De Vinci Festival 2026 : Futurs en commun

The De Vinci Festival 2026 is the third edition of an annual event dedicated to the futures we build collectively, at the intersection of the physical world, the digital sphere and the conditions that make these transformations possible and sustainable.

Over two days, students, faculty members, alumni and partners come together in a “fair-style” format: demonstrations, pitches, conferences, curated meetings and career opportunities.

26 & 27 March 2026
Pôle Léonard de Vinci Campus,
12 Avenue Léonard de Vinci, 92400 Courbevoie, France

Thursday 26 March

Taking action: building and enabling futures

The first day is structured around three core themes:

1. Designing & producing the physical world
From material to product: prototyping, industrialisation, scaling up.
Research, advanced manufacturing, robotics, MedTech, supply chains: how an idea becomes a tangible and deployable system.

2. Expanding action through digital technologies
Data, AI, human–machine interaction, platforms and organisational transformation.
How digital technologies strengthen the ability to decide, coordinate and transform at different levels.

3. Supporting transitions
Cybersecurity, risk management, energy, ESG, technology governance.
The conditions of trust, security and sustainability required for lasting transformation.

Friday 27 March

Shifting perspectives: questioning futures

The second day opens a space for critical and forward-looking reflection around the theme:

Embodied Futures – Re-Cognizing Intelligence through Art and AI

Intelligence, the body, perception, art and artificial intelligence: this sequence provides a reflective counterpoint to Thursday’s operational themes and questions the imaginaries shaping our relationship with technologies and the living world.

March 27, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Schedule

10:00 – 10:10
Opening remarks
Dr. Xiao Xiao, Director, Institute for Future Technologies

10:10 – 10:40
Drum Circles: An Embodied Participatory Performance
Salomé Bazin

10:40 – 11:25
Keynote talk: “Dance Technology Design: Methods, Creations and Critical Reflections”
Dr. Sarah Fdili Alaoui, Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London; LISN, Université Paris-Saclay

11:25 – 12:10
Keynote talk: “AI & I: Inventing, Investigating, and Inspiring AI for Human Flourishing”
Prof. Pat Pataranutaporn, MIT Media Lab

12:10 – 1:00
Panel discussion
Moderated by Dr. Xiao Xiao
With Prof. Pat Pataranutaporn, Dr. Sarah Fdili Alaoui, and Salomé Bazin

Interventions:

Drum Circles: An Embodied Participatory Performance

Salomé Bazin

Drum Circles is an immersive participatory performance in which individual heartbeats become the basis of a generative musical composition, exploring collective resonance, embodied awareness, and shared presence.

Keynote talk: “Dance Technology Design: Methods, Creations and Critical Reflections”

Dr. Sarah Fdili Alaoui, Creative Computing Institute, University of the Arts London; LISN, Université Paris-Saclay

This keynote presents a research vision that places dance practice at the center of technology design, showing how embodied artistic methods can generate new forms of expression, knowledge, and human-computer interaction.

Keynote talk: “AI & I: Inventing, Investigating, and Inspiring AI for Human Flourishing”

Prof. Pat Pataranutaporn, MIT Media Lab

This keynote explores how AI can be designed to support human flourishing, drawing on interdisciplinary research into personalized systems, cognition, well-being, and the emerging field of Cyborg Psychology.

Bios

Salomé Bazin is a French multimedia artist and founder of Cellule Studio whose work combines immersive media, sound, movement, and human physiology to create participatory experiences of collective synchronization and heightened sensory awareness.

Sarah Fdili Alaoui is a computer scientist, choreographer, and Laban Movement Analyst whose research at the intersection of dance and technology advances embodied interaction through artistic research and participatory design.

Pat Pataranutaporn is Assistant Professor at the MIT Media Lab, where he leads the Cyborg Psychology group and develops human-AI systems that support learning, well-being, and human flourishing.

Xiao Xiao is Director of the Institute for Future Technologies at De Vinci Higher Education and an artist-researcher whose work explores embodied interaction, creative technology, and human-centered AI.

An experience structured around cross-cutting formats

The festival is organised around several complementary spaces:

Main Stage: keynotes, cross-sector panel discussions, Entrepreneurial Pitch Challenge, Immersive Lab Awards ceremony.
Immersive Gallery: virtual reality, augmented reality and digital art demonstrators.
Partner Lounge: curated meetings and early-stage collaboration discussions.
Talent Corner: recruiter meet-ups, digital CV wall, dedicated internship and apprenticeship slots.
Opportunity Wall & matchmaking: projects, research topics, prototyping needs, entrepreneurial coaching.

What participants gain

Students and associations: visibility, pitching opportunities, network development and career prospects.
Faculty members: connections with partners, research visibility and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Partners: access to talent, projects, expertise and curated meetings.
Alumni and prospective students: network expansion and insight into the academic and technological dynamics of the Pôle.