Brussels, BE – Last week, Joan O’Hara, Senior VP of Public Policy at the XR Association, and Miranda Lutz, Director of Public Policy at the XR Association, traveled to Brussels to host a roundtable and conduct individual meetings with key stakeholders to influence the policy debate around immersive technologies. The roundtable featured representatives from the European Commission, XR industry, and civil society to discuss XR policy in light of the European Commission’s strategy on virtual worlds and Web 4.0.
This roundtable provided the opportunity for XRA members and prominent European companies leveraging XR for industrial purposes the opportunity to engage directly with Commission officials implementing the strategy. Participants were supportive of the EU government’s effort on virtual worlds and discussed the need for the government to create opportunities for industry input. The roundtable also included a robust discussion of the need for investments in research and digital skills as well as international cooperation on standards and industry best practices in order to realize the full potential of immersive technologies.
The Policy Team also met 1:1 with Members of the European Parliament, officials from the European Commission and the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the EU, and influential thought leaders. XRA shared insights from our latest research paper, “Reality Check: Why the U.S. Government Should Nurture XR Development,” and encouraged European policymakers to work with the U.S. and other like-minded allies to create consensus on standards, governance, and regulation impacting XR technology.
