OPENVERSE Summit 2026. Open and co-created Virtual Worlds for Europe

Virtual and in-person summit

Horizontal image with an abstract gradient background in shades of purple, pink, fuchsia and light blue, featuring soft, blurred luminous shapes. At the centre is the white OpenVerse logo, consisting of a rounded graphic symbol followed by the word “OpenVerse”. Above the logo, black text reads “September 10, Brussels and online” across two lines. At the lower right, the word “Summit” appears in large black lettering.

September 10, 2026, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Brussels, Belgium

The OPENVERSE Summit 2026 is the flagship European policy and ecosystem event dedicated to building open, interoperable, and human-centric Virtual Worlds.

It will take place in Brussels, at the heart of EU decision-making, a strategic location that underscores its role as a policy-driven milestone aligned with Europe’s digital priorities. The Summit positions Europe not only as a technological innovator, but as a global standard-setter shaping the rules and values of future immersive environments.

Organised by the OPENVERSE Coordination and Support Action (CSA), the Summit will gather EU policymakers and institutional leaders; Horizon Europe projects and research initiatives; Industry pioneers and technology providers; Civil society representatives; Investors and ecosystem builders.

The programme will feature discussions and insights on:

  • Future Scenarios for Virtual Worlds
  • Standardisation and Interoperability
  • The OPENVERSE Co-Creation Toolkit
  • OPENVERSE Assets and Project Legacy
  • SMEs as Drivers of Innovation
  • Sustainable Innovation Practices
  • Ethical Approaches to Virtual Worlds

For the Department of Design, Ilaria Mariani and Venere Ferraro will present the methodology developed within the project and the main takeaways from the work on co-creation in Virtual Worlds.

As immersive technologies continue to reshape the way people work, learn, collaborate, and create, the Summit will provide a unique platform to explore the policies, standards, research, and innovations needed to ensure that technological development remains people-centred, ethical, and sustainable.

Full programme on Openverse website.

To attend the event in person, registration via Tito we is required.

Alongside the physical event in Brussels, OPENVERSE partner XR4Europe will produce and hosting a parallel virtual event in collaboration with partners from across the European virtual worlds ecosystem. This will allow participants from anywhere in Europe and beyond to attend remotely, engage with the Summit programme and connect with other participants in an immersive environment. The virtual event will be hosted on ENGAGE, a European virtual worlds platform.

More information on virtual attendance and separate registration can be found on XR4Europe website.