTOoH8Lw4szRJzQR7R1eWw">Marc Petit. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>“People love the metaverse”</h2>The metaverse has been a topic of discussion for quite some time. Whether it be the theme of a futuristic sci-fi movie or a social media video, the buzz has been growing and growing. But what is so attractive about it$3 What makes people spend so much time in a digital space such as this, and inevitably more money$4 &nbsp;According to Petit, its popularity is growing because of two things: real social interactions&nbsp;and the ability to&nbsp;customize literally everything. Users want to hang out and chat with the people they most care about, no matter where they are.&nbsp;“It’s the social communication aspect which is why people love the metaverse. But it’s also interactive and customizable. Our kids want to customize everything they touch, they want to make it theirs.” &nbsp;But it might go a bit beyond that. Creating a custom character is a cool experience, but what if I want to use that character in a different game, or even sell parts of it to another player$5 Our panelists believe the attractiveness of the metaverse is more than just customizing your character, it’s about owning it –&nbsp;real digital ownership of it. &nbsp;Borget put it,&nbsp;“What we’ve seen so far in the sphere of virtual gaming for the last 25 years, is that any content that I create or buy with real money is not actually mine. I can’t send it to another user, I can’t use it on another platform, I can’t even sell it on a marketplace outside of the game. It was considered a black market to take your assets, your skins and weapons, your creations, and try to monetize it.”&nbsp;But what the metaverse provides is the freedom to buy, sell, or trade digital items through technology that is open, transparent and trusted –&nbsp;the blockchain. Users own those items and the platforms or games can’t take it away from them. &nbsp;And the concept of ownership goes beyond gaming too. Content creators that use Web2 platforms have to rely on the policies and structure that the platforms enforce. A YouTuber that has 4 million followers and hundreds of millions views on their videos could have their account taken down overnight by YouTube and all their content – the videos they personally created – would be gone.&nbsp; &nbsp;“This aspect of ownership will drive more creators to the metaverse, which will then bring more users in the end,” added Badault. A chain reaction that many Web2 platforms may start seeing the effects of soon.&nbsp; &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/MhWYd-jCOl2JJdDU111Y_w6n5Qa472VCp_zKCPv40tiCwt4NQxbHzK1yjXWY0FjK__FpPQJgsLdQlYo4mATARBhh01U7tJ526H1DTXpYXB-q9k-BFNjZ_wvnujC96MeaBqWI3cULCAvG-JuxXvG5zQ">Image from inside The Sandbox. Photo credit: The Sandbox<h2>“Web3 and Metaverse are the future for all brands”</h2>So users own their content, but how are businesses able to use this technology for monetary gains$6 For Borget, The Sandbox’s creator, he thinks that this ownership can actually lead to&nbsp;new market options. “Owning your digital assets has a strong meaning and can help create a new economy, even launch new jobs, help push and give opportunities to creators, no matter where they are. Making the bar of accessibility very low, so that&nbsp;anyone can be a creator and won’t need to read a user manual or know how to code in order to start.” &nbsp;For luxury brands and retail, Mensah sees the economy of the metaverse expanding through a couple of outlets. “At LVMH, we think that&nbsp;Web3 and Metaverse are absolutely the future for all brands, including luxury. We’ve been experimenting with it for some time now. From virtual try-ons for our beauty brands to creating partners in the gaming industry. But now that the space is maturing, we are looking at a range of business models to explore. The fact that you can actually own digital assets in the virtual space is absolutely game changing. There are so many touchpoints of the consumer journey that we can enhance with the metaverse. From awareness to purchase to after sales.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/uuXvP6HuzzESmGY9uXEwvx5nuJ1J9l7awAoTou-8Rwcb6adcwQweTHcdRCvdEUC68KJ7cOJgvhubdYX1vYedx9_OLhE7304PPuwe6XBv2eoQqv6qOoNCUaFXTi_8_kV6kQHabpZkiUFYVxZST-U3mQ">Livi, LVMH’s ‘Face of Innovation’ avatar, presenting at VivaTech. Photo credit: LVMH<h2>“The centralized to decentralized has already happened”</h2>The concept of the metaverse is built on blockchain technology and a transition to Web3 internet. A transition from centralized to decentralized internet would take more than just transferring the current internet into a new Web3 format. It would take every entity on the internet&nbsp;handing control to users little by little. “The loss of control is what is going to provide more opportunities for creativity over time,”&nbsp;said Borget. An internet with more freedom to explore, create, exchange, and learn benefits not just users but large companies too, because there is more trust. No more wondering what companies are doing with your data once you accept cookies on their site.&nbsp; &nbsp;And for a handful of industries, that control has already started getting passed on to users. Badault brought up the example of social media.&nbsp;“The centralized to decentralized has already happened&nbsp;with instagram for example and influencers. A brand might not have many followers, so they hand some control over to influencers to give them more visibility.”&nbsp;When the notion of influencers started, brands were quite hesitant to join the bandwagon because they weren’t in control of the content posted. But once they saw what a tool it could be for visibility, the influencer market shot up.&nbsp; &nbsp;A similar curve of adoption might be in store for the metaverse as well, but there are still some things that are holding back its evolution. For Badault, the usability and security measures are still not up to par for what users want in a decentralized internet.&nbsp;“Once it is easy to use and secure, there will be 5 billion Web3 users.” &nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/UsPIcjdG-X5-IISuceV3kwQ6u9tIMVNysVofCCSZPW7mIz9zsKEGiJD69Zp8ac6HgvznKF5iV7Hzi_Iy1StUDzcdxKzHmvkcOq20dtvgP9MOLmrnuGWZ1rXS8pMIQvf8uwsazmYMIx_tayWcRu991A">Sebastien Badault. Photo credit: VivaTech<h2>How will we transition to the metaverse$7</h2>With all the talk about how we could improve the functionality of the internet and even aspects of our daily lives, how much time would people really spend in the metaverse once it becomes a reality$8 How will our physical world exist with the metaverse$9 &nbsp;As the Head of Crypto and Metaverse, Mensah gave us a surprising perspective, given her role. “The next big step might actually be augmented reality, not metaverse,”&nbsp;she said.&nbsp;“Being able to display additional user information next to products, or making your neighborhood more beautiful through a lens might lead us more into this reality. But we are still lacking a solid piece of technology to do that. In between a headset and a phone app. Something that won’t mess up my hair!”&nbsp; &nbsp;AR proves an interesting medium that mixes both the physical world that we know and the digital aspects of the metaverse that people dream about. Petit agreed with Mensah on this transition into the metaverse.&nbsp;“AR and glass is a huge opportunity. We will be able to see content on our windows, on our windshields, on our glasses. I think that augmented reality is a real aspect of the digital world that can bring a lot of value and utility to everyone.” &nbsp;<h2>“It’s going to be revolutionary”</h2>No matter what the transition into metaverse and Web3 technology will look like, what’s sure is that it’s not a fad. Yet the best practices and business opportunities of these digital spaces might take some time to be implemented.&nbsp; &nbsp;For some of our panelists, they believe that it’s the newer generations, the ones that have grown up with screens around them, that will create the future. Badault put it,&nbsp;“The newer generations, because they have been given the tools to be creative, are growing up creating things on their own. Parents say ‘You’re spending too much time on screens,’ but what they are doing there is incredibly creative. Like TikToks, or characters in games. They are becoming the new generation of creators and&nbsp;given the right tools, God knows what they will be coming up with. But it’s going to be revolutionary.” &nbsp;If you want to watch the full session, you can watch the replay on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/a415eac7-0bc7-ec11-997e-a04a5e7d0d63">here</a>!

Session Digest: Metaverse Economics, Unlocking Business Opportunities

<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/vt22_s1_d3_17_15_the_future_of_healthcare_2e1df97abf/vt22_s1_d3_17_15_the_future_of_healthcare_2e1df97abf.jpg"></figure>Photo credit: VivaTechThe past two years have pushed our healthcare systems to the limits. While this has brought about many innovations and discoveries, it has also brought to light issues of regulation and privacy. So, where do we go from here$1 What does the future of healthcare look like$2 We discussed this topic with Sumbul Desai, VP of Health at Apple, and Stanislas Niox Chateau, co-founder and CEO of Doctolib, on the VivaTech stage a few weeks ago during our sixth edition.Sumbul is herself a physician and started at Apple in 2017. As Vice President of Health she oversees their health initiatives including clinical product development, medical research, and innovative clinical partnerships. She also leads the regulatory and quality teams at Apple.Stanislas co-founded Doctolib in 2013 with a simple but ambitious vision: to improve the daily lives of healthcare workers and make access to care fast and equal for all. Doctolib is the leader in e-health in Europe, thanks to its several thousand Doctolibers with humanistic values and a commitment to improving the health sector. &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized image-style-align-center" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/vt22_s1_d3_17_15_the_future_of_healthcare_1_1_b6c8d0d41f/vt22_s1_d3_17_15_the_future_of_healthcare_1_1_b6c8d0d41f.jpg"></figure>Sumbul Desai. Photo credit: VivaTech<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>The relationship between technology and the health sphere</h3>When we think of healthcare, technology might not be the first connecting word we associate with the sector. But technology really is an opportunity for the health ecosystem to scale the fastest.For the Sumbul, “Technology can scale healthcare in a meaningful way. It should be an enabler, whether that means achieving better personal health or creating more access to healthcare. We should not be using technology just for technology’s sake.”Too much technology and too much data can be overwhelming for patients and caretakers alike. So using innovations to create meaningful solutions that break down why certain metrics are important can make a difference. Apple’s watch, for example, can now detect irregularities in people’s heartbeat; a practical application that can offer data insights to users over the long term.“Technology should empower people to take care of their health,” the VP of Health stated.&nbsp;“It should focus on relationships between the patient and the physician.”&nbsp;There should be this notion of how we can improve the dialogue between the two.For Stanislas,&nbsp;“Healthcare is an impossible equation to solve.”&nbsp;On one side of the equation, healthcare needs are growing super fast, due to demographic pressure, aging people, and an increase in chromatic disease and mental health issues. And on the other end, there is a lack of healthcare resources. Healthcare providers feel isolated, they have outdated equipment, and use old software. Stanislas believes that technology can solve part of this equation. It can bridge the gap between a lack of resources and the evolving needs for healthcare.“Technology can help create a frictionless healthcare process, which is all patients want when they go see a doctor,” he shared. It can give healthcare providers software services to transform how they work, like allowing them to gain time in administrative processes, or automate scheduling. And for patients, technology can give them easier access to their health records, or get them in contact quickly with a physician right when they need.&nbsp;<h3 style="text-align:justify;">The impact of Big Data on the healthcare industry</h3>Healthcare in itself is built on data. It is based in science and on comparing data. Scientists, doctors, nurses, cardiologists, neurologists all use data to make decisions. Without data, it would be impossible to innovate in the industry.However, at what point does using data have an impact on the consumer$3 How private is our data when it is tracked all the time$4 At what point does privacy end and the greater good of being more efficient in discovering new drugs or cures override privacy$5For both of our speakers, personal data was one of their main concerns. Afterall, personal health comes down to your own data. Numbers and metrics play a large role in how we know if we are well, or not. So for Apple and Doctolib, they hand over the control to users and allow them to decide with whom they share their information. “No one should have access to it besides you and your practitioner,” said Stanislas&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized image-style-align-center" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/cdn.vivatechnology.com/vt-prd/medias/vt22_s1_d3_17_15_the_future_of_healthcare_2_1_be3452fb24/vt22_s1_d3_17_15_the_future_of_healthcare_2_1_be3452fb24.jpg"></figure>Stanislas Niox Chateau. Photo credit: VivaTech<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3 style="text-align:justify;">The next big emerging technologies in healthcare</h3>For Sumbul, the next revolution in the healthcare industry isn’t necessarily about the next gadgets or the next top features on a device. The next revolution should be about preventative care and being proactive about health.&nbsp;“At Apple we ask ourselves, how can we get people to think about their health in small ways every day$6 If we do that, we will have less people in the cardiologists office later on,” she explained.Healthcare is a basic human right, which means making it accessible for everyone and ensuring the health technologies are not just used by 1-2% of the population. Stanislas noted,&nbsp;“We need to build technology that everyone can use, no matter your age or your location.”“At the end of the day we need to build useful services,”&nbsp;he continued.&nbsp;“What we care about is: Do we build services that create value for patients and care teams. And do people use it$7 We don’t build technology just because. We innovate to improve people’s daily lives.”&nbsp;<h3 style="text-align:justify;">So, what does the future look like$8</h3>At the end of the day, there are a lot of improvements that can be made in the health sector. Yet the direction it will go will be different for every country. There are so many differences on what care looks like depending on culture, heritage, and access.&nbsp;“We are in the early days of healthcare innovation,” said Stanislas. “I hope there are plenty of entrepreneurs that want to create and innovate in healthcare with us. This sector is amazing. Let’s continue building great things.”If you want to watch the full session, you can watch the replay on our Digital Platform&nbsp;<a href="https://app.vivatechnology.com/onlinesession/9845b7ff-49db-ec11-b656-a04a5e7d2a9d">here</a>! &nbsp;

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