We had a fantastic few days in Tralee delivering the first in our new series of Immersive Futures workshops, where we shared Immersive Technology, AI and Virtual Production workflows, platforms and tools with the participants, including Virtual Production for animation platform Animotive and Augmented Reality Spatial Storytelling Trails builder platform Lureo.

After the workshop we were delighted to get a site visit at the AgriTech Centre of Excellence (ACE). We were very impressed by the 180 projector and screen setup as well as the multiple VR kits for use with clients, students and school groups. The team at ACE and MTU are building immersive solutions for companies of all sizes in the region and with Kevin Maye and some very talented interns, they are exploring R&D of the latest tech from interactive AI powered avatars, 180 stereoscopic video and some footage to live streaming of volumetric humans.

To address the psychological needs of children with chronic illnesses in Children’s Health Ireland, an innovative Forest Hospital is being developed by the Psychology Department. There will be three phases to the forest hospital intervention. The second phase will be a forest workshop on the rooftop of the new children’s hospital. The first phase is a virtual reality experience of the forest, which inpatient children who are too sick to attend the forest activities can access.

This week the UCD Media and Entertainment Lab hosted the Forest Hospital clinical psychology team from Children's Health Ireland, and Eirmersive was delighted to join the discussion. The project, is in collaboration with NUI Galway and Barretstown.

The immersive technology sector in Ireland is booming, and thanks to Creative Ireland’s support, Eirmersive had the incredible opportunity to showcase the best of what our talented creators and innovators have to offer at Ireland House at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin Texas from 9th – 11th March 2025. This included Eirmersive member companies having the opportunity to meet with and present to Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

For those unfamiliar with SXSW, it is one of the most influential global events for creativity, technology, and innovation. Attendees from all over the world gather in Austin, Texas to discuss, discover, and celebrate the future of industries ranging from tech to music, film, and interactive media. What makes it unique is…

While hosting a delegation of members at Stereopsia in December, Eirmersive CEO Camille Donegan was interviewed by OPENVERSE partners about the ways that we’re growing the ecosystem and collaboration opportunities:

“We’re here to put Ireland on the map, to show that Ireland has a really thriving ecosystem, lots of great companies that are very talented. We’re interested in being involved in European projects. Ireland is a small country, but we have a very connected tech and creative ecosystem, so we can quickly bring groups together for working groups, where we can have tangible results in a streamlined way quite quickly.” ~Camille Donegan

The purpose of OPENVERSE is to establish European Virtual Worlds characterised by openness, transparency, inclusivity, ethical and environmental responsibility, and to enhance EU’s technological sovereignty.

We asked attendees at Outward why they attended and what they got out of the event. Their answers reminded us of of what makes our community so special; and that’s you, all of you who are a part of our amazing network! Here’s a sampling of the comments but watch the full video to learn why you might like to become a member of Eirmersive, to receive invites and discounts to events like this:

“I saw this advertised today, it looked like a great opportunity to get back in and to get more involved in VR technology again and see the new opportunities that this will bring for people in media backgrounds like myself. I found it brilliant, a lot of people have been great to talk to, the talks have been very informative and it's great to see new development and just the number of people of different backgrounds here to be able to talk to them to understand what they're doing and then to derive ideas from that.”

When we brought our first international delegation of members to Stereopsia 2024 in Brussels, Eiremersive Camille Donegan was invited by the organizers to a ‘fireside chat’ interview. We were delighted to share how the event enabled our members to connect, network, and showcase their work to Stereopsia’s international audience. Watch the interview here.

Eirmersive has been proudly showcasing Ireland’s top immersive content creators and technology innovators at SXSW, the annual event in Austin, Texas that celebrates the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture.

Eirmersive CEO Camille Donegan, highlighted Ireland’s leadership in immersive storytelling, technology, and innovation. Eight pioneering member companies demonstrated their world-class work across marketing, entertainment, education, and beyond, captivating SXSW attendees with groundbreaking projects.

Our FREE Immersive Futures Workshop is coming to Co. Kerry on March 26th! 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, 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. Bring your own laptop so you can follow along and gain hands-on experience with the tech!

Irish toy company HoloToyz, has announced an exciting new partnership with Mattel, the owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world, bringing Barbie and Hot Wheels further into the new era of Augmented Reality (AR) play. This collaboration marks a major milestone for HoloToyz, following the incredible success of the Barbie movie and Mattel’s continued innovation in the toy industry.

In a world-first, HoloToyz will launch an AR Fashion Dress-Up Barbie Set, allowing kids to dress Barbie in a selection of magnetic outfits and watch the doll come to life in 3D animation, wearing the exact outfit they chose. With a simple tap, children can place a fully animated Barbie in their room, interact and even take photos and videos beside her — bridging the gap between physical and digital play like never before.

Eirmersive is delighted to announce not one but two spotlighting opportunities for their Immersive company members at Ireland House at SXSW. First:

Ireland House Opening Night, 7-10pm Sunday 9th March, Marlow, 700 E 6th St, Austin: Where Innovation + Imagination Collide. Join us for a gathering of the creative industries in celebration of storytelling through screen and extended realities. Showcase and demonstrations from Eirmersive and Screen Ireland.

Second, we’re hosting a panel discussion with our members on 'The Power of Spatial Storytelling in Learning, Tourism and Entertainment' at Ireland House at SXSW on Tues 11th March at 11:15am, where we’ll explore how Ireland’s leading immersive technology companies are harnessing the power of Virtual and Augmented Reality to craft memorable and impactful experiences across sectors.

Julia Bruton, a German/Irish VR creator, producer and writer is founder of VR Women, a platform and podcast shining a light on a female perspective of VR. Julia founded VR Women to show how immensely complex this new medium is and what lies beyond the questions of technical issues for his medium.

"Believing VR is an amazing medium for female ways to dive deep into research, creation and production I'm curious about your thoughts and new ideas. If you have a topic you'd like to discuss on the podcast or show on the website please get in touch. Lets shape this medium and its future together"

Foróige’s GoVirtual and GoSonic teams attended the Digital Education Conference at SETU Waterford in December 2024. The innovative Foróige GoDigital offerings were met with great enthusiasm and recognition for their contributions to digital youth engagement.

They highlighted a pioneering collaborative pilot programme in partnership with Music Generation Galway City, Foróige’s GoDigital, GoVirtual, and GoSonic programmes, and Tusla Family Services in Galway. This initiative used virtual reality (VR) to provide innovative youth work and music education. The programme engaged socially isolated young people who face barriers in accessing youth work services.

Volograms for Academia is part of Open Call 2 in Imagine-B5G. The project is exploring the innovative application of volumetric video and WebAR to bring immersive educational content closer to a wider audience.

Utilising Volograms' AI-powered volumetric video technology and leveraging the high-speed capabilities of 5G networks, we aim to enable educators to create, share, and access immersive educational experiences with unprecedented ease and accessibility.Volumetric video captures subjects in 3D, allowing for the creation of lifelike holograms that can be viewed from any angle. By integrating this technology with WebAR, Volograms eliminates the need for specialised VR/AR headsets. Instead, students and educators can interact with volumetric holograms using everyday devices like smartphones and tablets.

Innovision Media played a pivotal role in the development of an advanced VR experience for Codling Wind Park, one of Ireland’s largest offshore wind projects.

By transforming complex project data into an immersive, interactive virtual environment, they enabled stakeholders to explore the proposed development in unprecedented detail. This innovative approach allowed decision-makers, planners, and the public to engage with the project more intuitively, fostering transparency and deeper understanding.

Imvizar recently launched Hexahedron, Ireland’s largest augmented reality art installation, created in collaboration with internationally renowned artist Maser and supported by Dublin City Council as part of the European Capital of Smart Tourism programme. Transforming Charlemont Square into a vibrant digital canvas, Hexahedron invites audiences to step inside Maser’s artwork and experience the space through a fusion of art and spatial storytelling.

The location-based experience begins as users walk through a stone archway, phone in hand, unlocking vibrant animations that flow across the square, seamlessly integrating with the surrounding architecture. Hexahedron is free to download on the Imvizar app for iOS and Android and works exclusively on-site at Charlemont Square.

Eirmersive member IMVA (Irish Museum of Virtual Art) collaborated with Sean Burns on a project with the Creative Futures Academy (CFA) based at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT). They utilised Augmented Reality (AR) technology in an empty gallery space to showcase students' art and designs.

Additionally, they conducted a class for lecturers on incorporating this type of technology and AI into their teaching, enabling them to pass on the knowledge to future students. “This technology is improving at a fast pace, with new developments emerging daily”, said IMVA co-founder Daithi Magner.

Research Ireland and the UK Research and Innovation Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) recently hosted a scoping workshop in Birmingham to explore new opportunities for interdisciplinary bilateral collaboration in creative industries research.

The scoping workshop brought together UK and Irish stakeholders with an interest and experience in research into the creative industries, creative skills and capacity building and creative communities in the UK and Ireland.

It was a privilege for Eirmersive to be part of these important and rich conversations with so many brilliant minds in one room. We’re looking forward to the continuation of the conversation and seeing how combined collaborative programmes across the UK and Ireland can support and elevate the Cultural and Creative Industries in both countries.

Announcing our next 'Lunch & Learn' webinar, an exclusive for Eirmersive members on developing and protecting Intellectual Property around immersive technologies, featuring Gemma Forde of Byrne Wallace Shields & Declan Fahy of HoloToyz.

Gemma Forde advises on corporate governance, legal structure, fundraising / licensing, commercial contracts, data protection, employment law to charities, non for profit entities and social enterprises. She will speak about the various types of intellectual property and developing and protecting your IP portfolio.

Declan Fahy is the Founder and Sales Director of HoloToyz, "driving innovation in interactive play". He will also share insights on the importance of IP from HoloToyz journey, offering practical tips for start ups looking to protect and capitalise on their innovations.

We're very grateful to Creative Ireland for featuring Eirmersive in a new film about the power of creativity and the impact of their support for groups and agencies such as ourselves -

"Creativity is not a luxury, it's an asset and an opportunity.. We support creative industries with great potential, like games, AR/VR, design - commercial creative agencies driving innovation and economic development... Our collaborations have strengthened the creative ecosystem, increased understanding of the power of creativity and brought creative approaches into new areas of Government"

Watch the short film below -

By Camille Donegan

Monumental moments are becoming a regular part of the Eirmersive calendar.

Following our network launch in Sept 2024 with Minster Dara Calleary and a large representation from the wider immersive ecosystem, the industry in Ireland has come together, in the form of Eirmersive members, as if they have been magnetised.

Eirmersive is receiving funding from Creative Ireland as part of the Digital Creative Industries Roadmap, it's Forum and related actions and subgroups. We are proud and honoured to be at that table and to bring the needs and wants of our industry to the conversation with government.

I am also proud to have been nominated by the Eirmersive board to be CEO as of 1st Jan 2025.