Agenda

Description

The Åland Islands, or Åland, is an autonomous region of Finland. Comprising around 6,700 islands, this Swedish-speaking archipelago is in the Baltic Sea. Many young people live across this region and find connecting to youth services and peer groups a challenge, especially in winter.

Barry Haughey (Founder HoloGen, Dublin Ireland) and Mia Hanstrom (Director of SKUNK youth service, Aland Island) partnered in working together to pilot a wide regional youth project using VR. The idea was to demonstrate that existing support for young people can be delivered using immersive technology, bringing the service to the participant. Historically, some young people have been unable to avail of creative, educational and social activities because they were unable to get to a physical environment, we aimed to demonstrate this was no longer the case.

For this pilot, we used the VR platform, Rec Room to create a private youth club and open a weekly meetup where participants, shared stories, played multiuser games and tournaments and even tried some mindfulness. All of these sessions were hosted by experienced youth workers from the Aland region.

In this Talk, we will hear from 2 young people, Kasper Dreyer and Julia Strand, who were participants in the VR pilot and will share some of their experiences, Mia Hanstrom (Director of SKUNK youth service, Aland Island) and Barry Haughey (Founder of HoloGen) who will discuss the growing potential of immersive technology within rural youth work and education.

Speakers

Kasper Dreyer

CEO and founder , SKUNK - Youth Voices in the Archipelago

Mia Hanström

Operations Mgr. , SKUNK - Youth Voices in the Archipelago

Julia Strand

Founding Partner , SKUNK - Youth Voices in the Archipelago

Barry Haughey

Artist/Educator/Founder , Holo/Gen

Description

The productivity metaverse is in the trough of Gartner’s hype cycle and that means it is actually taking off. All around the globe, industries and governments are eagerly pushing and realizing the first benefits of projects leveraging XR. We will share some joint research conducted by Ernst and Young jointly with Nokia that highlights concrete commercial and productivity impacts of XR today. And then – because we are dreamers and innovators– we’ll provide some insights on the road to 6G. What can 6G bring that is already in planning, and how can the XR community ensure 6G addresses its needs and hopes and by the same token take full advantage of the power of a sensing network?

Speakers

Hilary Mine

VP Strategy & Technology , Nokia CX

Michael Danninger

Partner , EY

Description

Unity is a game engine. But it's increasingly being used for scenarios that are more enterprise-y: line-of-business applications, AR/VR systems with server connections. For these areas, Unity's performance-centric architecture is less than ideal.

This talk introduces a real-world tested approach to designing Unity applications in a way that supports clean separation of presentation and logic, support for unit testing (even outside the Unity editor), built on the UniRX framework and my open source MVPToolkit for Unity.

Speakers

András Velvárt

CEO , Response KFT

Description

Get ready to meet a dynamic community of Gen Z Girl XR creators, brought to you by Women in Immersive Tech and moderated by Richard, founder of IVG.World. Discover how they’re reshaping the fast-fashion industry. Allow us to introduce you to Tereze, Marta, Najda, Natalia, and Amelia, who have transformed from newbies to metaverse creators and startup founders. They’re young and fearless. Join us in hearing the insights of the next generation. Welcome to ‘Bad*ss Girls in XR: Fueling Futures.

Speakers

Marta Teivane

Innovation Girls

Najda Musta

Innovation Girls

Amelia Stys

Innovation Girls

Tereze Bogdane

Innovation Girls

Richard Zreik

CIO , Innovation Girls

Natalia Styś

Innovation Girls

Description

Step into a visionary world where architecture and design transcend traditional boundaries. Sahar Fikouhi will explore how augmented reality is poised to revolutionize the way we conceive, create, and experience built environments. Discover how AR blurs the lines between the physical and digital realms, enhancing the creative process and enabling architects and designers to dream bigger and bolder.

Speakers

Sahar Fikouhi

Founder , ARki App

Description

The first full time adopters of AR glasses will be people that are already wearing eyewear on a daily basis. Virtually everyone in this category requires prescription lenses.

In order to allow personalized, prescription AR glasses, mass customization of optics is key. However, this is only part of the picture. This talk will focus on the supply chain that is needed to allow personalized AR glasses for the masses.

There is a lot to learn from an existing supply chain that allows the personalized prescription eyewear that consumers currently have access to. The eyewear industry has solved the problem of delivering personalized glasses by separating the end product into two components; the frame and the lenses.

In the future, AR glasses will be designed in a comparable way to current eyewear; consisting of a smart frame, and smart lenses, containing the display technology.

During this talk we will take a deeper look into the AR ecosystem, and how the development of smart lenses (with integrated light engines) will allow the industry to enable a supply chain that has many parallels with the current eyewear industry.

Specifically, we will focus on how current players in the AR ecosystem will collaborate in the future. Which players will enable smart frames? Which industries will enable the smart lenses, and how? How does software play a role in this?

Speakers

Frank Marsman

Business Developer , Addoptics

Description

Join this diverse group of experts who will debate the various facets of building a future where humans and machines collaborate seamlessly, and XR is the de-facto standards policy for realizing insight for manufacturing, social XR, design, engineering, training, and more.

New processes and methods of communication are being enhanced or formed around a sensational array of technologies. From generative AI systems such as Stable Diffusion (Image Generator) and ChatGPT (Large Language Model) to XR innovations with high visual quality headsets and the efficiencies of cloud computing for rendering, we are experiencing a tsunami of tools that hold the possibility to leapfrog current capabilities.

The discussions will revolve around this fundamental question: how might we create a system using the best of AI and XR to solve current challenges in the industry, given current limitations?

Speakers

Alan Tay

CEO | Co-founder , Illumia Labs

Alina Kadlubsky

Managing Director , Open AR Cloud Europe

Elizabeth Baron

Founder , Immersionary Enterprises

Lisa Maria Wurzinger

Co-Founder & COO , Arrival.Space

Anne Bajart

Deputy Head of Unit , European Commission

Description

We are in times of transition. The old no longer works as it used to and the new does not yet function as desired. On the one hand, this is the great challenge of our time, visible in all facets of our coexistence, on the other hand a great great opportunity. This lecture is a passionate plea to participate in the shaping of the the central issues of the future - and not just to a few decision-makers in politics and business.

Reza Razavi uses examples from the business world and a retrospective look at our history, how great transformations have occurred and also failed. In order for change we need to understand what transformation means. That it is not a top-down optimization of the same, but rather a process of participation and commonality. But where do we start? And who?

The so-called imagos play a special role in any transformation. What Imagos are and how they act and communicate, Reza Razavi vividly explains and makes you want to participate as an Imago in shaping the future.

With his books, workshops and lectures, Reza Razavi touches, moves and inspires people who want to initiate and drive change in companies.

In detail he conveys:

• Why we live in a world of change today and why that is good.
• Why change in business is the key to sustainable success.
• Why change is not a threat, but the path to success and fulfillment for every of each
individual.
• What conditions increase the chances of successful transformation?
• What are the do's and don'ts of a transformation ?
• Which paradigms promote/obstruct ?
• How do we get everyone in the same boat ?
• What does the cooperation model look like with which transformation can succeed?
• Why are own values important guard rails in a transformation?

Speakers

Reza Razavi

National & International Speaker

Description

Join us as we explore how WebGPU makes high-quality graphics accessible to all, eliminating the need for separate app installations on user devices. As an evolution of WebGL, WebGPU offers enhanced XR capabilities, enabling developers to create immersive and visually stunning WebXR experiences. Moreover, you'll have the opportunity to witness a live demonstration showcasing the real-time capabilities of both WebGPU and WebGL on a captivating real-world project.

Speakers

Andrey Ivashentsev

Founder & CEO , Metaplan

Description

At PALFINGER, a leading global manufacturer of lifting equipment, our innovative journey with VR technologies began as an initial exploration for trade fair displays. However, it quickly evolved into something far more significant. Discover how we transitioned from utilizing VR merely as an exhibition tool to harnessing its full potential as a comprehensive training simulation platform. Through this evolution, PALFINGER has elevated crane operator training, offering unparalleled experiences and solutions for our valued customers.

Speakers

Mario Roither

Technology Expert , PALFINGER AG

Andreas Winkler

Product Manager 3D/XR , PALFINGER AG

Description

By replacing avatars with authentic humans, you can truly experience holographic collaboration. It enables deeper personal connections and trust building, specially for greater impact and engagement in employee training and onboarding. We discuss how a volumetric video cloud can help solving scalability and interoperability challenges of live volumetric video, for holograms are only as powerful as their flexibility and accessibility to be consumed on your PC, smartphone, or XR device. Real people, virtually anywhere.

Speakers

Javier Bello Ruiz

CXO & Co-Founder , IMVERSE

Brent Milliken

CEO , IMVERSE

Description

A thought-provoking panel discussion that delves into the fascinating intersection between arts, immersive and emerging technologies, experiences and people, exploring how the creation of new languages is revolutionising content production and reshaping the arts landscape. This panel brings together visionaries, experts, and thought leaders who will delve into the transformative impact of AI, Web3, and immersive interactions on the narrative landscape of the digital age. From augmenting human creativity to reshaping audience engagement, we'll examine the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead and how immersive art, gamified quests, interactive and co-created worlds are shaping new forms of expression and narrative.

By combining artistic and technological skills, ArTechs hybrid curriculum are the main resources to enable the next technological switch and companies’ evolution towards a whole new dimension of creative expression and audience participation.

Speakers

Liz Rosenthal

Curator & Executive Producer , Venice International Film Festival

Elisabetta Rotolo

CEO & Founder , MIAT

Alexandra Payne

Head of Creative , Outernet Global Ltd

Jennifer Bettinger

Responsible Tech Innovation Strategy , Accenture

Fabien Barati

CEO , Emissive / Excurio

Victoria Bousis

Founder, Creative Director , UME Studios

Description

This talk delves into the immersive world of Augmented Reality (AR) content creation and its profound impact on spatial storytelling across diverse industries. We will discuss the untapped potential of AR experiences and discuss using intuitive tools and generative AI to craft captivating AR experiences.

The talk begins with exploring why spatial storytelling matters and how it revolutionises how we engage with the world around us. Attendees will gain insights into the unique power of AR to seamlessly blend digital elements into the real world, creating interactive and emotionally resonant narratives that transcend traditional media formats.

We will delve into the practical aspects of AR content creation. Attendees will learn to harness essential creative tools and user-friendly authoring tools empowering them to build immersive AR experiences with ease. The integration of generative AI tools will be showcased, demonstrating how AI-driven content creation enhances storytelling possibilities and audience engagement.

Spatial storytelling can be leveraged to create next-generation entertainment, interactive educational experiences, and enhanced customer interactions, making it an indispensable tool for anyone seeking to stand out in a competitive market.

Speakers

Adele Keane

COO & Creative Director , Imvizar

Michael Guerin

Founder & CEO , Imvizar

Description

Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to revolutionise education. In this keynote, we will share how GoStudent transforms how students acquire foreign speaking abilities and gain confidence with VR. But how do you make sure that businesses are using nascent technologies for the right reasons? How do you make sure to distinguish hype from sustainable innovation with real impact? In this keynote Alex will also share how he applied processes and learnings stemming from 5 years in Google’s AR/VR unit (Daydream, now known as Google Labs) to guide product development at GoStudent.

Speakers

Alexander Nick

Director Strategic Partnerships & Future Labs , GoStudent GmbH

Description

Tibor Mérey from BCG X and Tina Werro from Swisscom share their experiences on where we currently stand on our journey into an augmented human experience, which elements of the Metaverse flywheel are picking up speed currently, and what we can learn from Swisscom’s own journey as well as the 150+ other companies BCG X supported in order to reap outsized returns in this new world.

Speakers

Tibor Merey

Managing Director and Partner , Boston Consulting Group

Tina Werro

Head of Swisscom Outpost Innovation Programs , Swisscom

Description

Join European creatives, Busterwood and FlatPixel and the Snap AR team to learn how they create imaginative and impactful AR experiences for a global audience. Get a behind-the-scenes look at AR activations that reimagine art and history at the Louvre, and create productivity apps for Spectacles. Donatien Bozon, director of Snap’s AR Studio in Paris, Oscar Falmer, Snap AR Developer Relations lead in Europe, and several European-based AR developers will share their first-hand experience and give you valuable insights that will advance your skills, help build your business, and inspire a new generation of mobile AR.

Speakers

Donatien Bozon

Director, Augmented Reality Studio , Snap, Inc.

Marcin JP

Creative Director , Flat Pixel

Audrey Niochau

Managing Partner , Busterwood

Oscar Falmer

AR Developer Relations Lead, Europe , Snap, Inc.

Description

Extended reality is going mainstream in Africa, benefiting more industries and sectors, including arts, culture and tourism, digital education, entertainment and healthcare services on the continent.
Join this presentation showing how Extended Reality (XR) supports many excellent small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing high-quality immersive experiences powered by software and hardware.
Discover unique use cases and adoption of XR in education, heritage digitization, media and marketing experiences across key regions in Africa and the prospects of the technology in building an inclusive Metaverse for the future.

Speakers

Arome Ibrahim

Executive Director , Immersive Tech Africa

Description

Deutsche Telekom has been using Virtualspeech VR training for years across Europe. This talk will provide the results of key findings as together they navigated introducing VR training to a global organisation. The discussion will cover planning, implementation, challenges, and results, as well as a look into the future of Enterprise training at scale.

Speakers

Sophie Thompson

CEO & Co Founder , VirtualSpeech

Višnja Cicvarić Šonje

Training & Development Specialist , Magenta Telekom

Description

This talk will provide an overview of existing Web3 technologies and the ground reality of their capabilities in supporting XR applications. Web3, powered by blockchain technology, is evolving rapidly, and numerous upcoming features benefit Augmented and Virtual Reality use cases. It is resourceful for the XR developers and the enterprise to be aware of the developments in the Web3 space and explore synergies with decentralized protocols.

Speakers

Radhakrishna Dasari

Technical Education Lead , Web3 Foundation

Description

Join us at the official AWE After Party at Stage 3 for a fantastic opportunity to network and hang out with others from the AWE community!

One way shuttles will be provided from ACV at 18:00 to the venue:
Otto Preminger Straße 3
1030 Vienna

Open to all AWE participants with an AWE badge.