The definition of the metaverse by Jean-Marc Ollagnier of Accenture in a panel session at the Web Summit 2022 presents the idea that the Metaverse seeks to connect people, devices, and equipment, all over the world. “The metaverse is a natural evolution of the internet,” he added.
Speaking about the metaverse, the changes it is bringing, and technologies aiding the change, Jean-Marc mentioned that the metaverse is doing something very different: connecting physical and virtual reality with many technologies.
These technologies, he said, include the Digital twin technology that aims to digitize everything; assets, equipment, manufacturing capacities, infrastructure, and cities. Then, the blockchain technology comes in because there is a need to know who owns those digital assets, and they can transfer them from one place to another.
He further pointed out that all the immersive technologies out there, coming from gaming, augmented reality etc., will be used to change the experience between virtual and physical reality. “This is what the metaverse will bring, it is a collective innovative.”
The Industrial Metaverse
Aside from the consumer experience, there is the industrial world experience in the metaverse. Peter Koerte at Siemens, who was part of the panel session, highlighted the industrial side of the metaverse and mentioned what the metaverse is addressing as it relates to businesses and industries. “The meteverse and digital twin technology can help address, how supply chains can become more resilient, how energy crisis can be curbed, and how supply challenges can be fixed,” he said.
Moving into the metaverse is a desire to become more intuitive, immersive, and realistic. Alot of building blocks exist already, Peter said. The building blocks for the industrial metaverse are on design, simulation, real-time collaboration, and physique simulation.
Factories turn out to be responsible for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions. To curb this and make them more sustainable, we start by building digital trains, simulating them and making them seem like the real deal. Factories that adopt this will become more productive and flexible, improve material flow, and cut down carbon emissions because energy is saved, Peter said.
Benefits of the Industrial Metaverse to Business
According to Jean-Marc Ollagnier, these benefits exist for businesses in the Industrial Metaverse:
- Better products and services. The more you design in the virtual world, the better products and services you will have.
- Products are designed faster and cheaper. Products like cars, or aeroplanes, can launch first in the metaverse before there is a prototype.
- As developers design in the metaverse, energy is efficient; CO2 is saved, the material sourcing is more sustainable, and prototyping is reduced.
- Workers work differently, leveraging virtual reality and augmented reality to be more effective as human beings.
Accenture has onboarded 150,000 people in the metaverse, which means that the company have been able to welcome, coach, and train them. “Today we have the largest university in the metaverse and we are going to continue leveraging this to develop the employee experience,” Jean-Marc Ollagnier disclosed at the Web Summit.
Digital transformation in business
“Everybody says that if you want to run a successful business in this world you need to accelerate your digital transformation” Jean-Marc Ollagnier.
Digital transformation takes into account all the currently existing technology and both the ones that are coming, like the metaverse, Jean-Marc explained. “If you want to be successful you have to cope with what matters today in your business, as it relates to technology, and you have to have the agility to do that,” he advised.
Digital transformation is a transformation you have to do with people and for people. Therefore, there is a need to have a vision and understand how you can transform them.
He identified that there is a big transformation in the way. The energy sector, and consumer goods sector, all the major industries will have to change in a big way. “To become more sustainable, you have to create, understand those technologies, test them, and apply them,” he said.
Jean-Marc Ollagnier pointed out that his most excitement is the way “technology will help create more sustainable and resilient businesses.”
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How the metaverse will change education and work
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