Interview with Maria Le Mura

In this conversation, Maria Le Mura, founder of Beyond Words VR , discusses her journey from linguistics to creating immersive language learning VR experiences. She shares insights on the advantages of VR in language acquisition, the challenges of creating engaging content, and the role of AI in enhancing learning outcomes. Maria also addresses the complexities of navigating the language learning landscape, sales strategies, funding challenges, and the importance of collaboration between startups and academia.

Interview with Ross O'Brien

In this conversation, Ross O'Brien, Managing Director of XR Health, shares his journey into the field of immersive technology in healthcare. He discusses the challenges of implementing XR healthcare solutions, and the need for systematic funding and regulation. Ross emphasizes the role of gaming in healthcare, the balance between innovation and practicality while highlighting future trends in XR and AI integration.

Interview with Skip Rizzo

Skip Rizzo, clinical psychologist and director of the USC Institute for Creative Technologies Medical VR Lab, explains how healthcare VR moved from early prototypes to deployable products, and why adoption still lags. He shares the origin story that started with a brain injury patient obsessed with Tetris, then walks through what it takes to turn an academic prototypes into a product. Rizzo breaks down why standards matter for large health systems like the VA, and where AI is already changing content creation and behavioral measurement in immersive assessments.

Interview with Jeremy Dalton

Jeremy Dalton has spent over a decade turning emerging technologies like AI and XR into real business outcomes. From founding PwC’s global immersive technologies team to building XRHQ, an AI powered intelligence platform tracking real world deployments, he has seen what works and what fails when scaling innovation. In this interview, he explains how to pitch experiential technologies to executives, what are the risks around the AI hype, how convergence between XR, AI and robotics unlocks exponential value, and why industry must collaborate more closely with academia.

Interview with Amy Peck

In this interview, Amy Peck, founder and CEO of EndeavorXR, explains how immersive technology creates real operational impact when it is paired with clear strategy, data flows, and governance. She shares a concrete example from COVID-era pharma manufacturing, where a digital twin supported compliance, ergonomics, and day-one training on a reconfigured production line. Amy also breaks down how leaders can move from incremental optimization to designing “parallel paths” that reimagine systems, products, and services for the future. You’ll hear the practical mechanics of her executive innovation workshops, including pre-work, behavioral dynamics, and how to surface cross-functional “through lines” worth funding. The conversation closes on responsible innovation, AR cloud infrastructure, and what it means to build a personal north star for the future.

Interview with Timmy Ghiurau

In this interview, Timmy Ghiurau shares a rare inside look at the evolution of immersive tech across industry, culture and research. Drawing from his experience at Volvo, Unity and The Point Labs, he explains how XR progressed from early prototypes to realistic simulation, how AI now shapes our interactions with digital worlds and why Europe’s creative landscape is uniquely positioned for the next wave of innovation. Timmy reflects on practical lessons from deploying immersive tools inside large organizations, the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and the challenges of building bottom up ecosystems.

by Liya Safina

As part of our new series of interviews with XR experts ahead of Immersive Tech Week in 23-25 June of 2026 in Rotterdam, we are excited to kickstart things with spatial UX expert, Liya Safina. Liya is an award-winning product designer and innovation expert, currently working on immersive experiences for Google Maps, Google TV and Photos for headsets and smart glasses.

The Pinnacle of XR Industry and Knowledge Re-unites in Rotterdam, 28 Nov - 01 December, 2023. Immersive Tech Week (ITW), the XR industry's most highly anticipated XR event of the year, is getting ready to transform de Doelen in Rotterdam into a hub of visionary technology. The event promises to unite the industry's top minds and offer attendees hands-on experience of the latest hardware innovations in the XR universe.

ITW thrilled to announce the initial lineup for its Church of VR 2023. This selection promises to bring an unprecedented number of World, European and Dutch XR premieres to Rotterdam for audiences to experience from November 29th till December 1st.