In this edition of Partner Journey, we speak with Greta Ioli, EU Project Manager at Gruppo Maggioli, the coordinator of the VOXReality project. Maggioli, a leading provider of software and digital services for public administrations, guided the consortium in developing an advanced XR ecosystem that integrates linguistic AI, computer vision, and multimodal interaction. In this interview, Greta provides insights into the project’s objectives, key achievements, and how the diverse consortium of academic, industrial, and creative partners worked together to realize a vision of multilingual immersive experiences spanning theater, virtual conferences, and industrial training.
Can you provide an overview of the VOXReality project’s objectives and achievements, and reflect on how the consortium worked together to realize its vision?
The objectives of the VOXReality project were to develop an advanced XR ecosystem integrating linguistic AI, computer vision, and multimodal interaction to improve multilingual immersive experiences. The goals of the project were mainly related to three spheres. One was the creation of pre-trained linguistic and visual models for XR environments. The second sphere was the development of spatiotemporal digital assistants and real-time contextual translation. The last one was validation through the three use cases: multilingual immersive theater, virtual conferences, and industrial AR training.
The main Key project outcomes were:
- AI-vision language models for virtual and real environments;
- Instruments for the visualisation of 3D in Augmented Reality;
- Multilingual speech translation models
- XR experience for both the theatre and the conferences.
The consortium has gathered partners in different fields such as academics, industrials, and creatives, in order to combine scientific, technical, and artistic expertise. The cooperation was based on shared management of the IPR and a common vision of collaborative exploitation and open innovation.
How has the VOXReality project helped to address key challenges or gaps in the XR field, and what do you consider its most significant contributions?
The VOXReality project addresses several key gaps in the XR sector. It enhances multilingualism and accessibility by developing contextual automatic translation and intelligent voice assistants that break linguistic and cultural barriers. It advances natural interaction by combining language and vision technologies to create XR assistants capable of understanding spatial and contextual information. It promotes scalability and reusability by providing open-source, pre-trained, and modular models that can be easily adapted to future applications. It also fosters innovation in collaboration, entertainment, and industrial training by offering concrete use cases that improve the transfer of technology to real-world environments. Overall, VOXReality makes a significant contribution to defining new European XR technologies, strengthening digitalisation and the competitiveness of the sector.
How did the project approach the integration of ethical considerations alongside technical innovation in the development and deployment of XR applications?
The VOXReality project integrates ethical and legal considerations from the very beginning, in alignment with the AI Act and the GDPR. It ensures compliance with data privacy, security, and intellectual property regulations. The project promotes an ethical, inclusive, and sustainable approach to XR development, paying attention to social and gender impacts such as cybersickness and accessibility for different groups of users. It also emphasizes transparency and accountability in the development and deployment of AI technologies and immersive content.
What were the main challenges faced in translating the project’s XR solutions to real-world contexts, and what opportunities have emerged for future adoption and scalability?
The VOXReality project faced several challenges in translating its XR solutions into real-world applications. These included technical complexity, high hardware costs, and difficulties in bridging the gap between research and industry, particularly in terms of patenting and commercialization. Despite these challenges, the project revealed significant opportunities for future growth. The XR market is expanding rapidly, with estimates suggesting a value between 35 and 65 billion euros in Europe in 2025. The development of 5G and 6G networks will further enhance performance and accessibility. There are also new possibilities for creating spin-offs, launching open calls, and fostering co-development with small and medium-sized enterprises. Moreover, VOXReality’s outcomes show strong potential for cross-sector scalability, extending from training and education to tourism, culture, and the arts.
How do you see the VOXReality project influencing the broader trajectory of digital transformation and technological innovation, particularly within the rapidly evolving XR ecosystem?
The VOXReality project contributes significantly to Europe’s digital transformation by creating open-source AI and XR models that combine language and computer vision. It promotes collaborative ecosystems and transnational networks, accelerating the adoption of ethical and inclusive artificial intelligence within the metaverse. The project also influences new forms of human-machine interaction with meaningful impacts on education, entertainment, and remote work. Overall, VOXReality drives European XR toward a more human-centered, interoperable, and sustainable paradigm, serving as a model for the future convergence of language, AI, and extended reality.
Greta Ioli
Greta Ioli is an EU Project Manager in the R&D department of Maggioli Group, one of Italy's leading companies providing software and digital services for Public Administrations. After earning a degree in International Relations – European Affairs from the University of Bologna, she specialized in European projects. Greta is mainly involved in drafting project proposals and managing dissemination, communication, and exploitation activities.