Capgemini Reaffirms Its Founding Commitment to Hi! PARIS to Accelerate AI Research
Capgemini, a founding corporate donor of Hi! PARIS since 2020, has renewed its commitment to the center for another three years. This renewal will support two new research programs focused on AI for defense and the competitiveness and strategic autonomy of businesses.
Founded in 2020 by Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris) and HEC Paris, Hi! PARIS brings together expertise in artificial intelligence and data science to advance interdisciplinary research, education, and innovation.
Capgemini has supported the center since its creation, contributing to its development over the past six years. During this period, Hi! PARIS was recognized as a national AI Cluster under the France 2030 program, reflecting its ambition to become a world-class center for AI research and education.
The renewed commitment marks a new phase in this long-standing collaboration, with a stronger focus on two strategic research priorities.
Six Years of Collaboration Across Research, Education, Innovation, and Societal Impact
Since 2020, Capgemini has contributed to the development of Hi! PARIS across the center’s four main areas of activity.
- In research, Capgemini engineers have strengthened the Hi! PARIS Engineering Team through the development of open-source tools and support for scientific projects in intelligent robotics and mathematical optimization.
- In education, the partnership has supported the development of interactive learning pathways and digital resources for faculty and students.
- In innovation, Capgemini has helped Hi! PARIS develop and structure collaborative projects involving academic and industry partners, while supporting access to additional innovation funding. A benchmarking study covering more than 30 international AI and DeepTech hubs has also contributed to the center’s strategy for academic-industry collaboration.
- The partnership has also supported societal impact initiatives, including activities promoting inclusion and accessibility, participation in the Hi! PARIS hackathon and Career Fairs, and joint research examining the economic and societal effects of AI.
Two New Research Priorities for 2026–2029
The renewed commitment will support two research programs addressing major scientific and economic challenges.
- AI for Defense: The first initiative will bring together expertise from École polytechnique and ENSTA, both member schools of Institut Polytechnique de Paris. The program will focus on AI embedded in multiple interacting drones and robots under human control.
- Competitiveness & Sovereignty: The second research program, led by HEC Paris, will investigate the impact of AI and data technologies on business competitiveness and strategic autonomy. It will explore how automation, outsourcing, and technological dependencies are redefining the boundaries of companies, with the aim of informing public debate and developing concrete recommendations for public and private decision-makers.
These two programs will complement existing collaborations between Capgemini and the Hi! PARIS scientific community, alongside continued initiatives in education, innovation, and knowledge sharing.
Strengthening Collaboration Between Academia and Industry
The renewal reflects a shared commitment to strengthening connections between academic research, industry, and the innovation ecosystem in France and across Europe.
As Éloïc Peyrache, Dean and Director General of HEC Paris, and Thierry Coulhon, President of Institut Polytechnique de Paris, explain:
“For six years, Capgemini has supported our shared ambition to establish Hi! PARIS as a global center of excellence in artificial intelligence, combining the scientific and technological expertise of Institut Polytechnique de Paris with HEC Paris’s expertise in management, economics, and social sciences. Renewing this commitment demonstrates the strength of partnerships between academia and industry in advancing knowledge and educating tomorrow’s talent. With these two new programs, we are taking another step forward by placing research at the heart of major challenges facing France and Europe: defense, competitiveness, and technological sovereignty.”
Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer of Capgemini, adds:
“We have supported Hi! PARIS since its creation because we share a strong conviction: bringing academic research and business closer together over the long term is essential to making artificial intelligence a driver of progress, competitiveness, and sovereignty. Six years later, the progress achieved confirms the relevance of this ambition. By renewing our commitment, we want to contribute to the next stage of its development, bringing our expertise alongside leading researchers to address strategic challenges for France and Europe, foremost among them defense, competitiveness, and technological sovereignty.”