Belfast companies offered support to build XR business capacity

Belfast City Council is rolling out this new programme to help businesses build their capacity in using emerging immersive technologies

As part of its support for innovation and the creative industries through The Belfast Agenda, Belfast City Council is launching XR (extended reality) Belfast to help businesses build their capacity in using emerging immersive technologies.

An umbrella term that covers VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), and MR (mixed reality), XR takes the human-to-PC screen interface and modifies it, either by immersing you in the virtual environment (VR), adding game characters to your real-world surroundings (AR), or both of those (MR).

The programme will start with two free workshops and a mentoring programme.

Workshop details

Belfast City Council and Digital Catapult NI are offering two free Creative Capacity sessions aimed at a broad range of Belfast-based SMEs, from those working on sports science, tourism and cultural projects, to manufacturing and engineering.

There will be inspiring stories and case studies from a mix of Global XR brand leaders and NI-based creative industry start-ups. They will give a unique insight into the exciting world of Immersive Technology, an understanding of the tools and skills required to create compelling, successful Immersive Technology projects across a range of sectors, and how you can apply them to your business.

The events will cover next-generation interfaces, and XR workflows, and share insight on how immersive tech giants and local businesses are already working with major companies, SMEs and creatives to put this technology into real use cases.

You will also have the chance to try some immersive experiences.

• Workshop One - Immersive Technology Journeys, Thursday 28 September 2023, 2pm to 6pm 
• Workshop Two - The Tools and Business of Immersive Technology, Monday 9 November 2023, 2pm to 6pm 

Creative Mentorship programme

Following the Creative Capacity sessions, Digital Catapult will provide the opportunity for a limited number of businesses who have attended to pursue one-to-one mentoring.

This will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into Immersive Technology and how it can make a difference to your projects or working practices through efficiencies, cost savings and marketing impact.

Find out more and register for XR Belfast.

First published 7 September 2023