Two days, two audiences, one clear message: technology must serve the daily reality of businesses in Réunion. The 2026 Orange Business Tour took place on September 30 and October 1 at the Hôtel Le Créolia in Saint-Denis, bringing together micro-businesses, SMEs and large companies under the theme: "With trusted tech, anything is possible".
Agentic AI enters Réunion's SMEs
Going beyond familiar conversational AI, the 2026 edition spotlighted agentic AI: systems capable of acting autonomously to optimise business processes, from order management to customer service. Live demonstrations showed how these tools can be deployed within small structures today, without requiring advanced in-house technical expertise.
For André Martin, CEO of Orange Réunion-Mayotte, the objective is straightforward: to "bring available technologies closer to the daily realities faced by businesses on the island". A ground-level ambition that sets this event apart from large metropolitan tech forums.
Cybersecurity: a non-negotiable priority in overseas territories
Orange Cyberdéfense, the group's dedicated security arm, occupied a central place in the programme. As cyberattacks targeting micro and small businesses have multiplied — and France's overseas territories have not been spared — sessions focused on operational resilience: how to maintain business continuity after an incident, secure remote access, and respond to ransomware.
A dedicated session was held for healthcare professionals — pharmacies in particular — covering secure professional messaging, reliable connectivity and healthcare data backup, both a regulatory obligation and a patient safety imperative.
Digital infrastructure: both bottleneck and opportunity
The event opened a broader debate on the island's critical infrastructure: undersea cables, progressive 5G coverage, and local data hosting. Réunion remains dependent on international connectivity to access cloud platforms and AI at scale — but recent infrastructure investments are gradually strengthening the competitiveness of local businesses, especially those exporting services across the Indian Ocean and to Africa.
Why it matters
The Orange Business Tour is one of the few B2B events of this scale in Réunion. Its content reflects the actual digital maturity of businesses on the island. In 2026, the shift to AI is no longer abstract — it is a budget decision that Réunion SMEs must make now, or risk being left behind by already-equipped competitors. Cybersecurity cannot wait either: a major incident can wipe out years of business-building in days.
Sources: Megazap.fr, Actu Médias Outre-Mer, Orange Business Services — September/October 2026.