VivaTech (June 17-20, 2026) is the biggest technology event in Europe, and over the past decade it has evolved beyond its startup roots, bringing together leading industrial groups alongside major technology players.
As 2026 marks VivaTech 10th anniversary, Sonepar joins for the 1st time as a Gold Sponsor reinforcing its positioning at the intersection of electrification, innovation, and digital transformation.
President & CEO Philippe Delpech in French Economic Newspaper Les Echos (May 2026): “Since 2021, Sonepar has been engaged in a major transformation: the development of Spark, our global digital platform, supply chain automation, and the digitalization of tools for our 25,000 sales staff. A massive undertaking, launched well before AI moved to the heart of corporate strategy. That is precisely what gives us our edge today. When AI moved from the lab to the operational field, we were ready. Microsoft recognized this by ranking us among the "Frontier Firms" - the rare B2B companies capable of deploying AI at industrial scale. Today, we estimate we hold a four-to-five-year lead over our market.”
From capability to operational impact
Today, AI is part of how our business runs. It supports processes such as sales order automation, demand planning, inventory management, and pricing decisions.
And the impact is visible:
faster execution.
more responsive decisions.
fewer repetitive tasks.
AI also changes how teams spend their time, with more focus on customer relationships and technical expertise.
This is the whole point of our presence at VivaTech: to demonstrate that a global group, deeply rooted in its industry, can also become a leading technology player in the service of electrifying the world.
Jeremie Profeta, Chief Transformation Officer, Sonepar, takes the stage on June 19
This is the backdrop for Sonepar’s first participation in VivaTech.
On Friday, June 19 at 11:00 am, Jérémie Profeta, Chief Transformation Officer, will take the Purple Stage for the session ’Hybrid Intelligence: Managing AI’s Evolution from Tool to Coworker,’ with other leaders:
Corine de Bilbao, CEO, Microsoft France
Valérie Beaulieu-James, Chief Growth & Innovation Officer, Manpower
Sue Duke, Managing Director for EMEA & LATAM and VP, Global Public Policy, LinkedIn