Keynote Speakers
Matthieu Worm
Siemens
MSc in Industrial Design Engineering – Delft University of Technology, MBA – Antwerp Management School, Distinguished Key Expert - simulation & digital twin at Siemens
President of the Virtual Worlds Association
The Virtual Worlds partnership, for collaboration and coherency
Abstract: This year, the long awaited Co-programmed European Partnership for Virtual Worlds is to be realized. This summer, the Virtual Worlds Association has been created, being the legal entity representing industry and academia in the public private partnership with the European Commission. In parallel, the first version of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda got released, which serves as guidance for the creation of future research calls. In this talk, Matthieu will give an update on the latest developments and the opportunities for becoming part of the community. Moreover, he will give insight in the ambitions. Core is the conviction that joining forces and driving coherency across country borders, across segments and across academia and industry will result in accelerated realization of Virtual Worlds, to solve real world problems.
Bio: Matthieu Worm is distinguished key expert in the domain of Simulation & Digital Twin research & pre-development in Siemens since 2022. He drives consistency and coherency in Siemens’ research and technology roadmap shaping the Industrial Metaverse, focusing on foundational research, business value and end-user applications. Next to this role, he is president of the Board of Directors of the new Virtual Worlds Association: representing industry and academia towards the European Commission, establishing the new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda.
He joined Siemens Digital Industries Software in 2016 to drive the simulation and test solutions portfolio strategy for autonomous vehicle development and is co-founder of Simulytic. Before working at Siemens, he was engineering manager at Moog, developing high-end driving simulators and automotive test equipment. Matthieu started his working career at Toyota Motor Europe as vehicle safety engineer. He earned a master’s degree in Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology and completed an MBA at Antwerp Management School.
Anne Bajart
Deputy Head of Unit at DG CONNECT of the European Commission.
We are pleased to announce that Anne Bajart, Deputy Head of Unit at DG CONNECT of the European Commission, will give a keynote talk titled "EU Strategy and Activities". Her presentation will provide valuable insights into the European Union’s strategy and initiatives in the field.
EU Strategy and Activities
David Nahon
Dassault Systèmes
Navigating the future of XR: Bridging industry and consumer worlds
Abstract: This presentation explores how societal and technological trends - such as virtual twins, generative AI,sustainability, and XR consumerization - are reshaping the consumer goods market. These innovations are driving a shift towards a new paradigm: On-Demand, Locally Manufactured, and Customized offers. By leveraging virtual twins across product design, advertising, supply chains, and user experiences, businesses can deliver hyper-personalized solutions that meet evolving consumer expectations. This approach emphasizes sustainability, co-creation, and the ability to produce tailored goods closer to the end-user, fostering a deeper connection between brands and their audiences.
Bio: David Nahon has been a pioneer in the commercial history of software solutions for VR, having directed the development of the first Immersive Room running on PCs (the SAS Cube in 2001) and the first commercial game engine for VR (Virtools VR Pack in 2003). Since 1995, he has built dozens of immersive user experiences for public exhibitions (beginning with Z-A.net) and has been actively involved in the VR scientific community, giving him a highly qualified view on both technologies and human factors. Within Dassault Systèmes’ community of innovation Labs, David incubates new business experiences, researching value in the 12 industries addressed by the group, leveraging the network of emerging technology partners he animates David is also a key animator of the global French XR community, having co-funded AFXR.org, the leading French scientific association on eXtended Reality (XR), and the CNXR.fr, the federation of XR general and economic associations.