VivaTech: AI leaves the screen and becomes a force in the physical world

Artificial intelligence is no longer exclusively a software feature tucked away inside apps and platforms. At VivaTech 2026, currently taking place in Paris, the central message is that AI is increasingly embedding itself in product design, factory floors and the core processes of businesses.

The shift is evident in the mix of exhibitors and the themes dominating the event. Whereas previous editions were still heavily focused on digital applications and consumer software, this year's emphasis is on the integration of intelligent systems into the physical world, think robots, manufacturing environments and smart infrastructure.

For Dutch founders and investors, VivaTech has traditionally been an opportunity to gauge the European market and build connections outside their own ecosystems. The trends visible this year offer an indication of where capital and attention will flow in the years ahead.

From digital to physical: what is happening on the show floor

The presence of industrial players at VivaTech is larger this year than in previous editions. Companies from manufacturing, logistics and energy are demonstrating how they use AI to automate processes, predict maintenance needs and make production lines more flexible. These are not concepts or demos, but systems that are already operational or being rolled out in the near term.

A notable category is that of physical AI agents: autonomous systems that navigate the real world and make decisions without direct human control. These range from warehouse robots to inspection drones and self-driving vehicles for industrial sites. The underlying models are becoming increasingly compact, enabling them to run on hardware with limited computing power.

This has implications for how companies structure their technology stack. Processing no longer needs to take place exclusively in the cloud; AI inference on the device itself, known as edge inference, makes systems faster and less dependent on a stable internet connection.

Product design as a new area of application

Alongside manufacturing and logistics, product design is an area where AI is visibly gaining influence. Generative models are being used to produce design variants based on functional requirements, material costs and sustainability criteria. Engineers then select the most suitable options, rather than working through the entire design process manually.

This is referred to in the industry as generative design. The technology has existed for some time, but the combination with large language models and improved simulation software is making the process more accessible and faster. Several exhibitors at VivaTech are showcasing tooling that supports these kinds of workflows, from smaller startups to established software vendors.

For manufacturing companies, this means the time between idea and prototype can be reduced. How much benefit this delivers in practice depends heavily on the complexity of the product and the quality of the training data available.

European context and regulation

VivaTech is taking place at a time when the European AI Act is imposing increasingly concrete obligations on companies that develop or deploy AI systems. For applications in the physical world, such as autonomous machines and systems that make safety-relevant decisions, the regulation's strictest requirements apply.

This is having a visible effect on how companies position their products. There is greater attention to certification, model explainability and the assignment of responsibilities within the supply chain. Several exhibitors explicitly highlighted that their systems comply with the requirements for high-risk applications, although it is notable that the interpretation of those requirements is not yet uniform.

For Dutch companies active in sectors such as agri-food, water and energy, this is relevant. Those sectors contain a relatively high proportion of applications that fall under the stricter categories of the AI Act. Familiarity with the regulation is therefore not a legal side matter, but a component of product strategy.

What this means for the Dutch ecosystem

The Netherlands holds a relatively strong position in sectors that are now at the centre of VivaTech, such as high-tech manufacturing, agri-tech and water management. The question is whether the ecosystem is moving fast enough to capitalise on that position in a market that is internationalising rapidly.

Investment in physical AI applications typically requires more capital and a longer development cycle than pure software companies. This places different demands on investors and calls for broader partnerships, for example between startups, corporates and knowledge institutions.

This edition of VivaTech makes clear that competition in this space does not come only from the United States. French, German and British companies are also investing heavily in the combination of hardware and AI. For Dutch players, visibility at platforms like this is therefore not a luxury, but a practical necessity to remain on the radar of potential partners and customers.