• Welcome address: Anne Bajart, Deputy Head of EC Unit G.2: Interactive technologies, Digital for Culture & Education
• New NEM Initiative Strategy, Mike Matton, VRT / NEM Chair

Standards are essential to unlock large‑scale adoption of Extended Reality. Without common references, the ecosystem risks fragmentation, with incompatible devices, content that cannot move easily between platforms, and inconsistent user experiences that undermine trust. This session will highlight the current state of XR standardization and future opportunities, illustrated with several ongoing efforts covering both technical foundations and human‑factors‑related activities.

• The VDC’s Virtual Worlds Standards Register: current state and outlook towards XR compliance assessments, Christoph Runde, Virtual Dimension Center (VDC)
• Human Factors standards in XR from ISO and ITU on virtual worlds, Pilar Orero, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
• ETSI ISG ARF, building interoperable AR applications anchored to the real world thanks to a reference architecture, open APIs and open source implementations, Jérémy Lacoche, Orange
• Beyond point clouds and meshes: MPEG standardization of Gaussian Splat coding, Marius Preda, Institut Mines Telecom

Capacity building is a priority in the current fast-evolving media landscape. As emerging technologies reshape media production, distribution, and access, they generate new professional opportunities while simultaneously demanding new and continuously evolving skills. Media professionals are increasingly required not only to master innovative tools, but also to understand their social impact and implications for diverse audiences. In this context, capacity building extends beyond the adaptation of established formal education programmes to include flexible upskilling and reskilling initiatives that foster meaningful collaboration between academia, industry, and society.

• Introduction, Anna Matamala, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona/AccessCat
• Capacity-building strategies in immersive media, Fotis Liarokapis, CYENS. VIWAS project – The Virtual Worlds Academy coordinator
• Reaching New Audiences through Easy News: Identifying and Enhancing New Skills – Insights from the ENACT Project, Veronika Rot, journalist at RTVSLO and leader of the ENACT project
• AI in media: reskilling and upskilling in a fast-evolving landscape, Sarah McDonagh, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, TransMedia Catalonia, ALFIE Project
• VOPUS project: Culture and new skills in VW, Ian Biscoe, Transdisciplinary Design Networks/ TransRealities Lab, Design Academy Eindhoven.
• Panel and audience discussion

The session on Media Technologies for Other Sectors will explore how advanced media technologies are increasingly acting as cross-sectoral enablers beyond traditional media industries. It will highlight applications in domains such as urban innovation, health, and manufactory where AI, XR, and data-driven media are transforming operations and decision-making. The session will emphasise integration, interoperability, and real-world deployment. It will also address strategic dimensions such as European technological sovereignty and resilience. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, the discussion aims to identify scalable pathways for cross-sector adoption.

• Immersive Media Technologies for Urban Innovation: From Pilots to Real Municipal Deployment, Miguel Ángel Mas, Valencia Municipality Urban Innovation R & D
• Immersive, real-time virtual environments for smarter urban futures, Iris Jennes, imec-SMIT / Vrije Universiteit Brussel
• Manufacturing/Industry, Giuseppe Amato, CNR-ISTI
• Immersive XR technologies and multisensory feedback for upper-limb rehabilitation, Daniele Leonardis, Scuola Superiore Santanna

• Opening, Pierre-Yves Danet, 6G-IA
• SNS JU Work Programme 2027, Pierre-Yves Danet, 6G-IA
• SNS JU projects and related Media & Entertainment use cases:
  • IMAGINE-B5G, 6G-PATH, UNICO I+D; David Gómez-Barquero (UPV)
  • 6G-XR, 6G-BRICKS, SUNRISE-6G, UNICO I+D; Mario Montagud Climent, i2CAT
• The INCLUDE project and Euro-3C Initiative, Halid Hrasnica, Eurescom
• Roundtable with speakers and audience

• AMPLIFY: An opportunity for novel interactions with AI and XR between and among artists and audiences in Cultural and Creative Industries, Mikel Zorrilla, director of the Digital Media & Communications department at Vicomtech
• Hybrid Extended Reality: A Multimodal Approach to Audience-Responsive Experiences, Vlad Popescu, Vice-Dean for Research of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering aqnd Computer Science. Transilvania University of Braşov
• Co-Presence Meets Self-Representation: Artistic Research in Mixed Reality at the Intersection of AI and Human Identity, Anke von der Heide, Researcher at Immersive Reality Lab at Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences
• Roundtable with speakers and audience