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January 27 2025
Immersive technologies are reshaping how people experience media, weaving their way into society and the economy. But this rapid evolution also raises important policy challenges that demand attention.
Transporting users into lifelike environments where they feel truly “there,” immersive media is transforming how we experience the world. By blending reality with technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), the umbrella of Extended Reality (XR) creates multidimensional spaces for interaction and storytelling. Yet, alongside this rapid evolution come pressing policy challenges—questions of accessibility, funding, and equitable adoption—that must be addressed to ensure these technologies benefit all.
“Cultural and Creative Industries are at the heart of this transformation, unlocking new possibilities for film, music, the arts, and museums. As the global market grows, Europe’s CCIs have a chance to lead, but seizing this opportunity means tackling key challenges with smart policy support,” says Laura Galante EU Public Policy Consultant at Technopolis Group who organised the event.
The ekip Policy Lab in Kosice, Slovakia, on immersive media delved into how research and innovation policies can empower Cultural and Creative Industries to embrace and develop immersive technologies.
Bringing Extended Reality (XR) into Cultural and Creative Industries faces steep challenges: a shortage of specialized skills, limited funding for small businesses, and a fragmented distribution network. High development costs and the lack of scalable, accessible distribution models hinder XR’s potential to transform the industry. For XR to thrive, it needs user-friendly hardware, stronger collaboration between creative and technical professionals, and targeted support to empower SMEs. Addressing these gaps will unlock XR’s ability to revolutionize how we create and experience immersive media.
“In particular, the distribution and scalability of XR technologies for the Creative and Cultural Industries face several critical challenges, limiting their adoption and market impact,” says Laura Galante.
Participants at the event also highlighted significant gaps related to funding models, interoperability, accessibility, and strategic approaches to scaling XR technologies in Europe.
Workshop participants saw the urgent need for shared spaces where creatives and technologists can collaborate effectively. They called for facilitators to bridge communication gaps, align goals, and provide access to resources.
“We discussed the importance of creating dedicated spaces, like labs or incubators, where creatives and technologists can work together. These spaces would help turn ideas into successful market-ready projects by encouraging collaboration and providing support,” says Laura Galante.
The workshop also highlighted critical gaps in XR education and skills development, including outdated curricula, limited vocational training, and a lack of entrepreneurial expertise. The participants called for EU-recognized programs combining technical, creative, and business elements, with hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches.
Uri Aviv, arts producer and curator, highlighted the importance of spaces like ekip Policy Lab in bridging gaps between disciplines. Fields like tech innovation and arts often operate in silos, missing opportunities for collaboration and growth.
Uri Aviv took part at the policy lab. As an arts producer, curator, and programmer, his passion lies at the intersection of technology and art—a space where innovation meets creativity to explore new possibilities.
“Science fiction fuels my imagination and inspires my work, offering a lens through which to examine the future and its interplay with the present”.
Uri Aviv is also co-founder of Utopia, a Tel Aviv-based non-profit dedicated to arts and culture.
“Through events, film festivals, and a magazine, we use storytelling and creativity to spark dialogue about the hopes, fears, and dreams that define our collective vision of tomorrow and VR and XR is most important if we want to make an impact.”
One of the key insights Uri Aviv discussed at the policy lab is the critical role of stability in fostering innovation and growth, particularly for small companies and experimental projects.
“For these endeavors to truly flourish, they require not just funding but consistent, long-term financial support. A smaller, stable allocation over five to seven years is often more valuable than a single large grant with uncertain future backing. Stability enables projects to experiment, iterate, and evolve—allowing industries to transform through trial and error.
Uri Aviv see that spaces like ekip policy lab play a crucial role in fostering these connections, yet outside such environments, sectors like tech innovation and arts and culture often operate in silos.
“To overcome this, we must prioritise learning each other’s “languages”—a shared understanding that extends beyond education into practical applications in business, management, and life. Combined with the stability to sustain these efforts, this approach can drive meaningful innovation and progress.”
The potential for immersive media and cutting-edge technologies revolutionizing of the cinema is immense. Barbora Andor Tothova would know as the owner of a cinema in Kosice.
“For those of us who run cinemas in smaller regions, like Kosice, these innovations represent not just an opportunity, but a lifeline to sustain and evolve our work”.
“The Policy Lab session made me think in entirely new directions—not just in terms of how these technologies could apply to my industry, but also how they could transcend into others”.
The spillover effects—whether in fashion, theater, or inclusive community programming—are profound. These ideas spark inspiration for programs that can be brought to cinema.
“For instance, the possibilities with avatars using sign language for accessibility programs are exciting. Imagine integrating such technologies into our inclusive film festival, which caters to neurodivergent individuals, the visually impaired, and older audiences with cognitive disorders. This could help break down barriers and make cinema more inclusive than ever before.” emphasizes Barbora Andor Tothova.
What stood out most for Barbora Andor Tothova during the day’s discussions was the recognition of the need for sustainable collaboration.
However, the road to realizing these dreams is fraught with challenges.
“In Slovakia, cultural funding and support for new technologies remain sparse, compounded by political instability and systemic neglect of the arts. Immersive media, XR, and similar innovations are not yet part of national strategies, making it difficult to access funding and support for these initiatives”.
Despite this, being part of the European Union provides a glimmer of hope. Programmes like the Creative Europe Audience Development Call allow the country to dream bigger and aim higher. But accessing these resources requires skills, time, and expertise in project management and grant writing—capacities often limited in small regional organizations.
Immersive media is not just a tool; it’s a pathway to keeping stories alive, audiences engaged, and communities connected. While the journey is complex, the dream is clear for Barbora Andor Tothova:
“By working together across borders and disciplines, we can ensure the survival and evolution of independent cinemas like ours in Kosice. In five years from now, I hope we have a cinema thriving with steady audience growth, particularly among younger demographics. Immersive media and XR hold the potential to attract this audience”.
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