The 12th Europe Forum 2026 • Paris
Forum Background
AI is no longer a technology story. It is a geopolitical, economic, and leadership story.
As the global order undergoes profound transformation, artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how nations compete, collaborate, and create value. Both China and France have placed AI at the heart of their national strategies: China, under its 15th Five-Year Plan, is accelerating what it calls “new quality productive forces” through large-scale AI integration with the wider economy. France, on the other hand, is advancing AI sovereignty and trustworthy innovation under its France 2030 agenda. These initiatives represent different paths, but shared ambitions, signalling a drive to shape the future of AI, not merely react to it.
The defining challenge of this new era is no longer just innovation, but industrialisation; the real test of AI’s transformative capabilities lies in its journey from the laboratory to large-scale deployment. China brings unparalleled application scenarios, commercialisation speed, and ecosystem integration, while France contributes world-class research strength, a strong mathematical tradition, and frontier innovation across open-source AI models, energy systems, and life sciences. These represent distinct advantages and powerful complementarities.
What happens when these strengths connect?
The 12th CEIBS Europe Forum 2026 will bring together senior leaders from government, business, and academia from China and France to tackle the most pressing questions of the AI age. How can cross-border AI cooperation reshape productivity and industrial upgrading? Where are the real growth opportunities as AI moves from promise to practice? This is a platform for ideas to meet action—for dialogue to translate into collaboration, and for global leaders and future leaders alike to engage with the forces shaping tomorrow’s economy.
Event Details
Date: June 22 (Monday), 2026
Venue: 3 rue Armand Moisant, 75015 Paris, France
Organisers: China Europe International Business School; CCI Paris Île-de-France; ESCP Business School
Co-organiser: CEIBS DBA programme
Agenda
| Host: Prof. Frank Bournois, Co-President (European), Professor of Governance and Leadership, Michelin Chair in Governance and Leadership, CEIBS | |
| 14:00-14:10 |
Welcome Addresses
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14:10-14:20 |
Opening Address Mr. Li Chen, Minister of Chinese Embassy in France |
| 14:20-14:40 |
Keynote Speech 1: The European Economy and EU-China Cooperation in the Age of AI Prof. Charles Michel, Former President of the European Council; Former Prime Minister of Belgium; Distinguished Professor, CEIBS |
| 14:40-15:00 |
Keynote Speech 2: The Impact of the AI Revolution and the Future of Industry Mr. Emmanuel Bacry, CNRS Research Director; Scientific Director, Health Data Hub |
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15:00-15:30 |
Dialogue: The Evolution of Large Models Moderator: Prof. Alara Tascioglu, Assistant Professor, ESCP Panellists:
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| 15:30-15:40 | Break |
| 15:40-17:00 |
Panel Discussion: Vertical AI: Deep Integration Across Industries Artificial intelligence is advancing at an unprecedented pace, delivering breakthrough results across industries. Yet a critical gap remains: how can these technological achievements translate into scalable deployment and genuine impact? In sectors such as energy and healthcare, this challenge is particularly acute. Energy systems are becoming more complex, with rapid growth in renewables, decentralised grids, and dynamic demand patterns pushing traditional models to their limits—raising the question of whether AI can take on a central role in system optimisation and dispatch. At the same time, the energy demands of AI itself are surging, creating new pressures and opportunities for innovative solutions. Meanwhile, in healthcare, AI has dramatically accelerated drug discovery and improved diagnostic accuracy, yet fewer than 10% of innovations successfully reach clinical deployment. Barriers around scalability, commercialisation, and data sharing continue to slow progress. This panel will explore how AI can move beyond isolated breakthroughs to achieve large-scale, real-world adoption. What are the key obstacles that must be overcome? Where are the most promising breakthrough points? And how can cross-border collaboration help unlock AI’s full potential across industries? Moderator: Prof. Taiyuan Wang, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Deputy Director of DBA Programme, CEIBS Panellists:
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* Speakers are subject to change.
