XR4Europe

XR4Europe joined Metaverse EU and 17 other leading organizations in signing a joint letter that highlights the strategic importance of virtual worlds technologies and the need for the European Commission to accelerate its support of SMEs and institutions developing Europe's digital future. Among the signatories are XR4Europe members representing Spain, Germany, France, Ireland, Slovenia, Finland, and Belgium. Featured this morning in POLITICO Europe, our joint letter recognizes the positive impact of the Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 Initiative and Europe's existing global leadership utilizing immersive technologies in research and cultural/creative sectors. The letter highlights the need for continued and even increased investment through instruments, such as Horizon Europe, that have proven to successfully stimulate SMEs and market innovations. #VirtualWorlds #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #EuropeanCommission The full list of signatories: Helsinki XR Center, INMERSIVAˣᴿ, Eirmersive, XRBB - Extended Reality Berlin-Brandenburg e.V., EDFVR - ERSTER DEUTSCHER FACHVERBAND FÜR VIRTUAL REALITY , France Immersive Learning, Stereopsia, World Metaverse Council, Tehnološki park Ljubljana, Metaverse EU, EEVR - Estonian VR & AR Association, VRDays Foundation, Business Finland, XR Valley, Foundation Metaverse Europe, VTT, Euromersive

The French government, through the France2030 initiative and Bpifrance, is supporting innovative projects that aim to revolutionize the production and distribution of cultural experiences in XR. This call for projects invites companies from the cultural and creative industries to submit investment proposals, ranging from technological components to innovative distribution solutions, both online and offline. Projects should have a minimum budget of €400,000 for full implementation and €80,000 for engineering support. Another similar open call is dedicated to companies working in virtual worlds to submit project proposals with a focus on developing technological components such as immersive hardware, software layers for tool interoperability, or content editing tools. With a minimum budget of €1 million, these projects should aim for significant progress in technology readiness levels (TRL), starting at TRL 4 and aiming for TRL 7 or higher by the project's completion. Eligible projects must be based in France. 7 January 2023, Virtual Worlds 25 November 2025, Cultural Experiences OPEN CALL XR FOR CULTURE: https://lnkd.in/eP9xRBMJ OPEN CALL VIRTUAL WORLDS: https://lnkd.in/g6fsjgv3 Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ

The second open call of the XR2Learn project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Programme, is now open! Offering grants of up to €300,000 per company to test, pilot, evaluate, and validate new or existing XR-based educational applications in real-life settings. XR2Learn aims to revolutionize learning by connecting XR technology providers, application developers, and education experts across borders. Through its Digital Innovation Hub, the project aims to further develop collaboration and innovation in immersive learning, enhancing training for sectors like manufacturing and distance learning. Deadline: 27 December 2024 Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/dZV27ijE Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ

If you are working with XR in #Ireland, Eirmersive has an exciting opportunity for you to join the national delegation to Stereopsia, our industry's capstone event closing out the year. If you've not attended Stereopsia before, it is a three day event in the capital of Europe. Each day focuses on a different theme, EU strategy and policy: industry and technology, and arts and culture. XR4Europe is once again organizing the first day, 9 December, focusing on European policy, strategy, and leadership. This is the day when industry stakeholders are empowered to engage directly with strategic initiatives through interactive workshops delivered by EU-funded projects OPENVERSE, the XR4Human Project, and the POPULAR - EU Project, in the morning. In the afternoon, we continue with workshops on cascade funding opportunities for #SMEs, identify and privacy in virtual worlds, and an industry workshop to actionalize the recommendations of last year's European Citizens' Panel on Virtual Worlds. This year XR4Europe has collaborated with Stereopsia to create the #EUVillage, a dedicated place for partners from projects like INDUX-R, THEIA-XR, SERMAS, CORTEX2, VOXReality, EMIL-XR, INESC TEC, and Master_XR to share and network with national representative bodies like INMERSIVAˣᴿ, XRBB - Extended Reality Berlin-Brandenburg e.V., XR HUB Bavaria, VRINN business cluster, EDFVR - ERSTER DEUTSCHER FACHVERBAND FÜR VIRTUAL REALITY , and their members. Stereopsia is the place to be to learn about EU strategies for 2025 and beyond and to build your relationships with the researchers, innovators, and experts who will implement them.

Espronceda - Institute of Art & Culture presented Immensiva Expo 2024, an event merging advanced ideas with immersive technologies, blending the physical and digital worlds. This event promoted social inclusion and digital awareness through expanded, interactive realities, with a special focus on innovative projects from Catalonia and Europe. The exhibition, "Visions of Immensity," curated by Alejandro Martín, featured cutting-edge digital art projects that challenged the boundaries of technology and human perception. During the event, Michael Barngrover talked about the importance of festivals and funding programs for XR projects in the cultural sector. Aurélie Delater of Chroniques and Realities In Transition also spoke about their programs and initiatives. Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ

Aligned with Eirmersive's mission to elevate Ireland's immersive technology sector, a recent event showcased the global impact of Irish companies, 80% of which export their solutions worldwide. Michael Barngrover, Managing Director of XR4Europe, delivered a keynote, discussing the European landscape, including the Finnish Metaverse Strategy and EU Virtual World initiatives.   With the immersive tech market projected to reach $167.75 billion by 2032, Eirmersive aims to position Ireland as a global leader by 2030. In the picture, interim CEO of Eirmersive, Camille Donegan, speaks at the OUTWARD event, officially launching the association and showcasing the diversity and maturity of XR solution providers in Ireland. Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ

The VR Summit in Bochum at the Ruhr-Universit��t Bochum was held from 27-29 September and brought together global experts in XR, featuring keynotes from Olive Kannape, Skip Rizzo, and Pedro Lopez. Michael Barngrover spoke during a panel discussing security, safety, and ethics in virtual worlds, and also participated as a jury member for a hackathon. The competition focused on using generative AI to educate users on the application of EEG data in healthcare. In 24 hours, the winning team created a prototype virtual world platform where quadriplegic users can navigate virtual conferences through an EEG interface and receive support from a multilingual virtual agent. Congratulations to them and to all the competing teams! Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ

Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK), the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is experimenting with using VR headsets to replace traditional control rooms for live TV production. In a recent test, four operators used VR headsets to produce a live broadcast, eliminating the need for walls of screens and equipment. The goal? To explore more flexible, space-efficient alternatives for TV production. While this test had its challenges, such as minor audio and video delays, it showcased the potential of VR technology in simplifying control room setups. While not ready for large productions, it is a promising solution full of potential that opens new possibilities for TV broadcasts. Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ

A recent clinical trial conducted by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) demonstrates the significant impact of virtual reality (VR) in enhancing surgical skills for hip arthroplasty. The study revealed that VR training reduced errors by 80% for femoral stem placement and by 50% for acetabular cup placement, showcasing its potential to improve surgical accuracy and safety. This advanced project, which involves five XR startups and our member ORamaVR, is partly an outcome of the IMPULSE program. These promising results highlight the potential of immersive technologies in improving surgical precision and safety. Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ

The new Meta Quest 3S was revealed at Meta Connect 2024, but Mark Zuckerberg made it clear that the Quest 3 remains the flagship headset, offering top-tier features for those willing to spend more. With the introduction of the 3S, the question now is how a lower-tier Quest 3 will impact the market. Unlike the Oculus Go and Quest, which were also introduced as low-cost devices aimed at mass-market but who also introduced standalone VR against the predominant Rift headset, the Quest 3S does not yet have a clear differentiator other than price. While the Quest 3S offers a solid MR and VR experience, it lacks some of the premium features, like the Quest 3's clearer pancake lenses, higher resolution, and more immersive field of view. The Quest 3S has a lower per-eye solution, at 1832 x 1920 per eye, while the Quest 3 by contrast offers a 4K display with 2064 x 2208 per eye. Moreover, the Quest 3 S does not include a jack port for headphones. We are curious to see if the Quest 3S performs as the record-selling Quest 2 did and if this headset will trigger another surge in new VR users. Have you tried it? What do you think about it? Stay updated on the latest European XR news, open calls, and events! You can subscribe to our upcoming newsletters and access more content by becoming a member for free here: https://lnkd.in/de6-PAJZ