European XR in a Global Context

Michael Barngrover is the Managing Director at XR4Europe and a leader within international communities. He has recently been selected as an expert representative for the European Commission’s DG CNECT Studies on Critical Digital Technologies. This initiative will shape Europe’s digital strategy for 2028-2040, focusing on emerging and strategic technologies crucial for research, deployment, and adoption. Through focus groups, Delphi surveys, and foresight workshops, these studies will identify key investment priorities to maintain Europe’s leadership in digital innovation.

Eirmersive was honoured to have Michael deliver the keynote address at ‘Outward’ in Dublin where he painted a comprehensive picture of European XR in a Global Context. The following is a summary of the key points from his presentation but we absolutely encourage you to watch the full presentation below.

The Importance of XR in Europe

• XR (Extended Reality) remains a strategic priority for the European Commission.

• The term "Virtual Worlds" now encompasses VR, AR, XR, and the Metaverse.

• The European Commission is committed to ensuring that XR develops in alignment with European cultural values.

• A "Virtual World Partnership" is being developed to guide strategic research investments.

European Funding & Horizon Projects

• XR is receiving significant funding through the Horizon Europe program.

• Over 80 active or soon-to-be-active Horizon projects involve XR.

• Cascade funding makes Horizon grants more accessible to startups and SMEs, offering between €100,000 to €200,000 for short-term projects.

• Notable Horizon projects include Transmixr, OpenVerse, Sermas, VoxReality, XR Industry, and Cortex 2.

Case Studies: XR Development Across Europe

1. Finland

   • Launched the world’s first national XR/metaverse strategy.

   • Strong end-to-end ecosystem from hardware to software.

   • Events like Slush and Match XR drive investment and startup visibility.

2. Spain

   • A grassroots-driven ecosystem with strong XR export services.

   • Major focus on Central & South America due to linguistic ties.

   • Strong support for trade delegations to global XR events like VR Days.

3. Bulgaria

   • Small domestic market, so companies focus entirely on exporting XR services.

   • Key growth markets: USA, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

   • Government-supported initiatives like CreaTech Summit help connect Bulgarian XR with European markets.

XR Trade & Global Positioning

• Europe has a highly interconnected XR market, with strong internal trade.

• The United States is the largest external market for European XR exports.

• Countries with proactive trade delegations and national strategies have a competitive edge.

Role of XR4Europe

• Emerged from the XR4All Horizon project to support European XR startups.

• Works on projects like XR4Human and OpenVerse to help XR development align with European values, to define it as different and thereby more valuable, and more desirable.

• Facilitates research, thought leadership, and startup support through national and regional XR associations.

• Collaborates with organizations like EuroXR, OpenAR Cloud, and Euromersive.

Closing Message

• Encourages strong local engagement with national XR associations.

• Advocates for collaboration at the European level to drive global competitiveness.

• Calls for continued industry support and active participation to strengthen Europe's XR ecosystem.

Michael’s presentation received tremendously positive feedback so do make sure to watch the full recording below. We can’t thank him enough for making the trip to Dublin to share his expertise with the Eirmersive community.