Let’s Walk Episode 6: Exploring AI, entrepreneurship, and innovation at VivaTech 2026

Let’s Walk is ESCP Business School’s conversation series where ideas come alive on the move. In this special episode, host Anobla visits VivaTech 2026 in Paris to meet the professors, entrepreneurs, and students exploring the future of technology and innovation.

From platform strategies and artificial intelligence to startup development and the upcoming ESCP School of Technology, this episode explores how research, education, and entrepreneurship can work together to turn new ideas into practical solutions.

Rethinking innovation and the future of technology

For Frédéric Fréry, Professor of Strategic Management and Co-Director of the ESCP Tech Institute, innovation requires looking beyond existing business models.

Through his work on platform strategies, he explores how digital ecosystems could transform traditional industries, including business-to-business distribution.

He encourages businesses to consider the needs of potential customers who are not yet using their products, rather than focusing exclusively on improving existing offerings.

Fréry also discusses ESCP's growing involvement in technology education, including the development of its School of Technology.

From entrepreneurial ideas to real-world solutions

The conversation continues with Maëva Tordo, Head of Blue Factory, ESCP's startup incubator, which supports entrepreneurs working across industries, from technology and software to food and fashion.

For Tordo, Europe's entrepreneurial future also raises questions about technological independence, sustainability, and the role of innovation in addressing societal needs.

One example is Lizette, a startup co-founded by Jules Vialleton and supported by Blue Factory. The company develops sensor technology designed to detect falls among elderly people and alert caregivers, illustrating how entrepreneurship can respond to practical challenges.

Giving the next generation a voice in innovation

The episode also introduces Shweta Mittal, an ESCP Master's in Luxury Management student representing the Women@ESCP global forum at VivaTech.

Interested in entrepreneurship and the role of women in technology, Mittal sees the event as an opportunity to meet innovators, explore emerging technologies, and understand how different industries are evolving.

Her ambition is to build a business that helps people feel represented, while contributing to a more inclusive entrepreneurial community.

Together, these conversations offer a glimpse into the different ways ESCP's academic and entrepreneurial community is engaging with technological change, from research and education to the development of new businesses.

Watch the full episode and discover all Let’s Walk conversations on the ESCP YouTube channel.

View the series