Nicolas Roche, the Secretary-General for Defence and National Security (SGDSN), spoke to engineering students from the X23 and X24 classes about the latest 'National Strategic Review', which was coordinated by the SGDSN. He emphasised the importance of paragraph 112 of the review, which summarises the central scenario of the French authorities – preparing for war – and encouraged Polytechnique students to play their full part in it.
From spring 2026, École Polytechnique's X-UP incubator will offer honor loans for the deep tech projects it hosts and supports. These honorary loans, supported by École Polytechnique’s Foundation and averaging €40,000 per project, will finance the start-ups' priority operations, leverage other funding, and accelerate the growth of the projects concerned.
Arthur Mensch (X2011), co-founder and CEO of Mistral, the French AI gem, came to meet École Polytechnique students for a talk on entrepreneurship and the implications of AI, two topics which he addressed by echoing his School's motto: “For the Nation, for Sciences, and for Glory.”
After studying science, where she developed a passion for computer science, Manon Blanc completed a PhD at the École Polytechnique's Computer Science Laboratory (LIX*). She has received the Saclay Plateau STIC PhD Prize and the L'Oréal-UNESCO Young Talents Prize. Interview.
Bertrand Bessagnet, a CNRS Research Director affiliated with École Polytechnique, conducted the first study on air quality modeling at such resolution over Bhutan. Using the cutting-edge CHIMERE model, the research study was conducted in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the Jigme Singye Wangchuck Law University in Bhutan. The findings of the research study have now been published.
Since 2019, the Chair in Space Science and Challenges, led by Professor Pascal Chabert and supported by ArianeGroup, Safran and the École Polytechnique Foundation, has affirmed École Polytechnique's commitment to training future experts in the space sector. Based on demanding scientific teaching, ambitious space projects carried out at the Student Space Centre (CSEP), visits to industrial sites, meetings with industry players, and the development of real space missions, the Chair is positioned as a strategic lever for preparing talented individuals capable of meeting the major technological and societal challenges of tomorrow's aerospace industry.
Experiments reveal defects in the structure of superionic water at high pressures, a phase that remains mysterious and could be present inside planets such as Uranus and Neptune. This is the result of an international collaboration led by scientists from the Intense Lasers Laboratory (LULI*), the University of Rostock, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, and other European and American institutions**. It is published in Nature Communications
École Polytechnique was involved in the Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change through its observer status as an independent non-governmental research organization. This involvement, which took the form of sending a representative, Joan Delort Ylla, a research engineer at the Laboratory of Dynamic Meteorology (LMD), and organizing events on campus, is part of the School's commitment to ecological transition as outlined in its Climate Plan.
A collaboration involving researchers from the Center for Theoretical Physics (CPHT*) has proposed a theoretical formalism that provides a description of gravity and gravitational waves at the “edge” of the universe. This breakthrough could provide tools for unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Clémie Teston is studying for a dual degree at École Polytechnique and HEC Paris. This programme enables her to pursue her passion for science, particularly mathematics, while developing her management skills. This year, she organised the X-Forum with almost 60 École Polytechnique students, putting her knowledge to good use. This annual, two-day event is entirely dedicated to employability and student–business relations.
As part of their advanced studies, third-year Cycle Ingénieur Polytechnicien students can opt for experimental mechanics courses. Nine sessions allow them to develop a scientific project at the cutting edge of theory and practice. Twenty projects are currently underway, several of which focus on environmental issues.
École Polytechnique and the Italian higher education institution Bocconi are launching two dual-degree programs in Finance and Artificial Intelligence. Laura Fioni, Director of Degree Programs at l’X, signed the new agreement with Francesco Saita, Dean of International Affairs at Bocconi, on December 2, 2025.
Support l'X 
