Extended Reality (XR) connects real and virtual worlds, enabling new applications for industry, education, healthcare and society. From 2 to 6 November 2026, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT will participate in several events during XR Week in Valencia as a founding member of both the European Association for eXtended Reality (EuroXR) and the Virtual Worlds Association (VWA), a Europe-wide alliance of leading companies, universities and research organisations.
First Virtual Worlds Partnership Annual Forum
The first annual forum of the Virtual Worlds Partnership (VWP), established in 2025 as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the Virtual Worlds Association (VWA), serves as a central meeting point for the European XR ecosystem. This year, it will take place on 2 and 3 November as a satellite event of the EuroXR conference in Valencia. The forum will address strategic topics, showcase demonstrators from a range of application areas, and foster cross-sector alliances for future interactive systems. It will also provide opportunities for brokerage and networking around the upcoming EU call HORIZON-CL4-2027-04-HUMAN-01, “Advanced and innovative hardware components for Virtual Worlds”.
VWA and VWP are currently establishing their first working groups, addressing technological, application-oriented and societal topics as well as standardisation and interoperability. Another goal is to provide start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises with low-threshold access to the European Virtual Worlds ecosystem. Vice-President Dr Leif Oppermann, a researcher at Fraunhofer FIT, summarises the vision: “Virtual Worlds are the next evolutionary stage of digital collaboration – bringing people, AI and Digital Twins together in shared spaces. What matters is that Europe plays an active role in shaping these spaces to be open, interoperable and human-centric.”
The new VWA Community Demonstration Space shows how this vision can be experienced in practice. This interactive exhibition and meeting space allows participants to experience applications and technologies first-hand, learn more about them, and engage directly with experts.
Further information on the VWP Annual Forum 2026:
23rd EuroXR Conference in Valencia
Starting on 3 November, the 23rd EuroXR Conference will form the main event of XR Week. More than a purely scientific conference, it is a meeting place for a growing European community that connects across borders and jointly helps shape the future of XR applications in areas such as immersive learning, virtual collaboration and numerous other fields. Fraunhofer FIT researchers will contribute scientific work and represent the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as well as VWA and VWP.
The programme focuses on technological developments and practical demonstrations as well as human factors. Topics range from user studies and evaluation to 3D user interfaces, emerging effects and new forms of interaction. The conference thus provides a platform for exploring current XR trends and their potential for industry and society.
Further information on the programme is available on the EuroXR Conference website.
XR for Challenging Environments Workshop
The week is complemented by the second international XR for Challenging Environments Workshop. It focuses on how XR-based training and technological augmentation can assist people working in high-risk environments.
Challenging domains such as disaster response, public safety, advanced manufacturing and space missions demand high levels of human performance under stress. The workshop therefore explores how XR solutions can meaningfully support people in demanding contexts. Reports and experiences from the field provide valuable insights into the technology’s practical benefits.
Further information on the workshop series: XR for Challenging Environments