From September 18 to 24, major French groups increased their announcements in AI, defense, health and infrastructure. Products marketed, flight tests, contracts won and projects still conditional outline a week of innovation at several speeds, of which we offer you the summary;
Schneider Electric wants to gain ground in buildings and data centers
Schneider Electric is considering an offer of 70 euros per share for Shelly Group, representing a valuation of around 1.2 billion euros. Shelly combines connected devices, cloud applications and open interfaces to manage, among other things, energy consumption, production and storage in homes and small buildings. Industrial interest therefore goes beyond just the equipment: it also concerns the software relationship with the user and the ecosystem of installers. Its planned acquisition of Cognite, an industrial software publisher, announced in July, sheds light on this growing role of data in its strategy.
The transaction has not been concluded, and its completion depends in particular on regulatory authorizations and an acceptance threshold of 95% of the capital. The parties are talking about a closing in the first quarter of 2027.
The day before, Schneider presented a new cooling unit for AI data centers. Developed in its Motivair range, it combines liquid cooling and air circulation, with an announced capacity of up to 3.5 megawatts per unit. The first deliveries are planned for October in certain regions.
In finance, AI joins business processes
BNP Paribas signs a five-year agreement with Google Cloud. The bank plans to integrate Gemini models into LLM@CIB, its internal assistant already accessible to more than 65,000 people. She also works with agents capable of helping teams prepare credit analysis files. The system is not entirely prospective: at Nickel, a subsidiary of the group, an assistant using Gemini already helps 200 customer advisors find answers in internal procedures.
Societe Generale announced a strategic agreement with Anthropic in its roadmap for 2029. The group is targeting between 500 and 600 million euros in savings thanks to a set of simplification initiatives, process reorganization and progressive development of AI; around 350 million euros would already be identified.
MAIF details its technological choices: Scaleway for the cloud, Mistral AI for generative AI and Diabolocom for managing exchanges with its members. A first test of assistance for advisors is underway, while the corporate relations platform is gradually deployed. The choice of Scaleway recalls the decision taken in the spring by the Health Data Platform to retain this supplier for its hosting.
Defense: from flight tests to delivered equipment
Dassault Aviation flight tested two AI algorithms on board a Rafale. The first was developed internally, the second with Thales and its cortAIx entity. According to Dassault, their level of maturity makes it possible to consider their integration into future developments of the device.
KNDS and the French company Aerix Systems have announced the development and industrialization of the AXS-μ1 autonomous interceptor drone. It must join TARGAS DSP10, the KNDS anti-drone system which combines electronic warfare and physical interception. Production is targeted from 2027.
Another announcement from KNDS concerns equipment already delivered. Nearly 25 Jaguars to the R3 standard had been delivered or converted for the Army as of September 18, according to the group, which produces the vehicle with Arquus and Thales. This standard notably provides a more integrated digital interface and new combat capabilities. The week also includes a long-term order: Airbus won the PARACOM contract from the DGA, for a period of 25 years, to design, produce and maintain gateways securing exchanges between networks of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. These announcements give concrete expression to the decisive place of orders and integrators in the European defense industry.
Health: a test available, cooperation to be built
bioMérieux launches SPINCHIP in Europe, a testing platform as close as possible to the patient. Its first use measures cardiac troponin from a drop of blood taken from a finger, with a result announced in approximately ten minutes. Intended in particular to refer adults suspected of having a heart attack more quickly, the test has the required CE marking. The challenge now involves its adoption in emergency services and its integration into care pathways.
Orange Ventures invested in Biolevate, without disclosing the amount of its participation. Orange Business also plans to work with the young company and its subsidiary Enovalife on AI agents intended for healthcare manufacturers: preparation of clinical trial protocols, study reports and regulatory documentation are among the uses cited.
In industry, data meets energy
Lesaffre, the ÉS group and Dalkia launched the R2E project in Strasbourg. On the yeast production site, it must combine heat recovery, heat pumps and electrification of the processes. The partners are targeting 168 GWh of carbon-free heat and 35,700 tonnes of CO₂ avoided per year.
SYSTRA and Dassault Systèmes announce a collaboration around virtual twins for transport infrastructures. Their ambition is to bring together field data, models, simulation and AI in order to inform the design and operation of networks. Mistral AI is also interested in models for industrial engineering and simulation, in an area where Dassault Systèmes operates.
