Recently, Ecorys and the XR Association published their super-detailed, super-insightful report into the state of the XR industry in Europe. It’s a follow-up to a report in the same vein from 2017 and draws on the input of XR companies all over Europe.

Despite the impact of Covid-19, the outlook for the industry remains positive: it’s expected to add between €20 - €40 billion by 2025 to the European economy; unsurprisingly, XR is perfectly-poised to drive economic recovery and growth in the wake of the pandemic; and beyond Covid-19, XR can contribute to environmental sustainability too.

It all backs up what we’ve been seeing over the past year at Igloo: we’ve fielded enquiries from, then carried out installations for, companies looking to digitally transform their workplaces, companies looking to become more sustainable, and we’re seeing the trend too for more-and-more enterprise use cases over commercial ones. Below, we’ve dug into some of the findings in the report and added our own thoughts from our ‘shared immersive space’ perspective.

How XR contributes to digital transformation

What they say

As you’d expect, XR is a key factor in the ongoing digital transformation occurring globally - and accelerated by the pandemic. The report points out that benefits stem from the increased efficiency and competitiveness of companies, proportional to their level of digitalisation (along with the creation of new jobs), in a range of industries including manufacturing, collaborative working, training, health and safety.

What we say

It’s what we’ve always found at Igloo too - by taking digital content and putting it into a shared space that anyone can step inside, whole groups and teams can benefit from the content at the same time, whether it’s a training simulation, a project planning meeting, and so on. There are no physical barriers to face-to-face eye contact and collaboration in an Igloo.

Plus, as the report mentions, immersive technologies can be used to conduct virtual meetings, remote guidance, and supervision, all in a way that allows for deeper interaction with participants. With Igloo’s immersive video conferencing solutions, remotely-based colleagues can interact with those onsite, with a real sense of presence - as well, of course, as saving time, money, and emissions on travel.

Igloo integrates with video conferencing tools that facilitate hybrid work

Drivers for transformation

What they say

The report explores the drivers behind implementation of XR in various industries and companies, such as the economic and time savings, the education potential and enhanced interaction with clients.

What we say

Again, it all ties into what we’ve found at Igloo. By bringing in teams into an Igloo shared immersive space, meetings can be more efficient, getting more done in less time (as in the case of Lendlease, which cut decision-making time by weeks).

Igloo spaces can enhance training and teaching, by recreating scenarios that are too dangerous or costly to do otherwise (check out how Lanes Group achieved a £1m reduction in training costs).

And immersive technology is an effective marketing and sales tool - as well as the wow-factor, Igloo technology can offer ways to experience products before they even exist (for example, Cushman & Wakefield used an Igloo cylinder for its sales and marketing suite to showcase unbuilt developments).

Lanes Group uses Igloo Shared VR to train new recruits

XR and other key technologies

What they say

While the EU hasn’t specifically launched any initiatives around XR, it’s taking steps to promote other technologies that feed into the overall potential for XR, such as AI, 5G, the Internet of Things, big data, digital twins, and so on.

What we say

For us at Igloo, we’re super excited to see these technologies grow - particularly in the case of 5G, which we’ve made use of on multiple occasions for various projects (such as with Optus and Telstra), and which opens up a whole new realm of possibilities for XR and immersive experiences.

When it comes to the Internet of Things, with more-and-more real world objects being connected, their data can be shared back to the digital metaverse - feeding into the creation of digital twins, all of which could be hosted inside an Igloo immersive space and interacted with there.

We worked with Telstra on 360° live streaming powered by its 5G network

Taking digital transformation to the next level

What they say

The report points out that there are barriers to implementing XR in industry, due to misconceptions about technical difficulty, costs, needing new personnel dedicated to XR, as well as persistent issues with headsets, such as motion sickness or lack of comfort.

What we say

Here, Igloo technology can offer solutions - for example, we’ve been used by clients for training to get around the constraints of VR headsets. Plus Igloos are designed with usability in mind, with applications like Igloo Home and Igloo Touch aimed at making it super-easy for anyone to get started.

And with our ever-growing range of integrations, Igloos can be used for an ever-increasing range of use cases - so an Igloo isn’t tied into one team or department, and the upfront costs can benefit entire companies.

Igloo Touch is an intuitive way to interact with content in an Igloo

XR and sustainability

What they say

Finally, the report delves into the myriad benefits that XR can offer in terms of sustainability - reducing waste of resources in designing, prototyping, and manufacturing, as well as in training scenarios that would otherwise require physical resources, plus the benefits to be had in bringing people together virtually, without the need for generating emissions through travel.

What we say

And it almost goes without saying that an Igloo shared immersive space can do all of the above, with the ability of sharing the benefits with whole teams at a time, who can collaborate, discuss, and plan face-to-face.

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A big shout out to the XR Association and Ecorys on this report - it’s incredibly detailed and insightful, so, once again, we’d really encourage you to give it a read.

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What are you looking for today?

1. Find out how Igloo technology can work for you
   Explore our range of products, including cubes, domes, cylinders, immersive workspaces and Immersive Media Players.
   
   Find out how the Igloo software can take any content from any source in any format and put it into a shared immersive space.
   
   Understand more about the applications for Igloo immersive technology, including collaboration, simulation, visualisation, and experiences.
   
   Check out our collection of case studies and our videos for inspiration.
   
   
2. Learn how you can partner with us
   We’re always on the lookout for content creators who live and breathe the immersive medium - and so our are clients. So, we’d love to hear from you!
   
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