Periodic Reporting for period 1 - XR2Industry (Tailoring eXtended Reality to Industry's needs)
Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2025-05-31
The XR2INDUSTRY project, funded under Horizon Europe, aims to create a European open XR platform tailored for industrial needs, ensuring GDPR compliance, data privacy, and technological sovereignty. It addresses Europe's dependency on non-EU XR technologies by fostering an ethical, human-centric, and industry-driven approach. The project will develop, test, and deploy XR solutions in real-world industrial settings while supporting third-party innovation through Open Calls. By engaging researchers, legal experts, and industry partners, XR2INDUSTRY ensures broad adoption and sustainability. The expected impact includes economic growth, high-quality jobs fostering, and strengthened EU digital leadership. Social sciences play a key role in assessing technology acceptance, privacy concerns, and workforce empowerment. The project aligns with Industry 5.0 and the EU Digital Decade 2030, promoting ethical, inclusive, and high-impact XR applications.
XR2INDUSTRY aims to accelerate the adoption of Extended Reality (XR) in industrial environments through an open, privacy-compliant, and human-centric approach. Rather than focusing solely on technological advancements, the project prioritizes user acceptance, GDPR compliance, and industrial relevance, ensuring that XR solutions meet the needs of real-world manufacturing, logistics, and maintenance operations. The project fosters co-creation with industry stakeholders, bringing together technology providers, legal experts, and industrial end-users to develop and test solutions that optimize productivity and reduce costs. To achieve this, XR2INDUSTRY will be piloted in diverse industrial sectors across Europe to validate its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.
At month 18 of implementation, the XR2INDUSTRY project has demonstrated substantial progress across all work packages, maintaining alignment with its core objectives of enabling a European, privacy-aware, and industry-ready Extended Reality (XR) platform. The project has effectively combined technical development, legal compliance, and ecosystem building to create a robust foundation for the adoption of XR technologies in industrial environments.
Technological advancements
The consortium has successfully developed and validated the second-generation Lynx R2 headset, featuring significant improvements in ergonomics, optical quality, sensor integration, and processing power. A redesigned pancake lens system (Pathfinder) was introduced to overcome limitations in previous optical systems, achieving wider field of view, lower distortion, and enhanced user comfort. The hardware platform now includes modular components, compatibility with Wi-Fi 6E, Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 chipset, and a dual-display configuration optimized for industrial performance.
Parallel to hardware developments, the project advanced its software architecture by integrating OpenXR standards, enabling modular applications, federated content management, and developer toolkits. The software ecosystem supports gesture-based interfaces, hand tracking, and adaptive user interaction paradigms validated through empirical studies.
Legal and ethical compliance
A comprehensive GDPR-CARPA compliance framework was developed and applied to the hardware system. Security architecture improvements include trusted execution environments, encrypted data pipelines, and redesigned consent mechanisms. Validation tests confirmed alignment with GDPR principles, with a certification roadmap in place. Work on software compliance is ongoing and scheduled for completion in the extended timeline.
Industrial validation and use case design
The project defined and prepared for multiple pilot use cases spanning manufacturing, maintenance, and training. Studies conducted under WP1 have informed the design of user-centered interactions and defined metrics for performance, cognitive load, motivation, and emotional regulation. Methodologies such as CAMIL and evidence-centered design (ECD) have been implemented to structure data collection in upcoming pilot deployments.
Open calls and ecosystem engagement
Three Open Calls were launched to support third-party integration of hardware and software enablers, as well as use-case validation. Despite procedural delays—including a formal complaint during OC1—corrective actions were taken, and activities have resumed under revised timelines. Support and mentoring mechanisms are in place to monitor third-party performance, with provisions to reallocate funds as needed to maintain impact.
Risk management and amendments
Risk management procedures have been robustly applied across all work packages. Unforeseen risks—such as communication challenges, legal disputes, and delays in third-party engagements—were identified early and mitigated effectively. A formal amendment was submitted and approved, adjusting task timelines, deliverable dates, and partner contributions to reflect the evolving scope and lessons learned during implementation.
This mid-term assessment confirms that XR2INDUSTRY is well-positioned to achieve its long-term objectives, ensuring that XR technologies become a transformative tool for the European industrial ecosystem.
At month 18 of implementation, the XR2INDUSTRY project has demonstrated substantial progress across all work packages, maintaining alignment with its core objectives of enabling a European, privacy-aware, and industry-ready Extended Reality (XR) platform. The project has effectively combined technical development, legal compliance, and ecosystem building to create a robust foundation for the adoption of XR technologies in industrial environments.
Technological advancements
The consortium has successfully developed and validated the second-generation Lynx R2 headset, featuring significant improvements in ergonomics, optical quality, sensor integration, and processing power. A redesigned pancake lens system (Pathfinder) was introduced to overcome limitations in previous optical systems, achieving wider field of view, lower distortion, and enhanced user comfort. The hardware platform now includes modular components, compatibility with Wi-Fi 6E, Snapdragon XR2 Gen2 chipset, and a dual-display configuration optimized for industrial performance.
Parallel to hardware developments, the project advanced its software architecture by integrating OpenXR standards, enabling modular applications, federated content management, and developer toolkits. The software ecosystem supports gesture-based interfaces, hand tracking, and adaptive user interaction paradigms validated through empirical studies.
Legal and ethical compliance
A comprehensive GDPR-CARPA compliance framework was developed and applied to the hardware system. Security architecture improvements include trusted execution environments, encrypted data pipelines, and redesigned consent mechanisms. Validation tests confirmed alignment with GDPR principles, with a certification roadmap in place. Work on software compliance is ongoing and scheduled for completion in the extended timeline.
Industrial validation and use case design
The project defined and prepared for multiple pilot use cases spanning manufacturing, maintenance, and training. Studies conducted under WP1 have informed the design of user-centered interactions and defined metrics for performance, cognitive load, motivation, and emotional regulation. Methodologies such as CAMIL and evidence-centered design (ECD) have been implemented to structure data collection in upcoming pilot deployments.
Open calls and ecosystem engagement
Three Open Calls were launched to support third-party integration of hardware and software enablers, as well as use-case validation. Despite procedural delays—including a formal complaint during OC1—corrective actions were taken, and activities have resumed under revised timelines. Support and mentoring mechanisms are in place to monitor third-party performance, with provisions to reallocate funds as needed to maintain impact.
Risk management and amendments
Risk management procedures have been robustly applied across all work packages. Unforeseen risks—such as communication challenges, legal disputes, and delays in third-party engagements—were identified early and mitigated effectively. A formal amendment was submitted and approved, adjusting task timelines, deliverable dates, and partner contributions to reflect the evolving scope and lessons learned during implementation.
This mid-term assessment confirms that XR2INDUSTRY is well-positioned to achieve its long-term objectives, ensuring that XR technologies become a transformative tool for the European industrial ecosystem.
The key results of the project include the validation of XR hardware and software solutions, integration of GDPR-compliant frameworks, and real-world deployments in industrial settings. These advancements are expected to enhance technological sovereignty and accelerate the digital transformation of European industries. To ensure further adoption and success, key needs include continued research and demonstration to refine XR applications across industries, improved access to markets and funding for large-scale implementation, and stronger regulatory and standardization frameworks to facilitate widespread deployment. Additionally, IPR support and commercial strategies will be essential for ensuring the platform’s long-term sustainability. The project’s impact will contribute to workforce upskilling and Europe’s leadership in XR technology, driving innovation and industrial competitiveness.