LU konference
On 17 September 2025, the VR Health Champions consortium gathered in Riga, Latvia, for its second General Assembly. This time, the meeting was hosted by the University of Latvia – one of the 19 partners actively driving the project – at the House of Nature of the University campus.
The full-day agenda assessed progress and set priorities for the months ahead. Each work package presented its achievements and deliverables while revisiting risks and mitigation strategies. From coordination and user experience to testing, regulatory services, dissemination and value chain integration, partners exchanged insights and strengthened the shared roadmap.
The assembly was also an opportunity to align on interregional challenges and ensure that the project continues to deliver impact across Europe’s health innovation ecosystem.
“We are entering an exciting phase of VR Health Champions. The progress so far demonstrates what collaboration across countries and disciplines can achieve. Now, with a clear six-month plan ahead, we are ready to take the next big steps towards transforming healthcare through XR,” said Cristiana Costa, Project Coordinator, Instituto Pedro Nunes.
With a renewed sense of energy and shared purpose, the consortium is already looking forward to the following milestones shaping the project’s second half.
The European VR/AR market is projected to reach a value between €35-65 billion by 2025, contributing up to €40 billion in gross added value, according to Ecorys (2021). Europe’s VR/AR ecosystem, driven by start-ups and SMEs, is growing dynamically. Healthcare, the fourth largest sector in the VR/AR market (representing 11%), holds enormous potential for advancements in medical analysis, diagnostics, surgeries, and therapies. Although extended reality (XR) technologies in healthcare are still in the early stages across Europe - especially in less developed regions - the opportunities are vast.
