Virtual Worlds Partnership

The European Partnership for Virtual Worlds is a landmark public-private collaboration launched by the European Commission and the Virtual Worlds Association (VWA). Signed in December 2025 under the EU’s Horizon Europe program, this initiative aims to cement Europe’s leadership in next-generation 3D environments, extended reality (XR), and Web 4.0 technologies.

The partnership drives investment to build an open, secure, and sustainable digital ecosystem. The European Commission is funding up to €200 million, an amount matched by at least €200 million from VWA industry and academic members through 2030. Together, this €400 million funding pool helps scale virtual technologies across vital sectors:

• Industry: Deploying advanced digital twins to lower manufacturing costs and reduce environmental impact.

• Healthcare: Creating medical simulations for precise surgical planning and rehabilitation.

• Education & Culture: Developing immersive 3D classrooms and virtual museum experiences.

Unlike commercial metaverses, this initiative is explicitly anchored in European values, fundamental rights, and safety standards. The VWA—which includes founding entities like Siemens, SAP, imec, and KU Leuven—steers the strategy to ensure technological sovereignty and prevent monopoly control over future digital spaces. Ultimately, the partnership translates the EU's Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds Strategy into actionable research, global standardisation, and workforce skills training.