The SPIRIT project took part in the 22nd EuroXR International Conference – EuroXR 2025, held on 3-5 September 2025 at the ZHAW School of Management and Law in Winterthur, Switzerland.
In collaboration with the CORTEX² project, SPIRIT co-hosted a dedicated track titled:
“Extended Collaborative Telepresence – How CORTEX² and SPIRIT are Advancing Innovation in XR.”
This joint session marked the final event for both projects, highlighting the results of their cascade funding programmes. More than 50 funded initiatives presented their work, including research results, live demonstrations, and real-world XR applications, illustrating how European projects are driving the next wave of extended reality innovation.
Highlights from the SPIRIT & CORTEX² Final Event
The two projects proudly represented the #BeyondXR Cluster. The initiative, in which more than 14 EU projects are part of, has received a special mention from Anne Bajart, Deputy Head of Unit of DG CONNECT. In her keynote speech, she’s highlighted it as a great example of a community-driven initiative and expressed her hope for its continued activity and future success.
Day 1 featured the European Projects session with project pitches, followed by the official opening with welcomes from coordinators Dr. Alain Pagani (CORTEX²) and Prof. Peter Van Daele (SPIRIT), and a keynote from HaDEA Project Officer Diana Mjaschkova-Pascual.
Key achievements and insights from both projects were presented by CORTEX² project coordinator Dr. Alain Pagani and SPIRIT project coordinator Prof. Peter Van Daele. The first rounds of fast-track pitches from SPIRIT and CORTEX² open call innovators (Groups 1 & 2) showcased XR Technology and Infrastructure, and XR Objects, Representations and Experiences. The poster and demo session then followed, enriching the discussions with hands-on demonstrations, interactive showcases, and deeper exchanges between innovators, researchers, and industry participants.
Day 2 continued with presentations of CORTEX² pilot demonstrators and SPIRIT use cases: Avatars, Holographic Communication, Live Volumetric Video Streaming from Multiple Sources, and Distributed Steering of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR). The fast-track pitches from Groups 3, 4 & 5 followed. These focused on XR Training for the Manufacturing Domain and Robot Tele-Operation, Health, Entertainment, and Social XR applications, and other XR applications. After the closing remarks from the coordinators of the two projects, poster and demo sessions brought participants face-to-face with SPIRIT and CORTEX² innovations.
Day 3 concluded with the European Projects Panel on “The Future of XR”, bringing together leading initiatives to share insights and perspectives. The panel was moderated by Krzysztof Walczak from Poznan University of Economics And Business and featured insights from:
- CORTEX² with Alain Pagani (DFKI)
- Luminous with Muhammad Zeshan Afzal (DFKI)
- OPENVERSE with Arta Ertekin (Martel Innovate)
- Sharespace with Didier Stricker (DFKI)
- SPIRIT project with Peter Van Daele (Ghent University)
- Sun with Vincenzo Croce (Engineering)
- THEIA-XR with Anastasia Sergeeva (University of Luxembourg)
The panel discussed:
– How will advances in AI shape the future of XR experiences and applications?
– What could help XR move from niche use to broader acceptance in society and industry?
– How should Europe position itself in the global XR landscape?
The event concluded with its Closing and Awards Ceremony, marking the end of three inspiring days of collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange. The SPIRIT Open Call 1 project DIANE was awarded the Best Poster Award for their poster “Demonstrating Immersive Teleoperation of Robots via Adaptive Point Cloud Streaming” by Nunzio Barone, Walter Brescia, Gabriele Santangelo, Antonio Pio Maggio, Ivan Cisternino, Luca De Cicco, and Saverio Mascolo.
EuroXR 2025 at a Glance
Organised by the European Association for eXtended Reality (EuroXR) and ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, EuroXR 2025 served as a vibrant hub for researchers, industry leaders, and technology experts across Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality. The programme included:
– Keynotes from XR thought leaders
– Plenary sessions on emerging trends
– Scientific and application tracks, poster and demo sessions
For SPIRIT, EuroXR 2025 was not only an opportunity to present the project’s achievements but also a fitting finale to showcase the results of its funding programme and exchange with the wider XR community. Together with CORTEX², SPIRIT demonstrated how European projects are shaping the future of extended reality through innovation, collaboration, and real-world impact.