Innovation Day - 1 year of the Louis Braille Campus

On November 14, 2025, Campus Louis Braille brought together more than 500 disability stakeholders in Paris. Organized in the Duroc district, at the National Institute for Young Blind People, and by the three founding associations (Valentin Haüy, Voir Ensemble, and apiDV), the day marked the first anniversary of Campus Louis Braille. Public officials, researchers, manufacturers, associations, start-ups, and international partners came together to take stock and define the direction for the coming years. The role of innovation as a lever for inclusion and autonomy was reaffirmed.

A strategic and engaging morning

The morning began with a song by Laëtitia Bernard, journalist at Radio France and secretary general of the Campus. She reiterated the urgent need to improve accessibility, backed up by statistics. The presidents of the founding associations and institutions of INJA, AVH, APIDV, and Voir Ensemble then highlighted the demographic challenges ahead and the need to anticipate a significant increase in visual impairment.

Charlotte Parmentier Lecocq, Minister Delegate for People with Disabilities, reaffirmed the government's commitment. Santosh Kumar, President of the World Blind Union, emphasized the role of technology in promoting independence on an international scale. Xavier Musca, President of the Campus, and Thibaut de Martimprey, Director, presented the results of the first year. Twenty start-ups were incubated and an international network was established. The first strategic partnerships were signed. AGEFIPH, the Malakoff Humanis Foundation, Wavestone, and Accenture confirmed their support.

Three projects carried out in partnership with the Vision Institute, Dassault Systèmes, and the International Alliance for Innovation constituted the projects for the future. Discussions focused on sensory interfaces, 3D engineering, and international cooperation. Jürgen Dusel, German Federal Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, announced the launch of a Franco-German partnership dedicated to research.

Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, announced that the Louis Braille Campus has been designated a major center of innovation. She also confirmed €800,000 in funding to co-finance €2 million worth of work that will be carried out on the campus in 2026-2027.

The morning concluded with a presentation of the Campus's flagship projects. A musical interlude by pianist Yakir Arbib marked this highlight. The first class of ten Campus ambassadors was then unveiled. The screening of an episode dedicated to the Louis Braille Campus from the France 5 documentary series À vous de voir brought the event to a close.

An afternoon focused on concrete innovation

After lunch, participants explored the Campus grounds during guided tours. The afternoon continued with a forward-looking session devoted to the lives of visually impaired people in 2040. The incubated start-ups then presented their solutions.

An international segment highlighted major global trends in accessibility. The projects presented focused on education, culture, sports, and mobility. Guidance, sound navigation, and artificial intelligence technologies took center stage. The presentation of new incubatees illustrated the dynamism of the ecosystem.

At the same time, six thematic workshops provided an opportunity to explore issues related to artificial intelligence, mobility, education, international cooperation, visual heritage, and universal design. Researchers, entrepreneurs, students, and engineers worked together in a spirit of collaboration.

Conclusion

By combining institutional reflection and technological demonstrations, this anniversary edition confirmed the ambition of the Louis Braille Campus: to make innovation a concrete lever for inclusion and to actively contribute to building a more accessible future in France, Europe, and around the world for the more than 250 million blind and visually impaired people.

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