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Springwise and Digital Catapult have joined forces to explore immersive technology and its impact, combining industry-led research and trends to provide detailed insight into the future of this fast-growing part of the digital economy in the UK and beyond.

Following the release of the Springwise report on The Future of Immersive Content earlier this year, we have released on iTunes and Soundcloud our first podcast in partnership with Digital Catapult.

In this first series of The Source, we explore opportunities and challenges in the immersive sector with an overview of the game changers driving the adoption of the technology in the UK and worldwide. Find out more about our speakers and what they think about the future of immersive tech.

Rebecca Gregory-Clarke (Digital Catapult): Rebecca is the Head of Technology – Immersive at Digital Catapult, exploring new applications for virtual and augmented reality in a variety of industries. She is working to push forward the possibilities of VR and AR. Previously, Rebecca worked as a Development Producer for BBC Connected Studio, delivering a range of digital innovation projects, including a set of ambitious experimental VR pilots.

“The future of immersive technology hinges on how well we are able to integrate these new products into our lives and jobs. The devices and applications of the future will have brilliant ergonomic design, intuitive interaction and accessibility at their core.”

Linda Ligios (Springwise): Linda is Managing Editor at Springwise, responsible for the curation and publication of the most disruptive innovations and inspiring business ideas from all over the world. She has previously worked in communications, radio production and licensing, with major British institutions including the BBC, The British Library and King’s College London.

“As immersive technologies progress they will also merge to open up new interactive multi-dimensional content experiences. Improving 3D interface design and convenience will be key to wider adoption in the workplace where potential gains could go beyond easier prototyping and as far as reducing costs and environmental waste.”

Janosch Amstutz (HoloMe): Janosch is the founder and CEO of HoloMe, a software tool which allows for the mass creation of humans projected into augmented reality cost effectively and direct to consumer smartphones. A guest lecturer on augmented reality, Janosch began his career in the world of global commodities trading before making the leap into deep tech entrepreneurship.

“The immediate future of immersive technologies is in the mass adoption of augmented reality on consumer smartphones. The technology and consumers are ready, now enterprises need to adapt the way they communicate with their customers to stay relevant in an immersive reality.”

Alex Kitching (Lume): Alex is the co-founder and CEO of Lume, a VR business intelligence platform for analysts to better explore their complex data and share their insights with others. He previously worked as a Creative Technologist at Imagination working as part of the Labs Innovation Programme developing innovative virtual reality experiences for clients such as MLB and Cannes Lions.

“We are only just scratching the surface of what it means to create and experience new realities. Up until now, we have been too literal in our approach to creating VR worlds. We fail to capture people’s imagination. We are interested in the potential for VR to tricking/enhancing people’s perception of their environment, to enhance empathy, memory, learning, education, health, productivity, collaboration, parallel realities…”

Camilla Royce (Springspotter): Camilla has managed international experiential and multimedia events including Qasr Al Hosn Festival in Abu Dhabi, Motor Sport Hall of Fame, and Dive in Festival, an initiative of Inclusion@Lloyd’s. She is a Springspotter for Springwise and a trained actress.

“Immersive tech offers an extra dimension to the world as we know it and will change not only the way we do business but also our everyday experiences; the most significant thing for me is its potential to dramatically improve our lives, for example in the fields of healthcare and digital communication. The startups we featured in this podcast are contributing something really beneficial to society which is tremendous.”

Image: from the left Alex Kitching, Camilla Royce, Rebecca Gregory-Clarke, Linda Ligios, Janosch Amstutz.