Paris, VivaTech, 19 June 2026
At VivaTech 2026, the Mediterranean Forum on Artificial Intelligence (FMIA) takes a new step by turning its platform for dialogue into a catalyst for concrete projects and partnerships between the two shores of the Mediterranean. Led by the Interministerial Directorate for the Mediterranean (DIMED) and run by Expertise France, the Forum officially launched its 3rd edition on the Business France pavilion at VivaTech, under the theme: “Building the Mediterranean third way for AI”.
FMIA 2026 in Marseille: consolidating a strategic ambition
Since its creation in 2024, the FMIA has gradually established itself as a reference framework for regional cooperation on artificial intelligence. The 2025 edition brought together more than 3,000 participants, 500 startups and more than 100 speakers from over 15 countries, confirming the Forum’s ability to bring a diverse ecosystem together around shared issues: responsible AI, digital sovereignty, data infrastructure, innovation and balanced development between the two shores.
On the Business France pavilion, Nadia Hai, Ambassador and Interministerial Delegate for the Mediterranean, announced the third edition of the Mediterranean Forum on Artificial Intelligence, to be held on 5 November 2026 at the Palais du Pharo in Marseille. This edition is part of the Sila project, funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) through the Fonds Equipe France + (FEF+) and implemented by Expertise France.
For its third edition, the Forum aims to go beyond dialogue and generate concrete results at Euro-Mediterranean scale: structuring projects, public-private partnerships, targeted funding opportunities and high-value strategic recommendations for decision-makers.
In this spirit, the FMIA 2026 adopts an impact-driven structure built around four sector areas (AI and industry, health, agriculture and maritime) and four cross-cutting areas (sovereignty, data and regulation; work, employment and skills; frugal AI and ecological transition; gender, discrimination and AI ethics). This structure aims to ensure the coherence of the work and to steer all of the Forum’s formats towards concrete solutions suited to the economic, social and environmental realities of the Mediterranean.
Key announcements at VivaTech for a Mediterranean AI
Several announcements marked the Forum’s launch panel at VivaTech.
Five entrepreneurship support organisations (ESOs) were selected from more than 100 applications as part of the Sila project, funded by the MEAE through the Fonds Équipe France + (FEF+). Selected to represent Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia respectively, Leancubator, Nile University’s Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness Centre (IECC), SmartESA, Technopark Morocco and Smart Tunisian Technoparks will join a support programme delivered by INSKIP and Systematic.
A round table brought together leading figures of the regional ecosystem: Cyrille Najjar, Adviser at the Lebanese Ministry of Technology and AI; Lamiae Azizi, Professor at the UM6P College of Computing, Director of AI-ARC (OCP/UM6P) and Co-Director of the AI Lab (Syensqo/UM6P); Yehia Houry, Managing Director of Flat6Labs Egypt; Louai Djaffer, CEO of Talenteo; Fadwa Sube, VP of Systematic and President of Soverency; and Rim Saied, Chair and CEO of Smart Tunisian Technoparks.
Discussions focused on the Mediterranean’s strategic positioning in the development of artificial intelligence, the obstacles to the emergence of internationally competitive scale-ups, stronger links between research, startups and investors, and the added value of closer regional cooperation.
Highlights included the creation of a first regional co-investment community dedicated to AI, in partnership with EuroQuity, and the launch of the FMIA 2026 Call for Challenges, in the presence of Jérémie Pellet, Chief Executive Officer of Expertise France. The call aims to bring forward concrete solutions to the main obstacles faced by AI projects in the Mediterranean by mobilising entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, public decision-makers and experts from both shores.
