From 17–20 June 2026, UNESCO showcased innovative solutions in the fields of science, culture, and communication and information at VivaTech, which brought together Europe’s leading technology and innovation stakeholders among its 200,000 visitors.
UNESCO promotes solutions in its fields of expertise
UNESCO specialists were present at its dedicated booth to showcase innovative solutions in the fields of sciences, culture and communication and information.
As the lead UN agency for sciences, UNESCO put forward the Global Quantum Initiative which aims to advance inclusive quantum capacity and international cooperation to reduce the global quantum divide. It also presented the UNESCO Digital Innovation Hub for Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR), a global platform for disaster risk and climate adaptation innovation (CCA) that connects governments, scientists, innovators, and communities with trusted DRR and CCA tools, services to helps turn proven solutions into real-world action across all phases of disaster management.
In the field of culture, UNESCO presented its Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects, the first museum entirely dedicated to stolen cultural property on a global scale. Designed as an immersive experience, the Museum aims to raise awareness of the illicit trafficking of cultural property and the importance of safeguarding cultural heritage. Visitors can explore objects through 3D and 2D models created from existing documentation. To date, more than 250 objects submitted by over 50 Member States have been integrated into the Museum’s galleries. Since its launch in September 2025, the platform has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors and generated over 1.6 million page views, demonstrating the Museum’s strong potential as a powerful global tool for raising awareness and promoting the protection of cultural heritage.
Finally, in the field of communication and information, UNESCO presented the Resilient AI Challenge, an open international competition that brings together researchers, companies, and innovators to advance practical solutions for AI model compression. Participants are invited to develop compressed versions of selected open-source or open-weight AI models, seeking the best balance between performance and energy efficiency. The Challenge builds on the UNESCO–UCL report Smarter, Smaller, Stronger: Resource-Efficient AI and the Future of Digital Transformation (July 2025), which shows that modest design choices can significantly reduce energy consumption without compromising performance. Model compression is identified as one of the key approaches to achieving more sustainable AI.
Tech for challenge
Among its key engagements, UNESCO also joined the jury of the Vivatech Tech for Change Award, which recognizes innovative start-ups addressing challenges in climate, society, and health. Representing UNESCO, Soichiro Yasukawa, Chief of the Disaster Risk Reduction Unit, helped select six finalists from more than 1,000 applications and participated in the final pitch session during the event to determine the award winner. UNESCO also contributed to the planning of the Sustainability Executive Summit, “At the turning point: How can tech shape our sustainable future?”, which featured disaster risk reduction among its core themes.
Innovation must work for everyone
Deputy Director-General Åsa Regnér joined Dior at the LVMH Pavilion to discuss how education, mentoring and innovation can help empower the next generation of women leaders. As part of the Women@Dior & #UNESCO programme, the conversation highlighted the importance of closing gender gaps in STEM, AI and entrepreneurship while supporting young women to transform ideas into impact. The discussion also showcased innovative projects developed by programme participants addressing women’s health challenges through technology and entrepreneurship.
This event was an opportunity for UNESCO to further engage with partners across the technology and innovation ecosystem to help ensure that digital transformation advances inclusion, skills development and equal opportunities for all.
