The World Economic Forum, in partnership with Accenture and Microsoft, unveiled at its Annual Meeting 2023 a working prototype of its Global Collaboration Village. This village is a collaborative metaverse where organizations together create solutions for the world’s most pressing challenges. During the first session during the Annual Meeting 2023, 80 organizations and other participants joined the Forum in its first session in the Village.
The World Economic Forum created the Global Collaboration Village together with Microsoft and Accenture. They presented the first prototype during their Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos. There, partners from 80 organizations leading organizations helped to shape the village’s development. Also, participants from around the world joined the Forum in its first-ever interactive, multilateral sessions in this collaborative metaverse.
Collaborative metaverse
“With the Global Collaboration Village, we are creating the first public purpose-oriented application of the metaverse technology, building a true global village in the virtual space. Supported by a unique range of partners from the public and private sectors, the Village will use the frontier capabilities of the metaverse to find solutions for addressing the big issues of our time in a more open, inclusive, and sustained way,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.
Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, added: “The collaborative metaverse will profoundly change every part of every business, bridging our physical and digital worlds, and over time will enable companies to create innovative new consumer products and services, transform their manufacturing and operations, and reimagine the way we collaborate and work.”
Overcoming limitations
Brad Smith, Vice-Chair and President, Microsoft Corporation, said, “We believe the metaverse has the potential to fundamentally change the way we communicate and collaborate, overcoming limitations of the physical world to deliver enhanced connections for everyone. The Global Collaboration Village, powered by Microsoft Mesh, is a prime example of how we can use metaverse technology to bring people and communities together in new ways.”
The Global Collaboration Village was introduced as a proof of concept in May 2022. As a prototype it should harness the power of the metaverse to create co-presence and connection for a more diverse and physically dispersed audience. It’s built on mixed reality platform Microsoft Mesh. And it includes several spaces where users can get together using a VR headset or laptop.
Spaces in the collaborative metaverse
The spaces include: a town hall, collaborative centers and stakeholder campuses. The town hall is specifically created for future sessions, meetings, like workshops and plenaries. The collaborative centers create a space where participants can really dive into a topic and create solutions for the most pressing issues in the world. The stakeholder campus is created for partners, for them to innovate and create solutions there.
Over the next year, the Forum will invite organizations to build in these immersive spaces to learn, collaborate, and create partnerships. The initiative’s aim to strengthen and re-energize international cooperation is guided by four principles: global cooperation toward shared solutions; interactive immersion to foster better understanding; broad participation enabled by inclusive discussions; and individual and collective action as a catalyst for maximum impact.
