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November 25, 2025 — Paris, France — At the Adopt AI Summit held by Artefact, Valeo CEO Christophe Périllat has been honored by the “CEO of the Year” Award by Google Cloud in France. This title serves as a powerful recognition of Périllat’s bold, systematic strategy to embed artificial intelligence across the entire global mobility technology leader. The award celebrates a forward-looking vision pivotal in shaping the future of mobility, demonstrating how Valeo is translating the vast opportunities of AI into concrete, industry-leading solutions.

Christophe Périllat, CEO of Valeo, said: “We see AI as the ultimate productivity game-changer, particularly for complex R&D cycles. The companies that deploy it with precision will pull ahead. Our teams have fully embraced this strategy, building on more than two decades of AI experience. We are not just experimenting —  we are leveraging a profound historical advantage to deliver cutting-edge, effective solutions that others are only now beginning to explore.”

Decades of Vision: Valeo’s 20-Year AI Advantage

At Valeo, the application of AI is a long-term strategy that started more than 20 years ago. Over the course of years, Valeo developed neural networks and deep learning to understand the vehicle’s environment and develop solutions for safer and more automated mobility. Today, the Group leverages AI at every stage, from research and development, factories to product design with more than 9,000 software and system engineers, and 200 AI experts.

The Generative Leap: 25% of Certified Code is Now AI-Generated

Through a long-term partnership with Google Cloud, the Group deploys its coding assistant and trains key users for them to coach and support local teams. By the end of 2024, all software engineers were trained and equipped with Generative AI tools, and today more than 25% of Valeo’s certified automotive code is AI-generated, marking a massive increase from 0% just 16 months ago. The company also deployed Generative AI to greatly simplify the analysis of technical specifications. Through other partnerships, Valeo is also working on the automatic design of mechanical parts and of PCBs. 

This significant acceleration is further bolstered by internal initiatives focused on hands-on innovation. At the beginning of its internal transformation, in 2024, Valeo organized its first hackathon focusing on generative AI through a joint partnership with Google Cloud and Artefact. During this hackathon, 16 teams participated in the training sessions with data scientists from Artefact and experts from Google Cloud, and more than 120 Valeo employees leveraged generative AI to advance innovative ideas into the creation of minimum viable products (MVP). Most of these ideas are now being implemented, as the hackathon was the foundation of Valeo’s AI4all program, which has led to the deployment of 84 AI agents to boost productivity within the company.

Valeo.AI: Driving Reliability and Safety in Complex Road Scenarios

Valeo’s long-term AI commitment is driven by Valeo.AI, the first global AI research center dedicated specifically to automotive applications, founded in 2017. Connected with the academic world, the center pioneers research in assisted and autonomous driving. Its mission: to overcome key challenges like enhancing Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) reliability in complex scenarios (e.g., adverse weather or abnormal road conditions). Valeo.AI focuses on sensor fusion, data-efficient learning, and developing dependable, explainable AI models to ensure safer, more efficient, and robust autonomous travel worldwide.

Christophe Périllat receives the “CEO of the Year” award from Isabelle Fraine, Managing Director of Google Cloud France.