The drivers of immersive technologies in Catalonia meet at VNG to search and share future projects.
On Friday, a work session was held by the Neapolis immersive reality laboratory, Crea&Play, which brought together more than 35 companies in the sector, in addition to local companies. The meeting focused on the promotion of joint projects with companies that attract funding from the different administrations, such as the Diputació de Barcelona, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Gobierno de España or the European Next Generation funds.
The main objectives of Crea&Play are to create an ecosystem of organizations and industries, develop immersive reality projects, search for business opportunities and facilitate access to financing, among others.
The councilor for Business and Innovation, Conxi Martínez , highlights the importance of companies to consolidate an ecosystem around the laboratory and to create shared projects that can access funding aimed at public-private initiatives. “The digital evolution that all sectors are undergoing is a fact, which is even more visible in the audiovisual sector. In recent years there have been significant changes in all areas, from the most technological part to consumption and transmission models”.
Create&Play is made up of four laboratories: the Holographic lab, coordinated by the i2Cat Foundation, the Creative lab, focused on the application of gamification and creativity to technological and immersive reality projects, the Audiovisual lab, where creation will be enhanced of virtual production projects, and the Immersive Experience lab, which will develop immersive reality projects and seek the involvement of companies to create an ecosystem that facilitates the search for funding and the transfer of technological knowledge.
The councilwoman is committed to Crea&Play “becoming a digital hub that is the spearhead of the use and transmission of the new realities that have been emerging in recent years. To do this, we need the close collaboration of companies to be able to promote these initiatives”. Conxi Martínez emphasizes that the new realities are merging with other sectors such as leisure, technological, health, industrial, “today with this meeting with the most significant representatives of the immersive technology sector we are taking an important and strategic step to strengthen this sector, in which our project takes on special relevance.”
The meeting had the participation of Aleix Cubells , head of the Next Generation EU Office of ACCIÓ of the Generalitat de Catalunya, who explained the funding opportunities for companies from the Next Generation funds, and the work of support offered by the Office. In this framework, from Neàpolis the role that the Crea&Play immersive reality laboratory can play was reinforced, as a facilitator for companies in the search for specialized financing and the promotion of strategic projects.
The second part of the session focused on the active participation of attendees through work in four thematic groups: virtual audiovisual production and video games; tech projects in immersive realities; application of immersive realities to companies in the retail sector and training and education in immersive realities. As conclusions, the high potential of the development of projects in the immersive sector and the current opportunities to finance these projects were identified. Companies were also invited to participate permanently in the groups and form teams for the presentation of specific proposals.
The day closed with networking among the attendees and a visit to the immersive reality laboratory, where it was possible to test the MedGaims immersive tourist experiences project.
