Programme Overview

09:30 EU Pitch Lounge: Life-saving Technology in High-risk Environments

10:30 EU Pitch Lounge: Inclusion, Wellbeing and a Safer Digital Life

11:30 EU Pitch Lounge: Culture, Creativity and Societal Impact

The Summer Opportunity Lounge is open throughout all of Thursday and sits adjacent to the terrace where XR4Europe Summer Event Drinks take place from 15:00.

Session 1 - Life-saving Technology in High-risk Environments

DTRIP4H, INNO2MARE and Palaestra demonstrate how XR, AI and digital infrastructure are deployed where the stakes are highest — from modelling disease processes and training emergency responders, to making maritime industries safer and building the edge computing backbone that makes real-time XR possible at all. x-Cite is a European project creating a human-centric CitiVerse where XR, AI and other digital technologies enable new ways for people to engage with their cities.

DTRIP4H builds a decentralised ecosystem of health digital twins across Europe, combining federated learning, generative AI and VR to better understand and treat diseases such as cancer and schizophrenia – without compromising patient privacy.

INNO2MARE strengthens maritime innovation ecosystems in Western Slovenia and Adriatic Croatia through three immersive pilot projects – AR for fire evacuation training on vessels, AI-powered digital twins for green energy management, and machine learning for autonomous navigation safety.

Palaestra develops a modular training platform for emergency services responding to CBRNe incidents, using AI-generated scenarios, digital twins and real-time physiological monitoring for realistic, risk-free drills.

x-CITE is a European project creating a human-centric CitiVerse where XR, AI and other digital technologies enable new ways for people to engage with their cities. Across 12 pilot use cases in Tampere, Rotterdam and Flanders, the project explores how immersive digital experiences can strengthen participation, collaboration and informed decision-making for citizens, public authorities, and businesses.

Session 2 - Inclusion, Wellbeing and a Safer Digital Life

YoungFitT, VISTA, Safe-VR and Cloud Atlas share a common thread: technology in service of people. Whether that means protecting students, educating young citizens about climate change, making online spaces safer, or giving every European city – and every citizen – a genuine voice in how their urban environment is shaped.

YoungFitT investigates how mindfulness, Tai Chi and high-intensity training improve the mental and physical health of university students. A second phase tests whether a VR environment makes these interventions even more effective and increases adherence.

VISTA uses VR to raise climate change awareness among secondary school students. By immersing learners in the consequences of climate change – flooded cities, melting glaciers – the project creates a deeper engagement than traditional teaching materials can offer.

Safe-VR addresses harassment and intimidation in social VR environments. Using machine learning to analyse movement patterns, the system automatically detects abusive behaviour and offers users dynamic personal boundaries and an effective reporting tool.

Cloud Atlas pioneers Fog-as-a-Service – processing data close to its source rather than in centralised cloud infrastructure. The result: the ultra-low latency that real-time XR applications actually need to work. AI-driven storage, real-time analytics and adaptive load balancing, built in collaboration with global universities and research centres.

Session 3 - EU Pitch Lounge - Culture, Creativity & Human Impact

XTREME, STRATEGIES, EXCALIBUR and HumAIne show how immersive technology reaches far beyond entertainment – into the operating room, the archaeological site, the game studio and the policy room.

XTREME brings concerts and live performances directly into the user’s living room via mixed reality – in full 3D, both visually and acoustically. It removes geographic and physical barriers to cultural access, offers artists a wider audience and provides a greener alternative to travelling to a venue.

STRATEGIES supports Europe’s game industry – both digital and analogue – in transitioning to sustainability. This four-year research project helps studios reduce emissions, redesign production processes and embed climate goals into the games themselves, positioning game developers as pioneers of green innovation.

EXCALIBUR develops an open-source platform using digital twins for the study, conservation and restoration of archaeological sites and cultural heritage objects. It makes costly and time-intensive physical research more efficient by giving researchers digital tools to analyse and preserve their findings.

HumAIne (MAGERY project) develops VR and AR solutions for brain surgery that genuinely account for the mechanical properties of brain tissue. By integrating tissue deformation simulations into the surgeon’s AR view, the project aims to minimise unnecessary brain damage during operations.

Also Explore

IMPULSE – The European XR Accelerator

IMPULSE showcases the most promising XR ventures currently in development across Europe. Several this year sit squarely at the intersection of education, healthcare, and applied research.

Relevant projects for this track:

• The Learning Room (CustomTechnologies Design Lab, Belgium) – A projection-based XR learning platform for neurodivergent children, enabling life-skills training without headsets. Research presented at ICEEL 2025 and United XR 2025.
• VR ECMO (Leiden University Medical Centre / LAIXR, Netherlands) – An AI-driven VR simulator for ECMO intensive care training, replacing expensive physical equipment with standalone headset-based practice.
• VorTX (Aumenta Vilanova, Spain) – A SaaS platform empowering educators and organisations to build immersive learning experiences using 3D models and XR simulations.
• Virtual Public Transport (Changefied B.V., Netherlands) – A full 6DoF VR training platform helping neurodivergent individuals build independence through repeated real-world scenario practice.

Discover IMPULSE

Church of VR

The Church of VR is ITW’s flagship exhibition space – a curated showcase of immersive experiences spanning art, empathy, science communication, and social impact. Open across all three days of the festival.

Relevant projects for this track:

• EmbodyXR (Mercurial Dance / University of the Creative Arts, UK) – A wellbeing and therapeutic VR experience co-designed with students, researchers, and wellbeing professionals. Funded by Innovate UK.
• Gut Instinct (Shtik Ltd, UK) – A multi-user free-roam VR experience inside the human digestive system, pioneering a new form of science communication for a new generation of eaters.
• Empathy Creatures – An AI-powered immersive installation exploring emotional co-regulation and collective healing, developed in collaboration with cognitive and wellbeing researchers.

Explore Church of VR

XR Expo

The XR Expo runs alongside the Church of VR and brings together hardware, platforms, and applied XR solutions from across the sector. An essential visit for educators and researchers looking to see the tools behind the sessions.

Relevant for this track: solutions in clinical training simulation, education platform technology, and research-grade immersive hardware.

Visit the XR Expo