Think Tank: Extended Realities (XR) and immersive technologies
What opportunities do extended reality (XR) technologies offer? Are they simply a new form of entertainment, or are they paving the way for cross-disciplinary uses capable of transforming our habits as profoundly as the web and social networks have done?
Why did Numana choose this project?
When Facebook changed its name to Meta in 2021, the ecosystem of eXtended Realities (XR) technologies was thrust to the forefront of the media scene. The metaverse has become a widespread word, inhabited by all the aspirations that numerous works of science fiction have placed in the collective imagination, and then, rather quickly in the face of the first widely mediatized products of a large number of disillusions.
Between excitement and disillusionment, we felt it essential to sort out the situation to highlight the role that Quebec, extremely well placed in the ecosystem thanks to its talents in digital creation and AI, can play in this new industry. And to highlight concrete actions that will support its growth.
XR brings together three separate technologies:
Virtual reality: Immersive technologies that offer fully computer-generated virtual environments.
Augmented reality: Technologies that superimpose digital elements on the real world.
Mixed reality: technologies that capture real-world data and integrate it into virtual environments.
This set of technologies covers a very broad field of potential uses, making them potentially as transversal as the Internet. This Ideas Lab has therefore brought together experts in the field to produce a comprehensive representation of the potential impacts of these technologies, as well as the issues involved in developing a strong ecosystem.
It concludes with a proposed ecosystem support strategy for the Quebec government.
With regard to integrating XR into the development of our living environments, the committee chose to follow the recommendations of our Quartiers Empathiques study (create link to study page).
In response to the recommendation to modernize infrastructures, Numana will be launching a think tank on new-generation telecoms networks in 2025, and we will be following the recommendations that emerge from it.
Our panel of experts included :
- Alexandre Teodoresco, Director, Strategic Development and Innovation, Les 7 doigts de la main
- George Efthimiopoulos, Director, Innovation and Research Programs, Ciena
- Bertrand Nepveu, Managing Partner, Triptyq Capital
- Harold Dumur, President and Co-founder, OVA
- Stephane Rituit, President and Co-founder, Felix & Paul
- Anne Fossier, Production Manager, DNEG
- Callum Lootsma, President, Wanderloots
- Tiago Falk, Professor, INRS
- Aurélie Pinceloup, Director, Strategy, Experience and Technology, Colab
- Observers
- Sophie Breton, Conseillère en pratiques et technologiesémergentes, Ministère de la Cybersécurité et du Numérique
- Pierre-Adrien Gauthier-Marcil, Conseiller socio-économique- Jeu vidéo/Blockchain/VR/VFX, Ministère de l’Économie,de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie
Finally, Numana will be collaborating with INRS to create a digital twin of a neighborhood that will be used by urban planning laboratories and made accessible to industry players.
If you have projects in which you would like to collaborate with our committee, please contact us.
14
participating organizations
142G$
Estimated global income in 2030
