XR4Europe projects
XR4Europe partners with European projects that shape the future of immersive technologies, from ethical guidelines and interoperable standards to virtual worlds and regional innovation ecosystems. By working with funding programmes like Horizon Europe and regional development initiatives, XR4Europe helps address real-world challenges, empower innovators, and connect XR actors across countries and sectors.
Below you will find an overview of the active initiatives where XR4Europe contributes as partner or associated partner. Each entry highlights the project’s aims, its relevance to the European XR landscape, and ways you can learn more or get involved.
OPENVERSE
OPENVERSE, funded by Horizon Europe, aims to boost EU’s tech sovereignty by creating inclusive and ethical European virtual worlds. It integrates diverse expertise, fosters innovation, and ensures privacy and security. The project combines user co-creation with extended reality tech, addresses legal and ethical challenges, and guides future policies and industry standards for influential virtual worlds.
VR Health Champions
VR Health Champions is a €7.8 million initiative co-funded by the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) instrument under the European Regional Development Fund. This three-year project accelerates the adoption of VR/ AR technologies in healthcare by addressing market barriers in less developed regions.
The initiative focuses on five flagship SMEs such as MEEVA (Italy), MedApp (Poland),
The project is supported by a diverse network of healthcare units, research centres, universities, and industry leaders from Italy, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, and Germany. Instituto Pedro Nunes coordinates the initiative, which is co-ordinated by EIT Health InnoStars.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Coordinator contact details:
Instituto Pedro Nunes | Cristiana Costa & Mariana Domingues
List of participants:
The project consortium consists of 18 Partners from 8 EU Member States, embedded in 9 regional ecosystems. Key contributors include Klaster Life Science Krakow, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz University of Technology, University of Latvia, and hospitals such as Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra. Industry leaders like Medtronic Portugal and Medtronic Ibérica SA, Syreon Research Institute, and RTE Lab, alongside the European initiative XR4Europe, are also supporting the project. It is coordinated by Instituto Pedro Nunes and co-coordinated by EIT Health InnoStars.
VR Health Champions
VR Health Champions is a €7.8 million initiative co-funded by the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) instrument under the European Regional Development Fund. This three-year project accelerates the adoption of VR/ AR technologies in healthcare by addressing market barriers in less developed regions.
The initiative focuses on five flagship SMEs such as MEEVA (Italy), MedApp (Poland),
The project is supported by a diverse network of healthcare units, research centres, universities, and industry leaders from Italy, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, and Germany. Instituto Pedro Nunes coordinates the initiative, which is co-ordinated by EIT Health InnoStars.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
IMPULSE Programme
The European XR Accelerator
IMPULSE is a European XR support programme co-initiated and produced by XR4Europe in close partnership with VRDays Foundation as its main partner. The programme supports creative, research, and early-stage entrepreneurial projects working with immersive and spatial technologies through curated coaching, pitching, and targeted matchmaking embedded within major XR industry events. In 2026, IMPULSE will be produced by XR4Europe and will take place once again at Immersive Tech Week in June, hosted by VRDays. Launched in 2022, IMPULSE operates across two complementary tracks: Content Creation, focused on artistic and cultural XR practices, and Entrepreneurship, supporting research-driven and business-oriented XR initiatives.
XR4HUMAN
XR4HUMAN is an EU-funded project advancing ethical XR design and public trust in immersive technologies. Over three years, it will develop living guidance documents on policy, governance, and interoperability to strengthen Europe’s XR ecosystem. The project will create an online repository to showcase best practices, as well as a rating system and educational resources to support developers and end users in making informed decisions. By addressing regulatory and ethical challenges, XR4HUMAN contributes to building a robust, responsible, and competitive future for European XR innovation.
XR4Human Forum
XR4HUMAN is an EU-funded project advancing ethical XR design and public trust in immersive technologies. Over three years, it will develop living guidance documents on policy, governance, and interoperability to strengthen Europe’s XR ecosystem. The project will create an online repository to showcase best practices, as well as a rating system and educational resources to support developers and end users in making informed decisions. By addressing regulatory and ethical challenges, XR4HUMAN contributes to building a robust, responsible, and competitive future for European XR innovation.
The XR4Human Project produced a Regulatory Gap Analysis that evaluates the relevance of 25 EU legislations on the XR industry. Some appear more impactful than others, but all are worth considering. Below is a digestable 3-page summary of the full report:
LEAPXR
LEAP-XR is a European innovation project funded under the EIT Higher Education Initiative that connects higher education, applied research, and industry to accelerate the responsible development and adoption of extended reality (XR) solutions, with a strong focus on healthcare and entrepreneurship. The project supports learners, educators, and innovators in translating XR research into real-world impact through hands-on experimentation, entrepreneurial skills, and cross-sector collaboration. XR4Europe participates as an associated partner, contributing ecosystem insight and dissemination capacity, alongside its member institution St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, which plays a prominent role in research and implementation activities within the consortium.
Openverse
OPENVERSE, funded by Horizon Europe, aims to boost EU’s tech sovereignty by creating inclusive and ethical European virtual worlds. It integrates diverse expertise, fosters innovation, and ensures privacy and security. The project combines user co-creation with extended reality tech, addresses legal and ethical challenges, and guides future policies and industry standards for influential virtual worlds.
IMPULSE Programme
The European XR Accelerator
IMPULSE is a European XR Accelerator Programme designed to advance projects involving immersive and spatial technologies. It partners with XR4Europe, Virtual Switzerland, and various conferences and festivals to offer matchmaking support for projects. The Programme aids creative projects and businesses through coaching, pitching, and matchmaking opportunities at each partner event. Each event selects its participants and offers unique opportunities, making the Programme diverse and flexible. Launched in 2022 IMPULSE offers two tracks: Content Creation for the artistic ecosystem and Entrepreneurship for research and business.
Startup Wise Guys'
XR Pre-Revenue Program
The Pre-Revenue Program (PRP) is a free eight-week online curriculum for founders and founding teams to help prepare them to join full-time accelerator programs or get their first round of funding. This program is brought to you by Startup Wise Guys with the support of XR4Europe and the XR Crowd.
Startup Wise Guys'
XR Pre-Revenue Program
The Pre-Revenue Program (PRP) is a free eight-week online curriculum for founders and founding teams to help prepare them to join full-time accelerator programs or get their first round of funding. This program is brought to you by Startup Wise Guys with the support of XR4Europe and the XR Crowd.