As part of its ongoing mission to strengthen collaboration in the field of Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0, OPENVERSE recently hosted a workshop on 16th September, dedicated to exploring national initiatives in XR and their efforts in ecosystem building. The event brought together a wide spectrum of participants – from policymakers and research communities to startups, SMEs, industry actors, civil society organisations, and NGOs – reflecting the diversity of Europe’s innovation landscape.
Speakers represented different regions of the EU, including Portugal, Ireland, Germany and Finland. While Eastern Europe was less present, the variety of contributions underscored how national ecosystems are being organised along distinct paths: some emerging from grassroots entrepreneurship, others led by SMEs with long-standing experience in XR, and several rooted in government-backed national strategies.
Sharing Best Practices
The workshop highlighted a number of approaches that national initiatives are taking to foster thriving XR ecosystems, such as:
- Creating startup networks in collaboration with enterprise support agencies.
- Organising matchmaking and networking events.
- Supporting prototype development through direct industry engagement.
- Running topic-targeted consultations and co-creation sessions with stakeholders.
- Linking with national AI initiatives, including hackathons and AI challenges.
- Drafting roadmaps and benchmarking studies to assess the economic impact of Virtual Worlds.
These examples illustrated how ecosystems are being created in diverse ways across EU countries, and how governments and local actors are pursuing the common goal of developing long-term visions for the uptake of XR technologies through different approaches. In Finland, for instance, there is a national strategy for XR and the efforts are mainly government-led, with governmental actors that are connecting cities and municipalities into a wider network which includes also innovation actors. In Germany the initiatives are mainly driven by SMEs and innovation hubs, seeking for industrial applications and demonstrators while also trying to extend the link with the creative sector. In Ireland, there is an interesting case of more of a grassroot initiative, where startup owners are converging into a structured initiative that aims at promoting the uptake of XR technologies in Ireland and boost this growing sector. Finally, one of Portugal’s national initiative published a report to inform industry and authorities, as to inform the potential of these technologies for both the economy and society at large. The Portugues national initiative has even sought to establish international ties, including with Belgium and South Korea.
Engaging Stakeholders
These examples illustrated how ecosystems are being created in diverse ways across EU countries, reflecting the efforts of national initiatives to reach the broadest possible range of stakeholders. This inclusive approach is particularly important because XR is a technology whose future shape is being defined simultaneously at multiple levels, spanning research and innovation, industry, culture, and public services. Following groups of Stakeholders were identified:
- Innovation systems and research institutions
- Public authorities and European organisations
- Industry managers, business associations, and creative professionals
- Cultural institutions and schools
- Sector-specific experts in fields like earth observation and healthcare
Participants emphasised the importance of reaching more European initiatives and SMEs, to expand opportunities and strengthen the continent-wide XR community.
Challenges in Ecosystem Development
Despite the promising progress, several challenges remain:
- Difficulty engaging adopters, as companies are often reluctant to share experiences.
- The diffuse nature of the ecosystem, making it hard to connect creators with markets.
- Persistent funding gaps, both for creative projects and for pilot industry initiatives.
- Limited evidence of XR’s real-world impact, beyond technology demonstrations.
- Lack of distribution channels for XR experiences – with France being the only country that has dedicated distributors.
Looking Ahead
The discussions made clear that while XR ecosystems in Europe are following different models of growth, they share common needs: stronger collaboration, sustainable funding, and clearer evidence of impact. Building bridges across borders – both within Europe and internationally – will be key to ensuring these initiatives can thrive and support the next generation of Virtual Worlds.