WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, April 21, 2021, the XR Association (XRA) – the trade association representing the broad ecosystem that powers the virtual, augmented, and mixed reality industries – submitted for the public record a statement advocating for the inclusion of immersive technology among the ten key technologies designated by the newly reintroduced Endless Frontier Act.
The bipartisan, bicameral Endless Frontier Act moves to solidify the United States’ leadership in scientific and technological innovation by doubling down on the discovery, creation, and commercialization of ten identified “technology fields of the future.” Notably absent from the list of ten key focus areas – each poised to receive an influx of federal R&D funding – is immersive technology, despite its transformative impact and inextricable links to the development of other identified solutions such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced communications.
“Immersive technology is absolutely essential to U.S. competitiveness on the global stage – in itself as applied to domestic manufacturing, national security, health, education, agriculture, transportation, and workforce development – and as a catalyst to the development of adjacent technology fields,” said XRA CEO Liz Hyman. “The number one legislative priority of the XR industry is the inclusion of immersive technology as one of the ten key focus areas in the Endless Frontier Act. We call on Congress to make this change to the bill.”
To account for the projected cross-sector impact of immersive technologies, as well as their synergistic effect on the development of adjacent technologies named in the Endless Frontier Act, the XR Association urges Congress to amend the bill to include immersive technology alongside key technology focus area number six: advanced communications technologies.
Learn more about the XR industry’s proposed change to the Endless Frontier Act.
