European Commission - Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology
European Commission - Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology
04/22/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 04/22/2026 02:15
Commission launches the Virtual Worlds Observatory final reports and an Interactive Data Explorer
The Virtual Worlds Observatory and the Interactive Data Explorer inform citizens and the industry about the EU's virtual worlds ecosystem in a global context and provides insights into its evolution.
The European Commission has launched a virtual worlds data explorer that maps and analyses virtual worlds-related activities. The launch of this tool comes as the Commission publishes the final reports of the Virtual Worlds Observatory.
Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds are seen as major drivers for the EU economy beyond 2030, as we transition towards an interconnected, intelligent and immersive world. The global virtual worlds market is estimated to grow from around €27 billion in 2022 to over €800 billion by 2030.
The European Commission's 2023 Strategy on Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds aims to shape this transition in line with EU values and principles, ensuring that people's rights fully apply and that European businesses can thrive in an open, secure, trustworthy, fair and inclusive digital environment.
The Strategy builds on the Commission's ongoing work on virtual worlds and on consultations with citizens, academia and businesses, including the European Citizens' Panel on Virtual Worlds in 2023.
Its 23 recommendations helped steer concrete actions under the Strategy, including, for example, the Virtual Worlds Toolbox, a dedicated study on the impact of virtual worlds on health and well-being and the Virtual Worlds Partnership.
Virtual Worlds Observatory Report
Since the inception and launch of the EU strategy on Web 4.0 and Virtual worlds, the Commission has been monitoring the evolution of the Virtual worlds landscape to inform the policy-making progress.
Under the Virtual Worlds Observatory, through a collaboration between DG CNECT and the Joint Research Centre (DG JRC), the Commission published "From bytes to business: Strategic EU ownership and dependencies in virtual worlds" (October 2025) as the first deliverable of the initiative.
Building on this work, the three final reports of the Virtual Worlds Observatory have been launched, to strengthen evidence-based policy-making and deepen understanding of the ecosystem:
- Virtual Worlds, Real Impact Mapping: EU Strengths and Global Interdependencies: the EU is the global leader in research in virtual worlds, but there is a lag in translating this strength into patent activity
- Observing Virtual Worlds: Structured assessment of virtual worlds applications: 22 real-world use cases across domains including education, healthcare, manufacturing, defence, and entertainment
- Observing Virtual Worlds: Multi-method Analysis of Skills, Challenges and Emerging Trends: this report draws on a survey of 32 EU-based virtual worlds companies, an analysis of 143 master's programmes in the EU offering VW-related content, and a review of online job advertisements for ICT specialists to provide an overview of the skills landscape in virtual worlds.
The Virtual Worlds Observatory and the new Interactive Data Explorer
Alongside the reports, the European Commission launched the Interactive Data Explorer. This new tool maps and analyses virtual worlds-related activities and their distribution across industrial ecosystems, identifies current and emerging uses of virtual worlds in a systemic way, and examines digital skills gaps linked to the development and uptake of virtual worlds.
The Interactive Data Explorer aims to support policymakers, businesses and researchers in making informed decisions, and to help spot new opportunities for growth and innovation. It also aims to contribute to a better understanding of emerging challenges linked to virtual worlds, especially around ethics, societal well-being, fundamental rights, consumer protection, and objectives of general public interest in a democratic society.
This tool includes a set of indicators designed to answer questions such as:
- What is the magnitude and composition of the ecosystem in terms of players and activities?
- How are players distributed geographically, and where are they concentrated?
- Which regions are leading?
- What is the degree of collaboration within the ecosystem?
- What is the technological composition of selected geographical areas?
- How are activities distributed across industrial ecosystems?
- What is the amount and origin of venture capital investment by area/country, the share of foreign-owned firms, and firms' investment in fixed assets?
- And finally, what indicators can serve as proxies for the scale of the EU startup ecosystem and for turnover?
Read the final reports and explore the Interactive Data Explorer and dive into the data. Take time to test the indicators, compare countries and regions, and discover key trends across the virtual worlds ecosystem.
European Commission - Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology published this content on April 22, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 22, 2026 at 08:16 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]