On Wednesday, the European Commission presented the strategy for web4.0 and virtual worlds at a special high-level event. Roberto Viola, Director Geneal of DG CONNECT presso European Commission was a guest at the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport online.
Afterwards there was the possibility to ask questions directly to Rehana Schwinninger-Ladak , Head of the Unit “Interactive Technologies, Digital for Culture and Education” (European Commission/Luxembourg Government).
In addition, the Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, Volker Wissing, emphasized in his keynote speech what progress has already been made on the issues in Germany and where there is a need for action. Highlighted #BuildingInformationManagement and #DigitalTwins.
At the end there was a panel discussion moderated by Ben Brake with experts discussing VR, AR & so called Metaverse applications from Siemens and Deutsche Bahn on the one hand and focusing on Challanges and opportunities when using platforms like Metas Horizons on the other hand. Sebastian Klöß from Bitkom supplemented the debate with study results and emphasized that we in Germany are not doing so badly as far as the content side is concerned and the companies that are increasingly taking the topic of web3/4, metaverse and immersive technologies seriously and integrating them into their value creation.
A great digression with experts from business, civil society and politics that is worth continuing. From the point of view of our Foundation Metaverse Europe, I would like to see the topic of ethics take a stronger place in the dialogue.
Not just thinking about: what all have we already achieved and what should NOT be regulated, if any, but lifting the gaze and directing the view to a potentially exponentially growing metaverse, recognizing the associated dangers early on and developing recommendations for action, THAT would be super helpful. That’s what we’re working on as a nonprofit foundation; feel free to post questions and ideas in the comments. Everyone can contribute so that we in Europe do not miss this unique opportunity of “value preservation” in the digital.
