- il y a 21 heures
AI, Digital Sovereignty and Sustainable Mobility: SNCF and Polytechnique’s Strategic Partnership
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00:00Welcome to this session dedicated to creating an AI centre of excellence here in France, born of a strategic partnership
00:08between two great French institutions, the SNCF and Ecole Polytechnique.
00:15And with the ambition of positioning France as the leader in research and sustainable mobility, welcome. Let's meet our speakers.
00:25Laura Chobard, Director of Ecole Polytechnique, welcome.
00:28Ecole Polytechnique School was founded in 1794. Engineering students actually undergo military training.
00:37They come in as cadets. Most of them go on to become top executives in companies, civil servants, military officers.
00:46Its alumni, Ecole Polytechnique's alumni, includes three Nobel Prize winners, fields medallists, three presidents of France,
00:55and many CEOs of French and international companies. Welcome.
01:00And Julien Nicolas, Chief Digital and AI Officer at SNCF. Welcome.
01:06Thank you.
01:07Anyone who has ever taken a train in France knows SNCF.
01:12The French national railway company founded in 1938 operates the country's national rail traffic, including the TGV,
01:20also responsible for both passenger and freight, and the maintenance and signalling of the entire rail infrastructure.
01:29Now, we're here to talk about your strategic partnership, but before we do that,
01:33let's talk a little bit about each of your organisations, and we can see where you are today.
01:39Laura, Ecole Polytechnique, tell us what you're up to today, and with a focus specifically, please,
01:45on scientific research and sustainability.
01:48Thank you, Kristin. Hello, everyone.
01:51You asked me about six key figures or assets of Ecole Polytechnique, and I will start with number one.
01:58Ecole Polytechnique has been number one science and technology school in France for over 230 years,
02:05and you said it has trained and welcomed some of the greatest French scientists, engineers,
02:12but also top public servants and business leaders in all economic sectors.
02:17The second key word is X, which is the nickname of the school, and I must point out that we
02:23had it before Elon Musk.
02:26X is actually a double tribute to the strong mathematical culture and signature of the school
02:31and its military identity being placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Armed Forces,
02:38the X symbolising two cross-canons.
02:41The third term I'd like to point out is pluridisciplinarity,
02:46what really singles out Ecole Polytechnique on the national and international stage,
02:51is that our students keep on studying math, physics, but also computer science, economy, biology, chemistry, mechanics,
03:00humanities, language, arts, and sports throughout their curriculum,
03:04thus acquiring various systemic views on their time's challenge.
03:12The fourth focus is research intensive.
03:18Everything that we teach is deeply connected to the research we're doing in our labs
03:23that ranges from fundamental science to very applied subjects,
03:28and we develop this research with very close ties to French and European economic actors and companies such as SSNCF,
03:37and this is really a vital feature in our pursuit of excellence.
03:41And the last word I'd like to point out is international.
03:47Polytechnique today hosts 4,000 students from over 100 countries all over the world.
03:55It has 45% international students and 45% of international faculty members,
04:01and it is thus the number one internationalized scientific school in France.
04:09Thank you.
04:10Laura, Laura, thanks so much for all those information.
04:13And also international leads me brilliantly to Julien,
04:16because SSNCF is a French organization, but in fact you're very international as well.
04:21Can you give us a little overview of SSNCF?
04:24Yes, we're also very international.
04:26So maybe to share with you some facts and figures.
04:29The first one is sustainable mobility.
04:32Trains are a proven solution for society's low carbon transport needs,
04:38and it's available right here, right now, and at scale.
04:44The second fact is international markets, as you said.
04:48Our home market now ranges from London to Zurich,
04:53Amsterdam to Milan, Frankfurt to Madrid.
04:57So we are Europe's high-speed rail leaders,
05:01and we have the fastest rail network in Europe.
05:07The third thing I can share with you
05:10is that we also have global business activities logistic
05:16with GeoDIS and Rail Logistics Europe,
05:19and Mass Transit with Keolis.
05:22On the side of numbers,
05:24the first number I want to share is two.
05:28We aim to double our market share.
05:31Rail is around 10% of market share in transport in France today,
05:36and we target to double that market share to 20%.
05:41Another fact, safety.
05:43We are obsessed with safety in every business,
05:47in our trains, in our network, in our stations.
05:52Trains are the safest way to travel today,
05:55and ensuring that we remain it is crucial for us.
06:02Number 290,000.
06:05It's the number of our employees worldwide.
06:08Employees who are serving every day our customers.
06:11And finally, customers.
06:13When we talk about customers at SNCF,
06:16we have different categories.
06:18The first one is travelers.
06:20Five million travelers a day in France.
06:25It's companies.
06:26Thousands of companies use our services.
06:32and public transport authorities,
06:34more than 100 worldwide with SNCF and Keolis.
06:38Fantastic.
06:39And I love the facts and figures we're bringing to stage here.
06:41This is what VivaTech is all about.
06:43Now, each organization has already, of course,
06:46integrated a range of emerging tech, AI, notably.
06:50But what I want to hear from each of you is
06:52how are you applying AI to evolve and remain leaders
06:56in your respective fields
06:58and support digital sovereignty and sustainable mobility?
07:01Laura, Ecole Polytechnique.
07:03Well, Ecole Polytechnique has been training AI specialists
07:07for over 15 years,
07:08and we're very proud to see them hold top positions
07:12in the most successful startups or in the best labs
07:15or as corporate executives in the digital sector.
07:18But our strategy is now shifting a bit
07:22because AI is becoming, let's say,
07:25a must-have in the toolbox of any engineer
07:29or scientist in the toolbox of every citizen, even.
07:36So we are introducing a core curriculum
07:39in machine learning for all our engineers,
07:42but also making sure that every discipline,
07:46in biology, mechanics, or economy,
07:50take AI into their hands and into their teaching
07:53because AI is also accelerating scientific progress spectacularly.
07:59And we want to make sure that every one of our students
08:04can learn and benefit from this technical revolution.
08:08In the research field,
08:10we are, of course, developing strong expertise
08:14on large language models,
08:16but not only,
08:18because we believe that we have to keep searching
08:23for another kind of models,
08:26lighter models, safer models,
08:28to meet industrial needs
08:30and produce real gain
08:32in the real economy and in the real world.
08:36So that's exactly what we're doing
08:39in the SNCF strategic partnership.
08:42We'll talk a bit more about it.
08:44So definitely, yeah.
08:45In the real world, SNCF,
08:47what are you doing with AI
08:48to ensure that you're staying ahead of the game?
08:51In the real world,
08:52SNCF and its subsidiaries
08:54already use AI every day
08:57for our employees,
08:59in our operations,
09:01in our stations and networks.
09:04So it's just one tool
09:06in all our digital activities.
09:08And it's the reason why, for example,
09:10we choose the motto of VivaTech
09:13for our booth as AI and much more.
09:17So, especially on AI,
09:20we use it in quality of life at work,
09:24in employee and customer safety.
09:28In order to eliminating outages,
09:32we're constantly developing IoT,
09:35data mining,
09:36and preventive or predictive maintenance.
09:39So you can see that we are using
09:41in every field of our activity.
09:44In network reliability,
09:47for example, as well,
09:48we are applying digital solutions
09:50to improve maintenance method
09:53and develop new systems
09:54to monitor traffic.
09:57And passenger information,
09:59we use it to give passengers
10:02even more accurate,
10:05personalized information
10:06as quickly as possible.
10:10To do this,
10:12we keep a social
10:17and environmental commitment
10:19central to all of this work.
10:22We see digital technology
10:24as a means to be inclusive,
10:27to promote a sustainable society.
10:32And it's the reason why
10:33we are working with top researchers,
10:35top startups
10:36with all the ecosystem
10:38and, of course,
10:39L'Ecole Polytechnique.
10:40Okay, so we've set the scene.
10:42We now know a little bit
10:43about both of these organizations
10:44and how they're using AI.
10:47Julien, I want to hear a bit more
10:48about the strategic partnership.
10:50It's been going there
10:51for nearly a year now.
10:53You've created this new SNCF
10:55sponsored academic chair
10:56with Polytechnique.
10:58What's the goal for SNCF
11:00and why partner
11:01with Ecole Polytechnique?
11:02This partnership
11:04is a strategic partnership
11:06for us.
11:07It will spur
11:09the kinds of digital breakthrough
11:12I was just talking about.
11:15The Polytechnique chair
11:16will help SNCF
11:18to achieve its corporate goals,
11:21serve the public interest
11:23and then front digital sovereignty
11:26as well.
11:27So it's really, really
11:29an important partnership for us.
11:32It's also a way
11:33to promote the SNCF group
11:35to the students.
11:36We need to recruit,
11:38to recruit, as I said,
11:40top engineers.
11:42So it's partnering
11:44with Polytechnique
11:46is a way to promote
11:47the amazing projects
11:49you can find
11:51within the group.
11:53And those young engineers
11:55will help develop technology
11:57that will benefit to all,
11:59that will benefit to SNCF
12:01and finally
12:02to our customers
12:04and also to the planet
12:06because we are running
12:08sustainable mobility.
12:11So Polytechnique
12:11was not a random choice for us.
12:15It was a real choice
12:16to be with the most brilliant
12:19engineers in France
12:21and to help them
12:23to stay in France,
12:24to live in France
12:25and to work
12:27for a big company
12:30in France.
12:31So let's there together
12:32to aim high
12:35and to refocus
12:36on the public sector
12:39and to work
12:41with the top universities
12:42and, as I said already,
12:44top researchers.
12:44So it's the reason
12:46why this partnership
12:47comes in
12:48and, as I said,
12:50it's not a random choice.
12:51It's a real choice
12:52to partner with Polytechnique.
12:54Okay, so a choice
12:55for the SNCF,
12:56for the train riders
12:58here in France
12:59but also for France
13:00in itself
13:01and that's where,
13:01of course,
13:02the digital sovereignty
13:02comes in.
13:03Across to you, Laura,
13:05from the perspective
13:05of Ecole Polytechnique,
13:07what is your objective
13:08in this strategic partnership
13:10and how does this partnership
13:12with SNCF
13:13help you achieve that?
13:14Well, this partnership
13:16for Ecole Polytechnique
13:17is a unique opportunity
13:19to develop
13:20a partnership
13:21with a strategic public company
13:25such as SNCF
13:26and to explore
13:27this kind of
13:28new way of AI,
13:30this shifting away
13:34from pure
13:35large-language models
13:37and developing
13:38safer, trustworthy
13:40and more industrial AI.
13:42on the scientific part
13:45what we do
13:46is that we explore
13:47together
13:48how to combine
13:49the power
13:50of statistical
13:51machine learning
13:52with some more
13:54traditional approaches
13:55like operational research
13:58creating hybrid models
14:00more reliable,
14:02more frugal
14:02and more sustainable
14:03both energetically
14:06and economically
14:08for a company
14:10to implement them.
14:12This project
14:13also plays
14:14a key role
14:16in the improvement
14:17of education
14:18in Ecole Polytechnique.
14:20The research work
14:22we do
14:23in this project
14:24also fuels
14:25our education programs
14:28and it will yield
14:30to the creation
14:31of new curriculums
14:33on trustworthy
14:34and responsible AI
14:36as soon as next year.
14:38So the support
14:39of SNCF
14:40as our strategic partner
14:42is absolutely crucial
14:44because it brings
14:45research, education
14:47and industry
14:48together
14:49and that is
14:51our core mission
14:52at Ecole Polytechnique.
14:53Now you mentioned
14:54there the academic programs
14:56the educational elements
14:58of this.
14:58Laura, what does
14:59this new chair
15:00and this partnership
15:01bring to the students?
15:03What new opportunities
15:04does this create
15:05for them
15:05and importantly
15:07what has been
15:07their reaction
15:08to it please?
15:10Well Ecole Polytechnique
15:11engineers
15:12have a long-standing
15:15history
15:16with innovation
15:17in the public
15:18transport sector
15:19and particularly
15:20in rail transportation
15:23pioneers
15:24engineers
15:24like Paulin Talabot
15:26who designed
15:26the first
15:28rail network
15:29in the southeastern
15:30of France
15:31Léon Srenault
15:32who designed
15:33the first
15:33Gare du Nord
15:34in Paris
15:35and of course
15:36Fulgence Bienvenue
15:37the father
15:37of the Paris Metro
15:39where all alumni
15:40from the school
15:41so this sector
15:42has been attractive
15:43and is all the more
15:45attractive today
15:45because our students
15:48consider
15:49the rail transport
15:50sectors
15:50as a forward-looking
15:52industry
15:53essential to
15:54the decarbonisation
15:56of public mobility
15:59so this share
16:01is actually
16:01very attractive
16:03to students
16:03for internship
16:05and PhD candidates
16:07we do not
16:08have to advertise
16:09that much
16:10and they even
16:13prefer the opportunities
16:15in this project
16:16over opportunities
16:18in some prestigious
16:19universities abroad
16:21so that's
16:22a real good sign
16:23of the attraction
16:24this project
16:25has on students
16:26definitely
16:27now keeping our focus
16:28on the students
16:30Julien
16:31what does this
16:31opportunity
16:32what does this bring
16:33in terms of opportunities
16:34at SNCF
16:36for students
16:38first of all I can say
16:39that Polytechnic
16:40and SNCF
16:42is a long history
16:43in fact
16:45and that relationship
16:46is the bedrock
16:47of the share
16:49you can find traces
16:51of Polytechnic
16:52everywhere
16:53at SNCF
16:56for example
16:57in our network
16:58and its outgoing
16:59modernisation
17:00in the invention
17:03of the TGV
17:04in our revolutionary
17:07mass transit solution
17:09our regional
17:10rice services
17:11in the upgrades
17:13to our stations
17:14so you will find
17:16as I said
17:16traces of Polytechnic
17:18everywhere
17:18and especially
17:20on students
17:21in recent years
17:22we've been collaborating
17:24even more closely
17:25and you can see
17:27for example
17:30every year
17:31we host
17:32thousands
17:32of students
17:34within the group
17:35for
17:37their year two
17:38of interchip
17:41and giving them
17:43a chance
17:43to see
17:44a real job
17:45at SNCF
17:48to give you
17:49some examples
17:51because when we talk
17:52about that
17:52we talk about
17:53a real person
17:54a real student
17:55there is for example
17:57Thomas Bellier
17:58admitted to Polytechnic
18:00in 2017
18:01and he's already
18:02in the team
18:03leading
18:03the overall
18:04of our biggest
18:05maintenance center
18:07we've got also
18:08Amin Shaker
18:10also admitted
18:11to Polytechnic
18:12in 2017
18:13was a digital
18:15tech intern
18:16two years ago
18:17and he's now
18:18manager
18:18of our
18:19AI program
18:21in charge
18:23of all projects
18:23for TGV
18:25and finally
18:27Candice
18:27Candice Courbiere
18:29who is working
18:30for SNCF
18:31for Réseau
18:32on a tool
18:33used every day
18:34by
18:349000
18:38traffic controllers
18:40so you can see
18:41real jobs
18:43for students
18:45and the reality
18:48of the partnership
18:49in fact
18:50ok
18:50because this is
18:51clearly a partnership
18:52that even though
18:53the chair is now
18:54just one year
18:54this has clearly
18:55been going on
18:56for decades
18:56but I want to
18:57focus on this
18:58past year
18:59and what
19:00particularly is it
19:01that's come out
19:02of this partnership
19:03can you give us
19:04an example
19:05of something
19:06that you're already
19:06working on together
19:07Julien
19:08quickly I can give
19:10two examples
19:11we are working
19:12on a project
19:12called Optima
19:14it's an ongoing
19:15project to optimize
19:16workflows
19:17at our
19:19maintenance
19:19center
19:20it's critical
19:22for SNCF
19:24for example
19:25to accept
19:26the next
19:26generation
19:27of TGV
19:28so TGV M
19:29real new
19:32brand new
19:32TGV
19:33with
19:34a big
19:35a lot of
19:36captors
19:37IoT
19:38data mining
19:39and with this
19:40project
19:41we are working
19:42on the workflows
19:42to
19:43accept
19:45this new
19:45TGV
19:46other things
19:48we are
19:49working
19:50on
19:54delays
19:55and how
19:56we can
19:56inform
19:57better
19:58our
19:58passengers
19:59we used
20:01all the
20:02intelligence
20:03of Polytechnique
20:04and their
20:04Aurelix lab
20:05in order
20:06to improve
20:07the information
20:08and how
20:09we can
20:10manage
20:10incidents
20:11on our
20:11networks
20:12excellent
20:13okay
20:13we have
20:14just a few
20:14minutes
20:15left here
20:16Laura
20:17tell us
20:17what the
20:18partnership
20:18means for you
20:19already today
20:20and what
20:20has been
20:20produced
20:21but also
20:22what's
20:22next
20:23what's
20:23coming
20:24next
20:24for the
20:25chair
20:25and for
20:26Eco Polytechnique
20:27what really
20:28strikes me
20:29after a year
20:30is how
20:31close and
20:33educated
20:33our teams
20:34work together
20:35between the
20:36Aurelix lab
20:37and the teams
20:38from SNCF
20:39and I
20:40can clearly
20:42see that
20:42they're finding
20:43mutual
20:43benefits
20:44obvious
20:45mutual
20:45benefits
20:46we are
20:48benefiting
20:48from
20:49the
20:50industrial
20:51experience
20:52of SNCF
20:53their data
20:54their use
20:55case
20:55their issues
20:56very
20:57very
20:57hands-on
20:58issues
20:59and
21:00I hope
21:01SNCF
21:02is also
21:02benefiting
21:02from
21:03both
21:05the
21:05fundamental
21:08conception
21:09of
21:09new models
21:10but also
21:11how we
21:12can
21:12tailor
21:13these
21:14models
21:14for
21:15the
21:15specific
21:16data
21:16of SNCF
21:17I believe
21:19for the future
21:20you've
21:21already said
21:21it
21:21the link
21:22has been
21:24there
21:24between us
21:25for decades
21:25for centuries
21:26even
21:27and
21:30we're both
21:31actors
21:31of the
21:31long term
21:32in education
21:34and research
21:35we're working
21:35in the long term
21:36AI is here
21:38to stay
21:38I really wish
21:40it will
21:40evolve
21:41into a more
21:43accessible
21:44and sustainable
21:45technology
21:46and
21:47I believe
21:49what we do
21:49together
21:50with SNCF
21:52is paving
21:53this
21:53the way
21:54to a more
21:55beneficial
21:56AI
21:57for society
21:59and European
22:00and French
22:01industry
22:01certainly
22:02this is about
22:03sustainability
22:03and mobility
22:04but also
22:05sustainability
22:05in this
22:06long term
22:06relationship
22:07that you
22:07have
22:08between
22:08you
22:08what's
22:09next
22:10from SNCF's
22:11perspective
22:11Julien
22:15it's a five
22:16year commitment
22:17to work
22:18together
22:19so
22:19that's an
22:20eternity
22:20in the
22:21world world
22:22and on
22:23the AI
22:23side
22:24so we are
22:25planning to
22:26check in
22:26regularly
22:27and conduct
22:29strategic reviews
22:30on our
22:31partnership
22:32to find
22:33a good
22:33subject
22:34but it's
22:34already a
22:35success
22:35for us
22:36even better
22:38than expected
22:38and for three
22:39main reasons
22:40the first one
22:41students are
22:43excited about
22:45our projects
22:46and we're very
22:47proud of that
22:48we have a great
22:50relationship
22:50with the school
22:52and Laura
22:53so thank you
22:55for that
22:56and
22:57the last
22:58thing is
22:59this is
23:00what we
23:00are for
23:02doing
23:03what is the
23:04best
23:04not just
23:05for us
23:05as a
23:06company
23:06but
23:06for our
23:07customers
23:08and for
23:09sustainable
23:09mobility
23:10fantastic
23:11and Julien
23:12if people
23:13want to hear
23:13more about
23:14this
23:14where can
23:14they find
23:15you
23:15after this
23:16where can
23:17they find
23:17you
23:17we've got
23:17a big
23:18booth
23:18SNCF group
23:21come and
23:22visit us
23:23you know
23:27where to
23:28find
23:28both of
23:28our
23:29fantastic
23:29speakers
23:30Laura
23:30Julien
23:31thank you
23:31so much
23:32it's been
23:32an absolute
23:33pleasure
23:33learning more
23:34about your
23:34relationship
23:35your strategic
23:36partnership
23:36and thank
23:38you so much
23:39for being here
23:39on stage
23:39today
23:40thank you
23:40thank you
23:40Kristen
23:41thank you
23:53thank you
23:53thanks
23:53I SAID
23:53I SAID
23:55I SAID
23:55I SAID
23:56I SAID
23:56I SAID
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