As a founding partner of VivaTech, Orange was out in force once again for its 8th annual event, attracting 165,000 visitors from more than 160 countries. Orange invited 60 start-ups from its open innovation ecosystem to its stand, successfully showcasing a range of demos and contributing to the discussion via conferences and speeches ranging from AI to cybersecurity, customer experience, networking, green tech, and responsible digital. Here are just a few highlights.
“Bring the start. We’ll bring the up”
Displayed prominently on our VivaTech stand, this message highlights our commitment to the start-up ecosystem in France and abroad. We’re proactive in boosting both their service and business development via:
- Orange Innovation, which helps accelerate start-ups by integrating them into our tech ecosystem
- Orange Ventures, which offers early-stage financing through a €350 million envelope directly targeting innovative start-ups
- Orange Business, which collaborates with start-ups to enrich our own enterprise offers while providing broader market access to increase their scale and scope.
Through our resources, training, and funding opportunities, we aim to create an environment where start-ups can thrive, leveraging our infrastructure, network of contacts, and local and international expertise.
Accelerating start-ups through network and AI solutions
Through our network, start-ups, developers, and companies of all sizes can design and deploy a range of innovative services. These strategic activities for current and future business opportunities rely on business-grade performance and cybersecurity and cover everything from “Network for AI” to “Network for mobility” and “Network for quantum”. ».
AI opens up a field of technological opportunities for Orange in three strategic areas of expertise:
- In cybersecurity, as both the problem and the solution
- In networks, as we continue to optimize our capabilities and services to maximize the potential of new uses.
- In customer experience, enabling greater personalization through the latest features including context analysis.
Orange CTIO Bruno Zerbib moderated the roundtable on 24 May, which discussed the relationship between the telecoms industry and AI. He was speaking alongside Bassem Asseh, CEO of the start-up Hugging Face, an Orange partner, and Frédéric Werner, Chief of Strategy and Operations for AI for Good, ITU, the UN’s agency for ICT.
This panel explored the era of ubiquitous AI, which we’re entering at an unprecedented pace, and how it is profoundly transforming industry and society, and the way we interact with technology. As an operator, it raises many challenges, notably in terms of network capacity to enable instant and massive access to these AI solutions as part of a responsible and sustainable approach. We believe open innovation with all players in the ecosystem is the key to a successful transformation and unlocking the full potential of AI. The speakers shared tangible examples of an open and collaborative approach, based on a common vision of ethical and responsible AI in addition to new tools and models such as open source.
Watch Christel Heydemann’s keynote
Catch up on a whole range of presentations from our Orange stand
On the road to Paris 2024: highlighting our latest innovations at VivaTech
On display at our stand was an impressive Lego model designed to highlight the our upcoming solutions deployed during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Lego model of a competition venue is built from 41,375 pieces and took 68 hours to assemble, helping to illustrate our upcoming sporting challenges such as providing “real-time services, speed adapted to each use, availability, and energy efficiency.”
Raising awareness of responsible digital uses
VivaTech served as a great platform for us to raise awareness among young people about the risks of digital technology, with the ultimate aim of creating a safer digital world, especially for marginalized women, knowing that 85% of women fall victim to online abuse – especially in the world of gaming and its associated misogyny and sexism.
To address this alarming reality, Orange and the Women in Games association have launched a large-scale initiative called Wall of Change in the streets of GTA RP, to highlight the challenges faced by female players. These collages are a springboard for the association to host an upcoming educational live Twitch with gamers.
We also demonstrated our latest solutions such as Safe Zone and Orange Proof of Age, which have been codeveloped with Orange Business to prevent underage children from accessing inappropriate content.
As the leading telecommunications provider in France, and a major player in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, where digital uses are booming, we have a major role to play in protecting the younger and future generations against the inherent risks of digital. In February 2024, we strengthened our commitment to protecting young people against cyberbullying, online abuse, and screen addiction, as part of our ‘For Good Connections’ initiative
