Eirmersive was delighted to welcome ATU as a new member recently. We’ve been hugely impressed by the coordinated approach they have to embedding the use of Immersive Technologies across the university, as underlined in a news update from John Hough, Educational Technology Specialist, Immersive Learning.

By John Hough

Immersive Learning at Atlantic Technological University: Building Momentum Across Disciplines

The ATU Teaching and Learning Centre has been working to establish an immersive learning initiative across the university. This began with the purchase of 20 Meta Quest 3 headsets and a charging cart, located in the Dublin road campus library, creating a shared pool of devices that lecturers can use to pilot immersive learning activities with their students.

Across Europe, cities are rethinking how they plan, communicate, and deliver major infrastructure projects. Galway is now part of that conversation.

At a Galway City Council meeting, councillors highlighted the potential of 3D and virtual reality technologies to transform how large public projects are presented, reviewed, and understood by decision‑makers and the public alike. The proposal focuses on using immersive visualisation to explore infrastructure schemes before they reach construction, helping to surface issues earlier and support more informed choices during planning and consultation stages. Rather than relying solely on static drawings, photo montages, or written planning documents, fully 3D and VR‑based models can allow stakeholders to experience projects at a human scale.

The Irish Independent reported that,…

It was great to be in Luxembourg this week at the Immersive Pavilion Luxembourg as part of the Luxembourg City Film Festival.

I had the pleasure of representing the Irish XR ecosystem alongside Jo Mangan of The Performance Corporation (an Eirmersive member) and Conn Holohan of the Centre for Creative Technologies at University of Galway on the Focus on Ireland: The Irish XR Ecosystem panel discussion. It was a great opportunity to share the energy and collaboration shaping immersive work across Ireland.

A highlight was meeting Jean McDonald Ireland’s Ambassador to Luxembourg and discussing the strength of Ireland’s creative technology sector and the opportunity for deeper international collaboration.

The pavilion featured a fantastic selection of immersive works including:

What an inspiring day at the Immersive Futures Workshop in Dundalk🚀

On Thursday, 26 February, creatives, technologists and storytellers came together at Creative Spark, Dundalk for a full-day deep dive into the future of AI, VR, AR, Mixed Reality and Virtual Production.

The event, part of Eirmersive’s ongoing Immersive Futures series and supported by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland offered hands-on learning, expert insights and practical tools to help shape creative workflows across screen, gaming, animation, theatre and beyond.

💡 Highlights from the day included:

Immersive sessions exploring tools like Animotive, Lureo, Volograms, DeepMotion, LUMA AI and AI-powered 2D-to-3D asset creation, giving participants a window into how these technologies can be integrated into real creative pipelines.

Watch the video below for a taste of the atmosphere at the workshop.

Imvizar has announced that Lureo is now free for all creators.

“We believe spatial storytelling is one of the most powerful new mediums of communication. It blends narrative, place, emotion and interaction. It turns environments into experiences. It allows stories to be explored, not just watched.

Until now, building AR experiences has largely been limited to developers and technical teams. But we believe that this medium should be accessible.

Spatial storytelling should belong to creators. Filmmakers. Agencies. Educators. Brands. Anyone with an idea worth experiencing.

Lureo exists to make authoring immersive AR experiences accessible to everyone. No financial barriers. No technical barriers.

You can now sign up and start building for free.

If a creator builds a commercial project, the commercial entity involved will pay the licence fee. Full details are available on our website.”

XR Ireland’s SimexBuilder platform has been welcomed on the Scaleway Start-up programme starting March 1st.

They are booking their first pan-EU pilot projects between Austria and Cyprus for Disaster Response Simulation Exercises on their v0.2 of the platform with an aim to get a public V1.0 out by 2028 Q2.

In other news from XR Ireland, Guillaume Auvray will be speaking at Laval Virtual on the application of Digital Twin data modelling technologies for their Industry and Defence track, more specifically on resilience and disaster risk reduction as they also strengthen ties with Northern Ireland's Belfast Digital Twin Centre.

Additionally, XR Ireland has been welcomed as the first Irish SME on the Virtual World Association.

Watch the presentation of the engineering demo below…

Last week in Belfast was one of those trips that really reminds you why this work matters and why people and community must sit at the heart of meaningful technological evolution. I feel genuinely privileged to work in an industry shaped by so many inspiring, creative, and generous minds.

From standing-room-only rooms to packed studios, it was all about inclusive creativity, practical adoption, and cross-border connection.

We kicked things off at Studio Ulster for their Inclusive Creativity concert - huge credit to Professor Paul Moore and the team for showing how immersive technologies can genuinely widen access and participation in the arts.

From there, it was over to the DATUM launch, where AMIC at Queen's University Belfast and Irish Manufacturing Research unveiled their new digital transformation programme for manufacturing. Great to catch up there with Barry Kennedy. We look forward to seeing how the PRISM programme research can support DATUM.

Back by Popular Demand! Dive into AI, VR, AR & more at our FREE Immersive Futures Workshop in Dundalk! Thursday February 26th at Creative Spark

Dive into a full-day exploration of cutting-edge technologies, including AI (Artificial Intelligence), Immersive Technologies (VR/AR/MR) and Virtual Production brought to you by Eirmersive and funded by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland.

Learn about tools such as Animotive, Lureo, Volograms, DeepMotion, LUMA AI, virtual production for 2D animation tool sets and AI-powered 2D-to-3D asset creation.

This workshop will give you insights into how emerging tools can become part of your workflow from a fantastic team made up of Camille Donegan, Sean Burns, Ryan McKenna, Shane Murphy, David Toolan and Jess Harkin.

Whether you’re a professional working in screen, gaming, animation, theatre or a tech-savvy creative or, you’re just curious, this workshop is designed to empower creatives with some of the most cutting-edge tools. Register now!

In this episode of Case Study Corner, Eirmersive CEO Camille Donegan chats with Aaron Jay, CEO & Co‑Founder of Emagine, to explore Rock to Reality — a VR-powered factory tour created for Irish Cement.

Discover how Emagine used immersive storytelling, cinematic capture, 360 imagery, and interactive Unity-based elements to transform Irish Cement’s recruitment and engagement strategy for school leavers and apprentices.

• Why Irish Cement needed a more engaging way to attract apprentices

• How Emagine designed a VR experience for environments that are inaccessible or dangerous in real life

• The persona‑building workshop that shaped the project’s direction

• Behind‑the‑scenes tech: drones, 360° capture, FPV footage & Unity development

Watch the full podcast interview below…

Our all-island innovation journey kicked off with a consortium meeting hosted at the Digital Catapult Digital Twin Centre in Belfast.

PRISM - PRogramme Innovating Spatial technologies in Manufacturing- is a Pilot Support Programme to empower next generation innovations in Manufacturing through piloting advanced Digital Twinning experiments, that leverage Immersive Technologies, data modelling, and AI.

Led by Eirmersive, the PRISM Programme, brings together cross-border partners including Queen's University Belfast, Regional Development Centre, DkIT, Digital Catapult Northern Ireland to support manufacturing companies in adopting cutting-edge technologies – from immersive technologies and AI to digital twins.

PRISM is supported by InterTradeIreland through the Collaborative Innovation Fund, and we’re proud to be building a support programme that delivers real impact for SMEs across the island of Ireland. Stay tuned for what’s next – and if you’re a manufacturing SME, we’d love to connect. Expression of interest simple form here…

We’re kicking off 2026 with something special – the launch of our brand-new Speaker Directory! This exciting addition to our website, located under the ‘Resources’ menu, is designed to showcase the incredible expertise within the Eirmersive community.

The Speaker Directory isn’t just a page – it’s a gateway to opportunity. We’ll be promoting this resource widely throughout the year to help our Members amplify their voices, grow their reputations, and strengthen their personal and professional brands. Whether you’re looking to share your insights or connect with thought leaders, this is your platform.

If you’re an event organiser searching for speakers who can deliver cutting-edge perspectives on spatial storytelling, immersive media, generative AI, no-code tools, digital placemaking, XR, and other emerging technologies, look no further. The Eirmersive Speaker Directory brings together innovators and practitioners ready to inspire audiences and spark meaningful conversations.

Ger Corbett is Chief Executive Officer at Sandyford Business District. At Eirmersive’s Outward event he made a presentation on the Sandyford Business District Digital Twin Project aimed at sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and visualisation.

Project Goals

• Vision: Position Sandyford as Ireland’s leading sustainable business district.

• Engagement: Bring residents, businesses, local authorities, and other stakeholders along on the journey.

• Approach: Use immersive technology and digital twins to show rather than tell—visualisation is key for awareness and reducing objections.

You can watch Ger’s full presentation in the video below.