Extended Reality: European Applications and Success Stories

24 October 2025

Extended Reality (XR) —which integrates augmented, virtual and mixed reality— has become a cornerstone of European innovation.
The number of funded projects in this field has risen steadily: from 10 in 2015 to more than 56 in 2024, reflecting the EU’s strong commitment to immersive technologies transforming industry, education, healthcare, and emergency management.

Countries such as Spain (124 projects), Germany (153), Italy (130) and France (111) lead XR development, followed by the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, consolidating Europe’s position as a global reference point.

Applications of Extended Reality in Key Sectors

🏭 Extended Reality in Industry 4.0

Projects like OPTIMAI and XR2Industry show how XR enhances efficiency and safety in industrial environments.

OPTIMAI integrated AI-enabled sensors with an augmented reality ecosystem for rapid and informed decision-making on production lines.
XR2Industry, known as the “Gutenberg of XR”, develops an open platform focusing on privacy, GDPR compliance, and worker empowerment, promoting the adoption of XR in Industry 5.0.

These initiatives demonstrate that industrial XR not only optimises production processes but also improves human experience and workplace safety.

🏗️ Construction and Worker Safety

The construction sector is also harnessing immersive technology.
Projects such as HumanTech and BEEYONDERS introduce dynamic digital twins, intelligent exoskeletons, and XR glasses to enhance accuracy and safety on-site.

HumanTech combines wearable sensors and XR to monitor and guide workers in real time.
BEEYONDERS uses XR-based training and sustainable design solutions to improve efficiency and reduce Europe’s reliance on imported technologies.

Both projects contribute to a safer, more sustainable, and more attractive construction sector for the next generation of professionals.

🎨 Culture, Media, and Immersive Creativity

Europe also leads in extended reality applied to culture and media.
Three projects stand out for their impact:

XReco builds a data-driven XR media ecosystem, enabling 2D and 3D content sharing and monetisation across organisations, opening the door to immersive experiences in tourism and journalism.
TransMIXR promotes artistic and audiovisual co-creation through XR, using AI to deliver social and immersive media experiences in news, performing arts, and cultural heritage.
CORTEX² democratises collaborative telepresence, extending video conferencing with XR tools for industrial, business and remote training environments.

These projects highlight how European XR innovation is redefining how we create and experience digital content.

🌍 Emergencies, Healthcare, and the Environment

Extended reality also plays a crucial role in crisis management and healthcare.

TEMA applies interactive XR interfaces for natural disaster management, allowing operators to visualise wildfires or floods in 3D and simulate response strategies.
rescEU-CBRN-DSIM-IT develops mixed reality training environments for chemical and biological emergencies, now used by European first responders.
In healthcare, RealCare introduces XR-based visualisation interfaces to support real-time biomarker analysis and accelerate clinical decision-making.
ThrombUS+ combines smart wearables and extended reality to guide patients and professionals in preventing deep vein thrombosis.

Together, these projects show how XR saves lives, improving both emergency response and medical accuracy.

🚗 Smart Mobility and Energy

The intersection of mobility, energy, and XR is embodied in Energy ECS and 6G-XR.

Energy ECS integrates immersive and augmented reality technologies into solutions for electric mobility and autonomous driving.
6G-XR develops experimental infrastructure for next-generation XR services, focusing on holography and digital twins powered by 6G networks.

These projects envision a future where XR enables connected, sustainable mobility across Europe.

Success Stories and Key Lessons

Cross-sector integration: XR combines with AI, digital twins and edge computing across most projects.
Human-centric design: Human wellbeing and usability drive innovation in projects like HumanTech and XR2Industry.
Multi-sector potential: XR adapts seamlessly to healthcare, industry, culture, and education.
European cooperation: Most initiatives unite partners from over 20 countries, showing collaboration as a key success factor.
Sustainable ecosystems: Projects like 6G-BRICKS and UPRAISE embed XR in education and innovation networks, ensuring long-term impact.

The Future of Extended Reality in Europe

The exponential growth of XR projects reveals an unstoppable trend.
The convergence of artificial intelligence, 6G networks, and extended reality is unlocking new opportunities for companies, research centres, and public institutions alike.

Europe is leading the way towards a digitally immersive transformation, where extended reality reshapes how we learn, work, and interact with the world.

Extended reality in Europe is ushering in a new era of cross-sector innovation.
From real-time medical training to immersive art and connected industry, European projects prove that XR is not just a promise — it’s a transformative reality.

Want to explore more about European innovation in XR?
Visit Kaila, the platform that analyses and connects the projects shaping Europe’s technological future.

🔍 What can I find on Kaila?

Explore the Extended Reality (XR) landscape in Europe:

Discover how Europe is shaping the future of XR innovation with Kaila.