EU Commission Aims for Global Dominance in Web 4.0 and Metaverse, Unveils Strategic Plan

The European Commission’s Vision for Web 4.0 and Metaverse

The European Commission has projected that the adoption of extended reality (XR) technologies, encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, will contribute to the creation of approximately 860,000 jobs in Europe by 2025.

The Commission stated on July 11 that XR is a pivotal technology that empowers virtual worlds and acts as a significant catalyst for job creation. It further emphasized that by 2025, an additional 1.2 million to 2.4 million jobs would be directly or indirectly generated in various sectors.

Nevertheless, the Commission acknowledged that the majority of Metaverse innovation currently originates from the United States, China, and South Korea. In contrast, the EU lacks major tech giants to drive investments in virtual world development over the next decade.

While Europe’s AR/VR market primarily revolves around gaming, media, and entertainment, there is ample potential for expansion into other domains such as retail, healthcare, military and defense, and manufacturing.

Virtual Worlds and the Emergence of Web 4.0

The Commission highlighted that XR-powered virtual worlds represent one of the key technologies underpinning the “next generation” of the World Wide Web, known as Web 4.0. In this immersive paradigm, physical and digital elements converge within real-time virtual environments.

“We are witnessing the dawn of a significant technological transition known as Web 4.0. Virtual worlds play a crucial role in enabling Web 4.0, revolutionizing people’s daily lives and unlocking diverse opportunities across various business and industrial ecosystems,” stated the Commission.

Several notable applications were outlined, including the use of virtual worlds for training surgeons in complex medical procedures, employing “digital twins” to preserve cultural heritage sites, and leveraging 3D models to address global warming challenges.

The Commission’s Plan for Web 4.0 and Metaverse Leadership

In a working document submitted to the European Parliament, the Commission presented its strategy to establish itself as a “world leader” in Web 4.0 and the Metaverse.

“Today, Europe takes the initiative to become a global frontrunner in Web 4.0 and virtual worlds,” remarked Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Market.

The Commission outlined ten proposed actions to achieve this objective. These include attracting specialized virtual world talent to the region, creating regulatory sandboxes to facilitate the testing of innovative ideas, and developing global standards for interoperable metaverses.

“Europe possesses the necessary assets to lead the forthcoming technological transformation: innovative startups, abundant creative content and industrial applications, a prominent role as a global standard-setter, and an innovation-friendly and predictable legal framework,” added Breton.