National XR Day 2025
Dive into the world of immersive technologies! This year we will be exploring the theme 'shaping new realities' that emphasizes the shaping of new human-centered immersive applications that are developed in cross-disciplinary collaboration.
- Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam
Highlights National XR Day programme
On this page you will discover more about the programme of the National XR Day, which includes inspiring XR applications and realities, tools and workshops for collaboration and deep dive sessions in immersive technologies themselves. We are proud to present a diverse lineup of inspirational sessions and expert speakers.
At the start of the day, immerse yourself in a captivating experience where you and those around you don’t just observe — you create something extraordinary together. No screens pulling your attention away, but collectively building something great!
Keynote speaker: Frank Buytendijk
Frank has written several books on strategy, organizational behavior, and performance management. His titles Balanced Scorecard and Datawarehouses reached high positions on management book rankings in the Netherlands. In later years, he focused more on the philosophical aspects of business and technology in his writing.
About Frank Buytendijk
Frank is a Distinguished Vice President and Research Fellow at research firm Gartner, and the Chief of Research for Gartner Futures Lab. He always looks for a different perspective in every topic he tackles. Frank explores complex subjects, walks along their edges, and then brings the insights back to the core of what truly matters. Often described as an “agent provocateur,” he challenges conventional wisdom with a philosophical touch, a dash of humor, and a ton of insight.
As a futurist, Frank believes that the future is nothing more than the collective imagination of people in the present. His job? To unlock the creativity hidden in all that imagination. The goal of futuring is to capture zeitgeist, to drive self-reflection, and to trigger a change today.
As an digital ethicist, Frank believes that technology has a moral footprint. Technology triggers behaviors and amplifies everything that is good and bad.
His quest is to teach the world on how to appreciate uncertainty, and how to be a positive contributor to society.
Featured speaker: Jocelyn Park-Ross
We don’t need very much: Stories of innovation for impact in simulation education from the African Simulation Network
Simulation-based education provides healthcare workers with real-world challenges through immersive practice and reflection. However, most practice simulations are based on knowledge and practices within high-income and high-resource settings. Within low resource settings, innovation is key to provide high-quality and contextual educational experiences.
Jocelyn Park-Ross reveals how low-resource environments can drive smarter, more impactful ways to train healthcare professionals — empowering teams across African healthcare systems to deliver outstanding care. Discover how resourceful simulations breaks barriers, improves patient outcomes, and redefines what’s possible in global healthcare education.
Other interesting sessions
Paneldiscussion: "When is VR a good learning environment?
Jolien Mouw Roel Peijs Erik-Jan Smits (University of Groningen, VISTA College, Zuyd, CHE)
Virtual Reality offers unprecedented possibilities, but how do you ensure that VR effectively processes and reinforces your students' learning? What should you definitely not do? These questions are becoming increasingly relevant as more VR content is being shared openly. In this panel discussion, experienced educational innovators will discuss the impact, challenges and limitations of VR as a didactic learning tool.
Workshop: Play and Build Your Way to Safer XR with Polder Perspectives and XRSI
John Walker Alina Kadlubsky Valentino Megale (Npuls & OpenARCloud)
How can we talk about serious topics of safety and ethics with XR tech in a fun way? Let’s Play "Polder Perspectives XR", a workshop game designed to explore ethical design and use with XR technologies. Team up as fictional XR companies, work alongside the XRSI Europe team and tackle real-world assignments. Learn through experience responsible XR and XR safety in a fun, collaborative session.
Presentation: Co-Creating an XR App Store for Education in the Netherlands
Jeroen Kelder (NPuls)
Within Npuls, we are co-developing Simulearn: a supplier-independent XR platform for Dutch education in collaboration with DUTCH and SURF. Based on extensive co-creation, it tackles challenges like fragmented content, LMS integration, device management , and above all: enabling education professionals to start doing and experiment with XR right away.
Presentation: High-Fidelity Collaboration in the Metaverse with XR-IT
Professor Dr. Ian Biscoe (Design Academy Eindhoven)
XR-IT: a software and systems platform for high-fidelity collaboration in the Metaverse. New tools enabling inter-institutional virtual worlds, for education, research and immersive content creation. Preview a live action mocap animated film made simultaneously between studios in three EU countries using XR-IT.
Presentation: Device Management and Content Sharing with the XRScaleKit
Luuk Goossen Arno Freeke (TU Delft)
Managing XR Devices at scale is difficult, especially with all the changes in providers over the last year. Moreover, none of the existing solutions are build around community and sharing content. With the XRScaleKit Library and Launcher the TU Delft aims to change that. In this presentation, we will share progress updates on the various tools in the XRScaleKit.
Birds of a feather Gaussian Splatting in XR: Photoreal 6DoF
Nathan Saucier (Leiden University)
Since its initial release in 2023, gaussian splatting has fundamentally altered the way we can create photoreal 3D scenes for XR experiences. This workshop discusses its applications in an educational context. The evolving technical aspects of splat creation and workflows will be covered in depth, followed by a live demonstration that showcases an ongoing criminology project at Leiden University.
Closing: Fashion tech experience
Step into the future of fashion with Dutch FashionTech designer and innovator Anouk Wipprecht. In this captivating Fashion Tech Experience at the closing of the event, Anouk fuses cutting-edge science and technology to create designs that go beyond aesthetics — fashion becomes a living, interactive experience. Watch as models take the runway in mesmerizing robotic dresses that respond intuitively to their surroundings and their wearer. Throughout the show, Anouk will share exclusive insights into her visionary creations and the inspiring stories behind them.
Fashion tech experience