Mathematics, a historic hallmark of École Polytechnique, lies at the heart of many contemporary strategic and technological challenges. To strengthen its international influence in this field and foster interdisciplinary collaboration, École Polytechnique announces the creation of an Institute of Mathematics and Fundamental Sciences, which will host an ambitious program of research and scientific collaboration. Its future building, to be located in the heart of the Palaiseau campus by 2030, will be funded through an exceptional €50 million donation from Bernard Arnault (X69).
Nine startups incubated at X-Up, École Polytechnique’s incubator, were present at the VivaTech 2026 trade show, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. Polytech students interning at the Orange Group also participated in a roundtable discussion with Christel Heydemann (X94), CEO of the telecommunications and digital services provider, on the topic of digital sovereignty.
Three Master of Science & Technology students won this year's EuroTeQaThon with their project. The international student competition organised by the European university alliance EuroTeQ took place from 13 to 15 June 2026 at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). This first-place finish at the EuroTeQaThon marks a first for l'X since the competition was created.
The winners of the 2026 edition of the Next40/FrenchTech 120 program, which supports the most promising French startups, were announced on June 17. One in three Next40 startups was founded, co-founded, or is led by an École Polytechnique alumnus; for the FrenchTech 120, the figure is nearly one in four.
Speaking to the X25 cohort of École Polytechnique students, Antoine Bordes, Chief Scientific Officer at Helsing, emphasised the importance of developing technologies that serve European defence, whilst not overlooking the issue of the responsibility of engineers and military personnel. With their first-class training in science, and now in artificial intelligence, students at École Polytechnique will be able to innovate within the government or private companies to build a society capable of protecting its values by placing people at the heart of decision-making.
Philippe Hazet, head of the École Polytechnique X-UP incubator, outlines the key considerations behind our participation in the 2026 edition of the Viva Technology trade fair. This major global event for innovation and new technologies will take place from 17 to 20 June at the Porte de Versailles in Paris.
Emmanuel Candès (X90) is a co-winner of the prestigious 2026 Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences. The Shaw Prizes, sometimes referred to as the “Asian Nobel Prizes,” honor scientists in three fields: astronomy, biological and medical sciences, and mathematics.
Arnaud Prost (X2012) is set to embark on his first space mission aboard Haven-1, the first commercial space station developed by the American startup Vast, for a test flight. Arnaud Prost will thus become the eleventh French citizen and the third École Polytechnique graduate to have flown in space.
École Polytechnique’s team won the 18th International Physics Tournament (IPT), for which it had qualified by winning the 13th French Physics Tournament. The IPT was held in the United States for the first time in 2026, hosted by Oklahoma State University from May 26 to 30.
In May, Micah Goldblum, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Columbia University, spent four weeks at l’X as an Alliance Visiting Professor. His stay at the Center for Applied Mathematics (CMAP) enabled him and El Mahdi El Mhamdi, a professor at École Polytechnique, to advance their international scientific collaboration, which also involves PhD students from both institutions.
École Polytechnique is expanding its artificial intelligence curriculum with a new mandatory AI course for all second-year students in the Cycle Ingénieur Polytechnicien program. Set to launch in September 2026, this new course aims to ensure that every future graduate of the Cycle Ingénieur Polytechnicien program possesses the essential skills to understand, apply, and critically evaluate a technology that is already redefining the boundaries of knowledge.
École Polytechnique gathered representatives from over 40 international and French universities, as well as several government bodies, at the University Fair on May 13, 2026. The event invited students to explore a wide range of professional and academic paths, identify those that suit them best, and refine their choices.
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