Dara Calleary TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation will be present to launch the Eirmersive network on the night.
The event, titled OUTWARD, will showcase the ambition and global reach of Ireland’s Immersive Technology sector, where 80% of businesses are already exporting their innovative solutions worldwide. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with immersive technology demonstrations, hear success stories, and learn about the latest developments in the industry.
Eirmersive envisions Ireland becoming a global hub for immersive technology by 2030, capitalising on the country’s rich IT and creative talent. With an estimated global growth of €800 billion by 2030 and a potential 860,000 new jobs created by 2025, this launch event represents a pivotal moment for Ireland’s digital future.
The evening will feature a keynote address by Michael Barngrover, Managing Director of XR4Europe, an influential industry association actively shaping the future of virtual worlds in Europe through projects like XR4HUMAN and OpenVerse. Michael will provide an overview of the European landscape, including key strategies such as the Finnish Metaverse Strategy and the EU Virtual World initiatives, highlighting opportunities for Irish companies to engage with and benefit from these initiatives.
The event will feature Lightening Talks from end-users of Immersive Technology Solutions built by Irish Immersive companies. These include:
- Dafyyd Hall Williams, Artistic Director of Ulster Touring Opera will speak about how Belfast based company Ulster Touring Opera have harnessed the technology developed by Dublin based immersive technology company Volograms. Dafydd will cover two specific use cases where Volograms volumetric capture technology has played a central role: AR Don Giovanni and the Yardmen Trail AR Stories app.
- Ger Corbett, Chief Executive Officer at Sandyford Business District will speak about the implementation and use of a VR digital twin of Sandyford for the EU project, IB-Green, which is all about greening strategies for industrial areas of cities which are traditionally poorly served by public amenity green spaces.
- Mary Walsh O’Shea, Adult Education Officer responsible for Certified Training & Adult Education Guidance Service at WWETB will speak about using Virtual Reality for Immersive Healthcare Simulations.
The Immersive Education Working Group, supported by Meta, will also present during the event. This group has been developing recommendations for the Irish government on integrating AR, VR, and MR into educational curricula at all levels. Their report will highlight successful use cases from Ireland and explore how immersive learning can enhance education, upskilling and professional training. Stephanie Anderson from Meta will officially launch the report at the event.
The evening will culminate in demonstrations from Irish Immersive Technology companies, networking and food reception.
The agenda for the event is as follows:
- 7:00 PM – 7:15 PM: Welcome Address
- 7:15 PM – 7:45 PM: Lightning Talks of End-User Success Stories
- 8:00 PM – 8:15 PM: Immersive Education Working Group Report launch
- 8:15 PM – 9:30 PM: Demos of Immersive Technology Solutions from indigenous companies, food and networking reception
Eirmersive is proud to be supported by the Creative Ireland Programme and is receiving Government funding as part of the Digital Creative Industries Roadmap 2024-2026, approved and launched in February 2024. This roadmap aims to bolster the digital creative industries in Ireland, with Eirmersive playing a key role in elevating the Immersive Technology sector globally.
Join us on the 11th of September to be part of this exciting journey.
Register to attend here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/outward-tickets-957022830047
