Technological Sovereignty Takes Centre Stage as EU Tech Chief Henna Virkkunen Addresses UnitedXR Europe
European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen joins speakers from SPECS by Snap, Google and Belgium's imec at Maison de la Poste, 7–9 December, with international delegations confirmed.
BRUSSELS, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Who will shape the future of immersive technology, and how much control will Europe have over it? European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen will address European technological sovereignty at UnitedXR Europe this December, as companies, researchers and policymakers gather in Brussels to discuss the industry's next steps.
Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, will speak on Tuesday, 8 December at 15:00 at Maison de la Poste in Brussels.
Co-produced by AWE and Stereopsia, UnitedXR Europe returns from 7–9 December for three days of talks, an exhibition and the European XR Awards®.
Confirmed delegations from Hong Kong, Portugal, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, four Nordic countries and over 60 other participating countries will bring an international perspective to discussions on how immersive technologies are developed, governed and used.
"Technological sovereignty can sound abstract. For our industry, it comes down to whether European companies can build successful products and have a say in how this technology develops," said Alexandra Gérard, co-producer of UnitedXR Europe. "That's why Henna Virkkunen's participation is so important. We want Europe's XR community to hear from her directly and take this conversation further in Brussels."
Building technology people can trust
XR devices can capture information about our movements, surroundings and the people around us. What gets recorded? Who can access it? How is it protected? Developers need answers that give people confidence to use their products and businesses confidence to invest.
Programme highlights include:
- Divergent Realities: Ethics, Rights and Social Impacts of XR and Smartglasses — Rob Morgan (Playlines | Wake The Tiger), Alina Kadlubsky (University of Applied Sciences Mittweida, Virtual Technologies Department), John Walker (SURF) and Kelsey Farish (media and technology lawyer). A discussion of the ethical, rights and social questions raised by XR and smart glasses.
- Navigating the EU AI Act in Collaborative AI Production: How Do Creators Stay in Control? — Tim Deussen (Studio Deussen, Berlin). A look at the EU AI Act and what creative control means in collaborative AI production.
- Building XR for the Business — Matthew Connors (Volvo Group). A session focused on enterprise use cases including security and scalability challenges.
Additional featured speakers include:
- Daniel Wagner, SPECS by Snap
- Anne Bajart, European Commission
- Patrick Bourdot, EuroXR
- Sean Ginevan, Google
- Prof. Frank Steinicke, University of Hamburg
- Thomas Kubski, Deloitte
- José Ferrer Costa, JMIR Publications | UOC | BSA
- Luis Bravo Martins, XR Safety Intelligence - Europe
- Andres Martin-Barrio, European Space Agency (ESA-ESTEC)
Participating sponsors and exhibitors include SPECS by Snap, PICO, Lureo, Virtual World Association, XR4Europe, XR Valley, ManageXR, Imec, JMIR Publications, ArcelorMittal, Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association (HKDEA), France Immersive Learning, HTC Vive, Even Realities.
European XR Awards celebrate the year's creative work
The European XR Awards® shortlist ranges from climate documentaries to survival games, with nominees across nine categories. They include SOLWATA, a mixed-reality experience narrated by Mark Ruffalo about rising sea levels in the Solomon Islands; The Baby Factory is Closed, which explores menopause, identity and colonial medicine; and Bootstrap Island, a VR survival adventure inspired by Robinson Crusoe.
The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, 8 December, from 18:30–20:00 CET on the Main Stage at Maison de la Poste.
Explore the European XR Awards® and full nominee list
Early bird tickets available ahead of 21 October deadline
UnitedXR Europe takes place from 7–9 December 2026 at Maison de la Poste, Brussels.
Early-bird rates expire on 21 October, with three-day All Access passes available for €579 and two-day All Access passes for €479, including 21% Belgian VAT.
Tickets — View passes and register
Programme — Explore the agenda
Media — Apply for a media pass
About UnitedXR Europe
UnitedXR Europe is a conference and exhibition dedicated to augmented, virtual and mixed reality. Co-produced by AWE and Stereopsia in Brussels, it brings together technology companies, businesses, policymakers, researchers and creators to exchange knowledge, build partnerships and advance the development and adoption of immersive technologies. Its programme combines conference sessions, an exhibition, scientific research, creative experiences and the European XR Awards®.
Media Contact
Brittany Oat
Lightspeed PR & Marketing
[email protected]
SOURCE UnitedXR Europe
Share this article