Houston Makes History at VivaTech 2025
For the first time in VivaTech’s history, an American city led a national pavilion. This landmark moment in transatlantic innovation diplomacy positioned Houston as a strategic hub for energy and deep tech, building strong ties with European leaders. The mission combined political leadership and economic promotion, with a unified effort to showcase regional excellence, attract investment, and elevate Texas’s global visibility.
In a landmark moment for transatlantic innovation, Houston made history in 2025 by becoming the first U.S. city to lead an official national pavilion at VivaTech, Europe’s largest technology and innovation event, held each year in Paris. More than a symbolic gesture, this bold move showcased Houston’s rise as a global tech and innovation hub.
This milestone initiative was made possible through a close collaboration between the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), Rice University, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, and VivaTech, with the support of the French-American Chamber of Commerce (FACC) Texas. The FACC worked closely with VivaTech, the GHP, and Team France—made up of the French Consulate in Houston, Business France, and the CCEF—to help make this moment possible. It perfectly illustrates the FACC’s mission to support U.S. innovation abroad and foster strategic international connections.
The delegation embodied two key dimensions. Politically, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo led the official presence, in coordination with the French Consulate, reflecting a strong commitment to Franco-American institutional cooperation. On the business and innovation side, the mission included high-level engagements with major French stakeholders such as MEDEF, Bpifrance, and Station F, including its TotalEnergies incubator, a major player in France’s clean energy and climate-tech ecosystem.
The Houston Pavilion quickly became a magnet for attention. It served as a dynamic platform to showcase the region’s innovation ecosystem and foster business connections. One of the most high-profile moments of the week was the keynote speech delivered by Vanessa Wyche, Acting Administrator of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, who spoke on VivaTech’s Main Stage. The booth also welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron, further amplifying Houston’s global visibility.
The mission also marked the launch of the Houston Tech 25, a new initiative presented by Judge Hidalgo to convene corporate leaders, startups, and public institutions around shared priorities including AI, Health Tech, Energy Transition, and Advanced Manufacturing. The delegation emphasized its goal to strengthen ties with European innovation actors and attract foreign direct investment into the region.
Rice University played a leading role as co-leader of the delegation, highlighting its excellence in entrepreneurship, science, and engineering. To further strengthen ties between Houston and Europe, Rice also hosted a networking reception at the Rice Global Paris Center. In addition, the delegation showcased five Houston-based startups at the booth—Rugged Robotics, DirectH2, MCatalysis, XMAD.ai, and ThirdAI—offering a vibrant illustration of the city’s cutting-edge innovation landscape. Also part of the delegation were the Port of Houston, one of the largest U.S. ports. A spokesperson from Judge Hidalgo’s office confirmed its participation, highlighting its strategic role in global trade and logistics. The City of Plano and CoStep also contributed, adding further depth to Texas’s representation at the event.
The Houston delegation met with key partners including MEDEF, Station F, and Bpifrance, advancing conversations around innovation, investment, and climate tech. As John Cypher, Vice President of International Investment and Trade at the GHP, noted, “They see Houston as one of the cities of the future, and they’re backing that up with their resources and attention.”
With strong public-private alignment, high-level visibility, and new transatlantic connections established, Houston’s presence at VivaTech 2025 affirmed its position as a global innovation leader—and offered a powerful example of international cooperation in action.
