Keynote speaker

Professor Serge Bourbigot is a leading expert in fire science and polymer materials. After earning his PhD in 1993, he joined Centrale Lille Institut, where he became Full Professor in 2003. His internationally recognized research focuses on the reaction and resistance to fire of polymeric materials, with applications ranging from batteries and hydrogen fires to microgravity environments. He is the recipient of two prestigious European Research Council grants — an ERC Advanced Grant (FireBar‑Concept, 2.5M€) and an ERC Synergy Grant (FireSpace, 14M€) — reflecting the scientific impact of his work. Elected Fellow of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) in 2020 and renewed in 2025, he continues to advance knowledge in fire behavior, materials processing (formulation, spectroscopy, nanocomposites, reactive extrusion), and modeling (scale reduction, kinetics, pyrolysis).

Future human space exploration will rely on spacecraft, lunar bases, and Martian habitats operating under unconventional atmospheric conditions, notably reduced pressure and oxygen-enriched environments that can substantially increase the flammability of polymeric materials and accelerate flame spread. At the same time, reduced gravity profoundly alters heat and mass transfer, flame structure, radiative feedback, and smoke production, making terrestrial fire-safety criteria insufficient for predicting fire behaviour in space-like environments.

This presentation addresses these challenges through the integrated vision of the ERC SyG FireSpace project, which aims to establish a predictive understanding of ignition, flame spread, extinction, smoke release, and material degradation under combined oxygen-rich, low-pressure, and reduced-gravity conditions. The approach brings together ground-based oxygen-controlled fire testing, reduced-gravity experiments, advanced diagnostics, and multiscale numerical simulations in order to connect fundamental fire science with the operational needs of future exploration missions.

Valérie Brunet is Sales Director for France and Benelux at Style3D, a leading technology company at the intersection of 3D digitalization, artificial intelligence, and automation.

With over 20 years of experience across technology, textile, retail, and digital transformation, she supports major European brands and organizations in adopting new ways of designing, developing products, and transforming their operations through advanced digital technologies.

In her role, Valérie is increasingly involved in the convergence of AI, robotics, and Physical AI — a field in which China is rapidly emerging as a global innovation leader. From intelligent automation and simulation to AI-powered robotic systems capable of interacting with the physical world, these technologies are opening a new chapter in industrial transformation.

Within this fast-moving ecosystem, Style3D is expanding beyond traditional fashion digitalization to become an increasingly significant Chinese technology player in 3D, generative AI, simulation, and Physical AI, operating in an innovation landscape shaped by global technology leaders such as Google and Meta.

Valérie works at the intersection between these emerging technologies and their practical applications in Europe, helping companies understand how 3D environments, artificial intelligence, automation, and robotics can translate into more agile, efficient, and scalable business models.

Passionate about innovation and organizational transformation, she regularly engages with brands, technology partners, schools, and industry stakeholders to share her perspective on the acceleration of Chinese innovation, the rise of Physical AI, and the new technologies and skills that will shape the next generation of European industries.

The textile and fashion industries are entering a new phase of digital transformation driven by the rapid convergence of 3D technologies, Generative AI, robotics, and Physical AI. These technologies are no longer limited to improving design and visualization: they are progressively transforming the entire value chain, from product creation and simulation to manufacturing and automated production.

This presentation will introduce Style3D’s technology ecosystem and illustrate how 3D and Generative AI are already changing the way textile and fashion products are designed, developed, and brought to market. It will then explore the latest developments in robotics and Physical AI, where artificial intelligence moves beyond digital content generation to perceive, understand, and interact with the physical world.

Through recent technological developments and concrete industry applications, the presentation will examine how the convergence of 3D simulation, AI, and intelligent robotics could reshape textile manufacturing, accelerate automation, and redefine the skills and industrial processes of the future.