FLORIAN BRUNNER
Florian Brunner
In 2022, Florian Brunner listens attentively to a speech by Maurice Lévy, the emblematic figure of Publicis Groupe and architect of VivaTech. Brunner discovers the inner circle of major technological platforms, where the real balances of power are now being shaped. A few days later, he finds himself at the heart of VivaTech, invited to an event unlike any other in the world.
In 2023, 150,000 participants attend the event, alongside Elon Musk, Yann Le Cun (Meta), Emmanuel Macron, Bernard Arnault, and other leading figures who cross paths in the aisles. VivaTech even surpasses CES in Las Vegas. In 2024, more than 165,000 visitors from over 120 nationalities converge on the event, with Elon Musk delivering a virtual keynote, and a strong focus on GreenTech, AI, and sustainable mobility.
Then in 2025, during a historic edition with 180,000 visitors, 14,000 startups, and 40% of exhibitors dedicated to AI, Florian Brunner moves through the Dôme de Paris, the beating heart of VivaTech, where speakers include Jensen Huang (NVIDIA), Arthur Mensch (Mistral AI), Joe Tsai (Alibaba), Yann Le Cun (Meta), Thomas Wolf (Hugging Face), Mike Krieger (Anthropic), Clara Chappaz (France’s AI minister), and Emmanuel Macron.
In 2023, 150,000 participants attend the event, alongside Elon Musk, Yann Le Cun (Meta), Emmanuel Macron, Bernard Arnault, and other leading figures who cross paths in the aisles. VivaTech even surpasses CES in Las Vegas. In 2024, more than 165,000 visitors from over 120 nationalities converge on the event, with Elon Musk delivering a virtual keynote, and a strong focus on GreenTech, AI, and sustainable mobility.
Then in 2025, during a historic edition with 180,000 visitors, 14,000 startups, and 40% of exhibitors dedicated to AI, Florian Brunner moves through the Dôme de Paris, the beating heart of VivaTech, where speakers include Jensen Huang (NVIDIA), Arthur Mensch (Mistral AI), Joe Tsai (Alibaba), Yann Le Cun (Meta), Thomas Wolf (Hugging Face), Mike Krieger (Anthropic), Clara Chappaz (France’s AI minister), and Emmanuel Macron.
Jensen Huang in Paris
In ninety minutes, without unnecessary emphasis, NVIDIA’s founder Jensen Huang laid out a clear vision: the time has come for Europe to build its own compute infrastructure, sovereign cloud, and AI models—independent of the American giants. The announcement of the partnership with Mistral AI was part of a broader strategy of industrial and technological anchoring on the continent. Through a precise and understated presentation, Huang introduced a new geopolitics of computation—one in which Europe, if it chooses to, can become a decisive actor by embracing a distinct path built on the alignment of political vision, technological strength, and industrial rootedness.
The partnership between NVIDIA and Mistral AI is not an end, but a beginning. It must be accompanied by a shared industrial vision, massive investment, and a collective will to shape the standards, uses, and purposes of artificial intelligence. Europe is not destined to be a playground for external powers. It must once again become a force of innovation and balance — a power that thinks, that builds, and that acts.
The example of Alain Aspect embodies how fundamental physics can inspire, inform, and propel the most ambitious technological revolutions. By experimentally demonstrating the reality of quantum entanglement, his work first disrupted our understanding of reality; today, it forms the foundation of a new era in computing. As co-founder of Pasqal, a startup dedicated to neutral-atom quantum computers, Alain Aspect has bridged the gap between theoretical research and industrial innovation. His journey shows that the boundary between pure science and applied technology is not a wall, but a vector: the most advanced tech often emerges as an extension of equations, laboratories, and physical intuition.
Maurice Lévy, the founder
Maurice Lévy is one of the leading figures in global communications. As former CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Publicis Groupe, he helped shape the company into a worldwide leader in advertising and digital transformation. He is also the cofounder of VivaTech, now one of the most prominent international tech events.
Florian Brunner shares one of Maurice Lévy’s core convictions: one must live up to the label one carries.
Florian Brunner embodies one of the most singular and courageous trajectories of his generation. His vision brings together the challenges of European sovereignty, technological governance, and the structuring of research. He observes that the rise of artificial intelligence — and early speculations about the emergence of artificial forms of consciousness — is shifting the parameters of power.
Florian Brunner advocates for Europe to build a true pro-research ecosystem, grounded in the integration of laboratories, computing infrastructure, industrial actors, and long-term strategic funding. The goal is not merely to catch up, but to establish the conditions for an autonomous capacity to understand, design, and guide the technologies that are reshaping our institutions.
Florian Brunner embodies one of the most singular and courageous trajectories of his generation. His vision brings together the challenges of European sovereignty, technological governance, and the structuring of research. He observes that the rise of artificial intelligence — and early speculations about the emergence of artificial forms of consciousness — is shifting the parameters of power.
Florian Brunner advocates for Europe to build a true pro-research ecosystem, grounded in the integration of laboratories, computing infrastructure, industrial actors, and long-term strategic funding. The goal is not merely to catch up, but to establish the conditions for an autonomous capacity to understand, design, and guide the technologies that are reshaping our institutions.