Virtual Worlds Partnership
Menu
Registration closes .Register now
Speakers

Voices shaping Europe’s virtual future.

Researchers, industry leaders and policymakers join us in Valencia to discuss where Virtual Worlds are heading and what it will take to get there.

Speaker index

Meet the voices.

20 speakersSelect a speaker to jump to their biography.

02
Portrait of Adelina Dinu
Project Officer

Adelina Dinu

European Commission

Adelina Dinu is a Project Officer at the European Commission.

Back to speakers
04
Portrait of Alejandra del Valle
Secretary General

Alejandra del Valle

Virtual Worlds Association

Alejandra del Valle is Secretary General of the Virtual Worlds Association.

Back to speakers
05
Portrait of Mariano Alcañiz
Founding Director, LabLENI & Full Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Mariano Alcañiz

Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)

Mariano Alcañiz, Ph.D., is Founding Director of the Immersive Neurotechnologies Lab (LabLENI) and Full Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). His research combines computer science, psychology and neuroscience to understand and enhance human cognition through XR and immersive technologies. He has authored over 350 academic publications and led numerous national and European research initiatives. He is internationally recognised as one of the most prolific authors in virtual reality research.

In the programme

Back to speakers
07
Portrait of Pyry Haulos
CTO

Pyry Haulos

Varjo

Pyry Haulos is the Chief Technology Officer at Varjo, where he leads the long-term technology vision and R&D strategy for the high-performance virtual and mixed reality leader. At Varjo, Pyry guides deep-tech development across advanced optics, perception algorithms, device software, and AI to solve complex, real-world problems for enterprise, aviation, and defense customers. A veteran deep-tech leader, his career prior to Varjo includes engineering leadership roles at Amazon, Google, and successful startups. Pyry brings a grounded industry perspective on what it takes to build and scale cutting-edge XR technology in Europe today.

In the programme

Back to speakers
09
Portrait of Andrew Perkis
Director, NTNU Sense-IT lab

Andrew Perkis

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Andrew Perkis holds a chair within Media Technology at NTNU, in Trondheim, Norway. He is coordinating the Sense-IT team and lab running IDN (Interactive Digital Narratives) related projects and setting up directions and visions for new research within art and technology as well as directions for innovations in Immersive Media Technology Experiences. He is PI for NTNU’s membership in the VWA.

In the programme

Back to speakers
12
Portrait of Inês Cadilha
Strategic Partnerships & Funding Lead

Inês Cadilha

LusoVU

Inês is Strategic Partnerships & Funding Lead at LusoVU, a company developing a state-of-the-art solution for smartglasses lenses. With a background in aerospace engineering, she has over a decade of experience in hardware development, emerging technologies, innovation, and business development. For the past years she has led LusoVU's engineering teams, developed strategic partnerships, and driven funding initiatives supporting the development and growth of its technologies.

In the programme

Back to speakers
17
Portrait of Fran Ferrera
Director for Defence & Security (Spain) and EU Public Affairs

Fran Ferrera

Sopra Steria

Fran Ferrera is Director for Defence & Security (Spain) and EU Public Affairs at Sopra Steria. In this role, he bridges policy and business across Brussels and Madrid, focusing on digital defence and security technologies. He follows EU policy and national developments on data, AI, cyber, sovereign cloud, quantum and XR, and is an active member of working groups at ASD Europe and TEDAE. Fran has worked in Brussels since 2019, advising clients on CBRN defence, drone security and emerging technologies. He began his career in public institutions in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, focusing on EU cooperation and digitalisation.

In the programme

Back to speakers
18
Portrait of Fridolin Wild
Professor AR/VR/XR

Fridolin Wild

The Open University

Fridolin Wild is Professor AR/VR/XR at The Open University’s Institute of Educational Technology and leads the Performance Augmentation Lab (PAL). With over a decade of experience in XR for the space sector, his work includes an augmented reality roadmap for the European Space Agency and immersive astronaut training through the WEKIT project. At the Forum, he represents the space sector, sharing perspectives on astronaut training, remote collaboration and virtual worlds in future space activities.

In the programme

Back to speakers
19
Portrait of Ivon Bensason
KARMA XR Lab – Co-director / HERIFORGE TR Hub Leader

Ivon Bensason

Koç University

Senior Attorney at Law with 15+ years of experience, specialised in Intellectual Property Rights Management, EU RIA project writing, management and reporting. Focus on IP deriving from Innovative Interactive New Media Technologies (XR) especially in the Cultural Heritage domain. National Excellence Hub Leader in the HE Project HERIFORGE, currently her research focuses on co-governance models for inclusive, non-fixated interpretive collaborative platforms for the interpretation of Digital Cultural Heritage through the Virtual Worlds.

In the programme

Back to speakers
20
Portrait of Uwe Vogel
Division Director, Microdisplays and Sensors

Uwe Vogel

Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS

Skilled worker in semiconductor microelectronics, diploma in information technology, doctoral degree in biomedical engineering; since 2010 Head of Division “Microdisplays and Sensors” at Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden/Germany

In the programme

Back to speakers