Eirmersive were delighted to moderate the Industry Panel at ACM International Conference on Interactive Media Experiences (IMX) in Athlone along with members:

🔹 Gary Pearson of Fourth Reality
🔹 Grace Dinan of JunieXR
🔹 Janet Beck of Glasseye
🔹 David Cosgrove of Animotive

The companies also held demonstrations of their work to the research community in the room.

Our discussion focused on a challenge central to the immersive sector: how we bridge the gap between research, innovation and real-world adoption. The conversation highlighted the importance of stronger collaboration between industry and academia to create experiences that are impactful, scalable and sustainable.

The future of immersive technology will be…

Foróige GoVirtual is part of Foróige’s digital youth work and focuses on engaging young people in immersive online spaces through virtual reality. It was reviewed by Dr. Eemer Eivers as part of the Rethink Ireland Scaling Education Award (2023 - 2025). The report titled 'Evaluation of Foróige GoVirtual' is available on Foróige's website.

Some of the key findings included:

• Clear evidence that the GoVirtual team had successfully developed a basic understanding of the appropriate use of VR in a sizeable proportion of Foróige staff.

• GoVirtual has greatly increased the number of Foróige staff capable of using VR as a youth work tool, the number of staff using it as part of their youth work toolkit has increased, and the number of young people engaging with Foróige in a VR environment has…

At Eirmersive, we’re continually inspired by the leadership our members show in advancing immersive learning. Atlantic Technological University (ATU) has done just that with a recent Immersive Learning XR Roadshow, led by John Hough, Educational Technology Specialist in Immersive Learning.

Travelling across campuses in Galway, Sligo and Letterkenny, the roadshow introduced lecturers to the practical potential of extended reality (XR), creating hands-on opportunities to explore how these technologies can enhance teaching and address real classroom challenges.

Turning Curiosity into Application

The sessions immersed participants in a spectrum of technologies, from Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) to fully immersive Virtual Reality (VR). Educators engaged with platforms such as VirtualSpeech, Bodyswaps, ENGAGE and Thinglink, alongside immersive and volumetric video demonstrations.

Two of the most valuable conversations I had at SXSW London happened on consecutive days, and together they painted an interesting picture of where the immersive sector is heading.

I was delighted to join a panel moderated by Mathieu Demaré alongside Michael Barngrover (XR4Europe), Heleen Rouw (CIIIC) and Nigel McAlpine (Digital Catapult) exploring a challenge many of us are wrestling with across Europe: how do we bridge the gap between immersive innovation and real-world adoption?

The conversation focused on the "missing middle" between research, prototypes and scalable deployment. We discussed digital sovereignty, cross-border collaboration, ecosystem development and the role immersive technologies can play across sectors from culture and education to manufacturing, health and digital twins. As Eirmersive deepen our engagement with manufacturing SMEs on the PRISM programme, it was great to share some early findings to support the conversation…

Eirmersive member IADT delivered an intensive XR Design Sprint through its TU RISE IADT Elevate Programme, bringing together enterprises and creative practitioners to explore how immersive technologies can help address real-world challenges across products, services, and processes.

Over five days, participants worked collaboratively to define challenges, map user journeys, generate ideas, and develop concepts for future implementation. The projects showcased the breadth of opportunity within immersive technologies, spanning accessible learning environments, immersive music experiences, and augmented reality storytelling for cultural and educational settings.

Combining design thinking methodologies, peer-to-peer learning, industry expertise, and hands-on experimentation, the sprint enabled participants to move beyond initial ideas and towards practical innovation pathways with clear potential for future development.

Congratulations to Animotive which has been named one of the UK’s 10 most innovative media tech companies in BusinessCloud ’s MediaTech 50 for 2026.

Commenting on the ranking, Philip Morrow, Executive Chair and Co-Founder at Animotive said, “Making the top 10, judged by an expert panel and a public vote, means a lot. We’re bringing real-time performance and AI-assisted workflows to animation, education and virtual production, and we’re just getting started.”

In other Animotive news, the team travelled to Munich for a Virtual Production workshop, hosted with XR HUB Bavaria, in cooperation with Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München (HFF München). The session, "Bringing Virtual Production into the Classroom," was built for lecturers, academics and students exploring how to introduce VP into their teaching.

Eirmersive is delighted to announce Beyond Realities, our FREE 8 day virtual production training programme at IADT, Dún Laoghaire this June! 🎬

A hands-on virtual production training programme for creative and technical companies who want to get to grips with one of the most exciting formats in screen production today.

Over 8 days you will work as part of a team to take an unscripted television format from concept to camera, rotating through real VP roles and finishing with a full showcase shoot.

The course aims to help participants:

Understand → Build → Operate → Solve Problems → Deliver.

Dr Jeremiah Ambrose, Head of Department for Film and Media at Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology said,..

A new open-access study led by Dr. Aoife Morrin, Associate Professor in Analytical Chemistry at Dublin City University (DCU), is adding to the growing body of evidence showing how immersive technologies can transform STEM education, with direct input from Eirmersive member Fourth Reality.

Published in the Journal of Science Education and Technology, the research explores the impact of ImmersiveChemLab, a virtual reality (VR) “digital twin” of an Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, used as a pre-laboratory training tool for third-year analytical chemistry students at DCU.

ImmersiveChemLab was developed as part of the broader Virtual Labs HCI P3 Initiative, a national collaboration spanning multiple Irish higher education institutions. The platform recreates a realistic analytical chemistry environment in VR, enabling students to interact with complex laboratory instrumentation in a safe, accessible setting.

EDGE26 demonstrated exactly why the creative industries need spaces where technology, storytelling, design and enterprise collide. Huge credit to Niamh Costello and the team at CREW for creating a platform that felt genuinely ambitious, commercially focused and deeply connected to the future of Ireland’s creative economy.

Our CEO Camille Donegan said, "For Eirmersive, it was incredibly valuable to see our members* exhibiting alongside leaders from across film, games, immersive technology and digital innovation. Events like EDGE don’t just showcase talent, they create real opportunities for collaboration, visibility, investment conversations and new market connections. The energy in Galway showed that Ireland’s creative technology ecosystem is maturing fast, and immersive technology is now a core part of that conversation."

On 21 May 2026, Ireland’s creative and technology communities will come together in Galway for EDGE26 – Ireland’s Creative Economy Summit. Hosted at the Dexcom Stadium, the event brings founders, studios, investors, policymakers, and researchers into one space to explore how creativity, technology, and enterprise are converging to shape the future economy.

For Eirmersive, EDGE26 represents more than just a date in the calendar — it’s a moment to highlight the strength, diversity, and ambition of Ireland’s immersive technology community.

We’re proud to see Eirmersive CEO Camille Donegan included among the EDGE26 speaker line-up, alongside leading voices from across the creative and technology sectors.

Camille will contribute to the “Sectoral Spotlights” session, where insights from across the digital creative industries, including immersive technology, will be shared.

On Friday 8th May at Digital Catapult Digital Twin Centre in Belfast, we were delighted to bring the PRISM Showcase Event to life, marking a key milestone in supporting Manufacturing SMEs to explore and adopt immersive, digital twin and AI technologies.

Led by Eirmersive, PRISM is about more than innovation, it’s about practical application, collaboration, and real-world impact. The showcase highlighted how XR, digital twins, and AI-driven tools are already beginning to transform workflows, products, and experiences across the island.

A huge thank you to our programme partners for their expertise, collaboration, and ongoing commitment: Digital Catapult, Queen's University Belfast, Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) and to our funders for making this initiative possible: InterTradeIreland.

Lough Ree Access For All has launched a new Virtual Reality experience designed to make the heritage of Inchcleraun Island accessible to everyone. The initiative was officially unveiled in Lanesboro with Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran and representatives from the Department of Public Expenditure in attendance.

Building on the charity’s mission to provide inclusive, wheelchair-accessible boat trips on Lough Ree, the new Inchcleraun VR Project allows visitors who cannot physically disembark onto the island to explore its monastic ruins through a 10‑minute immersive Virtual Reality tour. Using VR headsets, visitors can engage with the ancient stories of St Diarmaid and Queen Maeve and gain a deeper connection to the island’s rich history.

The experience was designed and delivered by Eirmersive member Emagine, who worked closely with the Lough Ree Access For All team to create a fully portable, waterproof XR solution…

In this episode of Case Study Corner, we spoke with Eirmersive member Janet Beck, CEO at GLASSEYE, about The Intelligence Garden — a large-scale immersive experience commissioned for Outernet London, one of the most ambitious digital public spaces in the world.

Outernet’s Now Building is a free, open-access cultural venue located off Tottenham Court Road, featuring a four-storey, 23,000 square foot, 16K LED environment with wraparound walls and ceiling. With approximately 85,000 visitors each week, it offers a unique platform for immersive storytelling at architectural scale.

Building on the success of GLASSEYE’s earlier Outernet commission, The Summer Palace — voted the UK’s number one attraction in its launch year — The Intelligence Garden explores the evolution of intelligence across biological, human and digital systems.

Watch the full interview here…

Last Thursday’s XR Hub launch in Strandhill marks an exciting step forward for immersive technology in Ireland. Not only does it create a new centre for innovation in the North West, it will also serve as the home of the immersive technologies apprenticeship being delivered with Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education and Training Board - a vital pathway for developing the next generation of talent. In the meantime the Level 5 Immersive Technology training there is building capacity and train the trainer capabilities across Ireland.

It has been our pleasure at Eirmersive to support the development of the apprenticeship, by helping to strengthen the connection between education and industry, to ensure the programme is informed by real sector needs and emerging practice.

In Strandhill Eirmersive members were out in force. Paul O'Brien & Celine Hayden from Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board brought their VR Healthcare demo.

Recently I got to experience Outernet London - 'an immersive entertainment district bringing together breath-taking arts, culture and music experiences for all the family.'

And the thing that really hit me (you’ll see it in the video) is the scale. The screens aren’t “big” - they’re architectural. You’re not watching content, you’re inside it.

People are just walking in from the Tube station and suddenly they’re surrounded by these beatuiful stories and interactive experiences, no headset, no setup, no booking! - just straight into an immersive experience. Interesting shift and an interesting business model. Outernet seed fund artistic content funded by the massive marketing led billboards on the outside of the building.

We talk a lot about XR in terms of devices and demos, but this is different - this is shared, public, accessible, cultural experience at city scale.

Watch the video…

What a day in the west for Immersive Futures! 🌊

Last week, Eirmersive brought the Immersive Futures Workshop Series to Belmullet Civic Centre and the room was something special.

On Thursday 16th April, we were joined by one of the most a fantastic group made up of educators, marketers, filmmakers, events professionals, people already working in the immersive sector and complete newcomers who had never encountered this technology before. From students to seasoned practitioners, everyone was in the room, asking questions and getting stuck in! 🙌

💡 Highlights from the day included:

- Demos of Animotive and Lureo by Imvizar, both of which landed brilliantly with the group and sparked a lot of discussion about real-world applications.

Manufacturing companies across Ireland recently joined us online for the PRISM: Practical, Funded Innovation Support for Manufacturing SMEs – Programme Introduction webinar (watch the recording in full below). The session brought together manufacturers, technology providers and programme partners to explore how practical innovation support can help address real operational challenges on the factory floor.

If you didn’t attend live, here’s the key takeaway: PRISM isn’t about experimenting with shiny technology, it’s about solving real problems, with support, funding and expert guidance.

MSLETB XRHub Sligo is enrolling for the QQI Level 5 course in Immersive Technologies, Micro Qualification – Train the Trainer, Teaching with VR.

This programme gives instructors the skills, language, and hands-on experience needed to safely and effectively deliver VR learning in the classrooms.

What you will learn

• Clear understanding of VR, AR, and MR terminology
• How to set up, operate, and troubleshoot VR headsets
• Safe-use, hygiene, accessibility, and learner-comfort
guidelines
• How immersive tools are being used in education & skills development
• How to structure and supervise meaningful VR/AR learning activities…

Janet Beck, CEO at GLASSEYE, capped off a high-profile start to 2026 by speaking on the panel “Real-World Immersion at Scale: The Future of Spatial” at SXSW, the world renowned festival of innovation, technology, and culture. GLASSEYE is an award-winning creative technology studio based in Kilkenny, specialising in the production of immersive experiences at architectural scale. Working across large-format LED environments, XR and interactive media, the agency is known internationally for combining technical innovation with strong creative vision and narrative depth, creating experiences that are both memorable and meaningful.

At SXSW Janet shared how GLASSEYE designed 'The Intelligence Garden' at Outernet London (see below), along with some of the new experiences they currently have in production, and her thoughts on the future of spatial design.

Eirmersive was delighted to welcome ATU as a new member recently. We’ve been hugely impressed by the coordinated approach they have to embedding the use of Immersive Technologies across the university, as underlined in a news update from John Hough, Educational Technology Specialist, Immersive Learning.

By John Hough

Immersive Learning at Atlantic Technological University: Building Momentum Across Disciplines

The ATU Teaching and Learning Centre has been working to establish an immersive learning initiative across the university. This began with the purchase of 20 Meta Quest 3 headsets and a charging cart, located in the Dublin road campus library, creating a shared pool of devices that lecturers can use to pilot immersive learning activities with their students.