The Institute for Futures Technologies (IFT) is a new space within the Pôle Léonard de Vinci in Paris (La Défense), which aims to bring the MIT Media Lab’s visionary, transdisciplinary research culture to French higher education.
On March 9, 2023, IFT celebrated its launch with a press conference, a research conference, and an evening of interactive arts performances.
The research conference, titled "Inspiring Futures in the Footsteps of Leonardo Da Vinci," featured keynote talks from three Media Lab professors: Joe Paradiso, Pattie Maes, and Hiroshi Ishii, each of whom mentored one of the IFT group faculty members. It was moderated by Marc Teyssier and was open to the public.