Digital Innovation
The Research, Analysis and Strategy Institute (RAS Institute) is pleased to announce its role as a partner in the delivery of the Virtual Innovation Consortium (VIC) project, a major European initiative focused on advancing Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies across education, research, and industry.
The project is co-funded by the European Union under the programme DIGITAL-2024-ADVANCED-DIGITAL-07-KEYCAPACITY, and brings together a strong consortium of 11 international partners working collaboratively over the period 2025–2029 to strengthen Europe’s capacity in immersive and advanced digital technologies.
The VIC consortium includes leading academic and innovation institutions from across Europe and associated regions:
ISTEC (Portugal)
EUNEIZ (Spain)
UNINT (Italy)
ENTI-UB (Spain)
RAS Institute
PoliMI (Italy)
Cacttus Education (Kosovo)
Simplon (France)
Khora (Denmark)
Youbiquo (Italy)
UNICIS.Tech (Estonia)
Together, these partners will develop and deploy innovative approaches to VR/AR learning environments, applied research, and cross-sector digital innovation frameworks, strengthening Europe’s leadership in immersive technologies.
Within the VIC project, RAS Institute will take responsibility for two core strategic Work Packages:
1. Dissemination
RAS Institute will lead activities focused on ensuring that project results reach key stakeholders across Europe and beyond. This includes:
Developing and implementing a comprehensive dissemination strategy
Ensuring visibility of project outcomes across academic, policy, and industry communities
Supporting communication of project results to maximise impact, uptake, and scalability
Facilitating engagement with stakeholders in the fields of education, innovation, and digital transformation
2. Quality Control
RAS Institute will also oversee key elements of project quality assurance, including:
Monitoring consistency and alignment across project deliverables
Supporting the implementation of robust quality assurance frameworks
Ensuring methodological coherence and compliance with EU project standards
Contributing to continuous improvement processes across all work packages
The VIC project has been awarded the STEP seal, a recognition granted under the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP)—an EU initiative designed to strengthen Europe’s leadership in critical and emerging technologies.
The STEP seal identifies projects that are strategically aligned with EU priorities and helps:
Highlight high-impact projects contributing to Europe’s technological sovereignty
Support the development and scaling of critical technologies in strategic sectors
Improve coordination of innovation and industrial policy across EU Member States
Strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in key future-oriented technology domains
By receiving the STEP seal, VIC is recognised as a strategically important initiative for advancing Europe’s capacity in VR and AR technologies, supporting innovation, skills development, and long-term digital competitiveness.
The Virtual Innovation Consortium represents a significant investment in Europe’s digital future:
Total Project Value: €7,612,054.06
EU Co-Funding: €3,806,027.03
Implementation Period: 2025–2029
RAS Institute is committed to contributing its expertise in strategic communication, research coordination, and quality assurance to ensure the success and impact of the VIC project.
Our role reflects our broader mission to support European initiatives that advance digital innovation, knowledge transfer, and evidence-based policy and technology development.
Looking Ahead
Through the VIC project, RAS Institute will actively support the creation of innovative VR/AR ecosystems that strengthen Europe’s digital capabilities and global competitiveness.