Canada Showcases AI Prowess as ‘Country of the Year’ at VivaTech 2025

Canada took centre stage at VivaTech 2025 in Paris last week after being named the trade show’s “Country of the Year.” The honour capped a record-setting edition of Europe’s largest tech gathering, which drew 180 000 attendees, 14 000 start-ups and logged 640 000 business meetings, according to event organisers.

Backed by Ottawa’s C$2.4-billion AI strategy, the Canadian pavilion housed more than 600 delegates and 100 companies—all eager to court European partners as North American trade tensions push firms to diversify. Organisers said Canada earned the spotlight for its deep bench of AI talent and commercialization success.

Artificial-intelligence demos dominated the four-day show, aligning neatly with French President Emmanuel Macron’s own €109-billion AI investment drive. The buzz peaked when Nvidia chief Jensen Huang joined French start-up Mistral AI on stage, underscoring fast-growing cross-Atlantic collaborations. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne called the week “proof that Canadian innovation sells globally,” while founders said the Paris exposure opens doors to clients and capital across the EU.

Author: Paul Waldie
Original source link: theglobeandmail.com

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