About the project

Augmented realities, more intense experiences through immersion, merging of the physical and virtual world, real-time digital presence through avatars, decentralization and the vision of the metaverse characterize current developments on the way to the next stage of digitalization. This is accompanied by new opportunities and risks for society and democratic culture, which should already be considered in the development of immersive environments so that the vision does not become a dystopia. 

The Immersive Democracy Project explores new insights and opens spaces for transdisciplinary debates on the following questions, among others: How can the metaverse be designed to be inclusive and open? How can immersive technologies contribute to strengthening democracy? What measures can be taken to counter the instrumentalization for hate, radicalization, and polarization? In this way, we can contribute to developing a better internet.

The Immersive Democracy project is part of the European Metaverse research network with locations in the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Sweden and France.

The purpose of the EMRN is to carry out research that will map out both the liberating and highly beneficial possibilities inherent in the metaverse idea, as well as possible risks and challenges related to it. The network will achieve this through interdisciplinary research bringing together seemingly diverse aspects including, amongst others, the legal implications, the economic foundations, and social impact to ensure that we’re building the metaverse responsibly. More information: https://www.metaverse-research-network.info

The network is being led independently by the above research institutions, who had received funding provided through an unrestricted gift by Meta.