Exploring Innovation Beyond the Classroom: EDHEC MiM – Data Science & AI for Business Students at the Orange Open Tech Days
EDHEC’s MiM – Data Science & AI for Business students joined the Orange OpenTech Days to explore real-world innovation in AI and technology. The event bridged classroom learning with industry insight, inspiring future data leaders to connect and apply their skills in action.
This November, students from the Master in Management – Data Science & AI for Business programme took part in a unique, immersive experience at the Orange OpenTech Days — a key innovation event where technology meets real-world application.
A day dedicated to learning and discovery
Organised in collaboration with Orange, a programme partner, the visit was designed as a comprehensive learning experience.
Before heading to Orange Gardens, students spent the morning on EDHEC’s Paris campus preparing for the event with a seminar on Ethical and Trustworthy AI, followed by the launch of their upcoming Ethical AI Start-up Challenge.
“We wanted the day to have meaning,” explains Victor Planas-Bielsa, Programme Director. “The morning set the tone — AI, responsibility, and innovation — before spending the afternoon discovering how these technologies are brought to life at Orange.”
From theory to real-world impact
At Orange Gardens, students explored a range of demonstrations in AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and networks — witnessing how the technologies they study everyday power real products and services.
“In class, they learn the methods and tools,” adds Victor Planas-Bielsa. “But here, they see what that looks like inside a real company — the decisions, the constraints, and the impact. It makes everything we teach more tangible.”
Building connections and inspiration
Beyond the technology, the day was above all about meeting people — exchanging ideas with Orange experts and leaders, understanding industry challenges, and discovering where data science and AI can truly make a difference.
“Talking directly with those shaping the industry gives students a clearer view of which skills matter, what roles they can aspire to, and how they can grow,” says Victor Planas-Bielsa. “And many great opportunities start from these conversations — they build confidence and expand professional networks.”
Beyond knowledge: perspective and motivation
The visit also reinforced EDHEC’s vision of learning by doing and learning through experience. It offered far more than technical insight; it encouraged students to reflect on their aspirations and to see how innovation is built collaboratively, step by step.
“I hope they leave with a clearer picture of how innovation really happens — not just through technology, but through teamwork, behind-the-scenes decisions, and the impact these technologies can have,” concludes Victor Planas-Bielsa. “If they return to class with greater curiosity and motivation, then the day has achieved its purpose.”
The Orange OpenTech Days offered exactly that: a bridge between academic learning and industry reality — where knowledge meets experience, and where the next generation of data leaders begins to take shape.
