Create a thriving and competitive Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 ecosystem (CSA) (Virtual Worlds Partnership)

Through the European Partnership on Virtual Worlds, Europe will drive investment in advanced hardware, immersive interaction, and seamless integration across the Telco-Cloud-to-Edge continuum, enabling lifelike multisensory experiences and fully interoperable platforms. These efforts will enhance Europe’s capacity to innovate, deploy, and scale trustworthy virtual worlds, thereby strengthening competitiveness, resilience, and alignment with EU values.At the same time, a robust Web 4.0 architectural framework — underpinned by open-source solutions and shared standards — will be essential to ensure interoperability, decentralisation, and trust. By deepening Europe’s engagement in international digital standardisation, the Union will help shape global norms in line with its strategic interests, technological sovereignty, and core values.

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

Expected Outcome:

The co-programmed European Partnership for Virtual Worlds will help to develop and promote a thriving industrial and end-user ecosystem in the EU, covering all the aspects of the virtual worlds value chain. It will also actively engage with industrial and societal sectors to provide access to a broad range of resources, including funding, expertise and technology.

Project results are expected to contribute to the following expected outcomes:

1. Review and, if necessary, update the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for Virtual Worlds in Europe, for useful, open, interoperable, inclusive, sustainable and trustworthy virtual worlds systems and applications, ensuring these reflect EU values and principles.
2. Strengthening of the European Virtual Worlds Partnership by providing continuous support.
3. Reinforcement of the competitive ecosystem, with European companies playing a leading role in the adoption and acceptance, and in the development and deployment of Virtual Worlds technologies.
4. Reinforced links among initiatives in virtual worlds in Horizon Europe, Digital Europe Programme, and other programmes at EU, national and regional levels.
5. Widespread awareness and outreach programmes.
6. Increased adoption of virtual worlds that are open, accessible and inclusive, interdisciplinary, safe and respect ethical values and European legal framework, including regarding privacy, security in all Member States and Associated Countries.
7. Strengthening and promotion of standardisation methods for virtual worlds technologies and in support of the EU regulatory framework.

Scope:

The objective of the CSA is to further develop and reinforce the community by strengthening and supporting the Virtual Worlds Partnership and its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Virtual Worlds (SRIA). The CSA will also lay the grounds for a strong and inclusive network bringing together academia, industry, public actors and end-users, including major industrial European sectors and all relevant stakeholders. The CSA will ensure close coordination at regional, national and European level.

The CSA will also strongly continue to promote the adoption of Virtual Worlds technologies and solutions in all Member States and Associated Countries, with particular emphasis on geographical aspect and across the value chain.

To this end, the CSA will develop and implement outreach programmes aiming at better understanding and raising awareness to create acceptance and trustworthiness of Virtual Worlds solutions.

The CSA will also support standardisation efforts to support the uptake of interoperable, open, trustworthy and ethical Virtual Worlds solution, by mobilising and bringing stakeholders together and, when needed, organising European representation in existing or new standardisation working groups in support of the Commission regulatory framework.

Proposals should involve and be driven by representatives of the relevant actors of the field (e.g., academia, RTOs, industry including SMEs).

The Commission considers that proposals with an overall duration of typically 36 months would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other durations.

Proposals should involve the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines and SSH experts, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

This CSA should be prepared, managed and coordinated by key stakeholders in this field and directly support the Virtual Worlds Partnership.

Beneficiaries that intend to transfer ownership or grant an exclusive licence must formally notify the granting authority (i.e. DG-CNECT and HaDEA) before the intended transfer or licensing takes place and the granting authority may up to four years after the end of the action object to a transfer of ownership or the exclusive licensing of results.

This topic is implemented through the co-programmed European Partnership for Virtual Worlds and all proposals are expected to allocate tasks to cohesion activities with the Partnership on Virtual Worlds and funded actions related to this partnership, including the CSA: HORIZON-CL4-2025-03-HUMAN-17.

This topic implements the co-programmed European Partnership on Virtual Worlds.