Finland seeks to become metaverse global leader by 2035 – EURACTIV.com

The Finnish government is seeking to become a world leader in the metaverse – or virtual worlds – by 2035, according to its strategy published on Wednesday (29 November).

The report, entitled ‘Metaverse Initiative by the Finnish Ecosystem: Virtual Potential into Real-World Impact’, states that Finland would like to become “a global leader in the metaverse industry”.

While China, Japan, the UK, and the United Arab Emirates have started to work on similar strategies, this is the first national metaverse strategy from an EU member state.

The term ‘metaverse’ as it stands is fairly slippery. The European Commission’s strategy published in July on the topic instead used the phrase ‘virtual worlds’ – as the metaverse lexicon was deemed too closely associated with Meta (formerly Facebook).

According to the Finnish report, while there have been several definitions, today, “the term [metaverse] has been used to describe various visions of virtual worlds that are immersive and experiential, and that may integrate elements of the physical and digital worlds.”

Moreover, the metaverse can remember users and their environment; some parts are “seamlessly connected to the real world”. It also mimics reality and is “by default in immersive 3D”.

For users, it is also possible to socialise, communicate, or trade in the metaverse and move between virtual worlds and platforms while transferring their data.

According to Patrick Grady, editor at policy hub Metaverse EU, Finland’s “definition for the ‘metaverse’—and not ‘virtual worlds’—helps to clarify rather than confuse key elements of new immersive technology”.

Finnish values

The report also emphasises the Finnish values, which include collaborating with other nations.

“Finland’s geopolitical position between superpowers of the world allows it to balance its interests between different actors and regions and to create mutual trust in other countries”, the document reads.

The country is home to leading companies in extended reality, such as Varjo, Dispelix, and Optofidelity, but also to important companies in the telecom sector, like Nokia and Cinia. Finland also ranks among the best in the world in several converging technologies.

The text reads, “tightly linked with the metaverse: software applications, networking technologies, advanced computing (including quantum technologies), Artificial Intelligence, fintech, gaming, and metaverse environments”.

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