An end-to-end workflow from design concept to 3D CAD data and simulation — also showcasing a concept design prototype developed through a collaborative R&D process
Global sports brand ASICS will join forces with RebuilderAI (CEO: Kim Jonghyun), an AI design and manufacturing automation solutions company, at VivaTech 2026 — Europe's largest technology event, held in Paris, France from June 17 to 20, 2026 — to unveil AI-powered next-generation footwear design and manufacturing simulation technology. ASICS Ventures Corporation, a subsidiary of ASICS, has made an investment in RebuilderAI, and this collaboration takes the relationship beyond a financial partnership to demonstrate the potential of a new R&D process. Both companies will also present at the venue a concept design created using AI as an example of its application in research and development.
Now in its 10th year, VivaTech is an international stage that draws approximately 180,000 visitors, more than 14,000 startups, and thousands of global investors annually. This year's theme is "AI: Impact, Not Illusion," focusing on AI that delivers real value on the industry floor rather than just impressive demonstrations.
Under this theme, the joint exhibit introduces a new AI-integrated process in research and development — an initiative with the potential to transform the conventional concept of product development. This is the result of ongoing collaboration between RebuilderAI and the Institute of Sport Science (ISS) of ASICS. The message driving this partnership is "Art and Science, powered by AI to drive product innovation." ISS has long upheld Human Centric Science as its research philosophy — a scientifically rigorous approach that places human at the center of innovation, meticulously analyzing the characteristics of physical movement from every angle to unlock new value and maximize human potential. In this collaboration, ISS data and expertise serve as the benchmark for evaluating and validating AI-generated designs, while RebuilderAI handles the process from AI-powered 2D sketches to 3D data construction. The two companies first connected when ASICS encountered RebuilderAI's technology demo at CES. ASICS Ventures highly valued the strategic potential of this technology, particularly its ability to dramatically reduce the time between design and validation, and decided to invest.
At the event booth, the companies will showcase an R&D process in which a single footwear design concept flows seamlessly through AI-generated precision 3D data, manufacturing CAD data, and simulation. The shoe design concept created through this process — presented as an example of R&D in action — is one of the most anticipated highlights of this exhibit.
At the core of the technology is the ability to preserve the designer's original sketch and creative intent while having AI convert it into precise 3D data. The converted data is generated in a Simulation-Ready state that can be fed directly into CAE and FEA simulation.
The entire workflow is powered by RebuilderAI's AI design and manufacturing integrated platform, VRING:ON. Looking ahead, VRING:ON aims to unify design, 3D/CAD generation, simulation integration, and production automation into a single workflow — significantly reducing the time and effort needed to move from idea to validated, market-ready design.
This collaboration also represents an attempt to expand ISS’s own R&D methodology. By enabling creative design ideas to be instantly converted into 3D data and immediately validated through simulation, researchers can explore far broader design variations within the same development timeframe, and more quickly identify the right structure. For users, this means that designs grounded in Human Centric Science can be reflected in shoes across a wider range of products at shorter development cycles. With AI as a new tool, ASICS is further cementing its position as a brand that leads in both sports science and digital innovation.
An ISS representative commented, "AI is not here to replace our existing design development flow. It is a new partner — one that helps us deliver the accumulated research of ISS, along with the possibilities we are still working to unlock, faster and to a broader audience." They added, "When I saw AI automatically generating precise 3D data that flowed directly into simulation, I felt the gap between design and validation shrink in an instant. This challenge has only just begun."
With VivaTech serving as a key milestone, ASICS and RebuilderAI will formalize their collaboration integrating Human Centric Science with AI-powered design and validation technology. Both companies will jointly advance the revolution in the development process spanning design, validation, and manufacturing, building on the concept presented at this exhibit while looking ahead to the development of next-generation products.