1999
Date of creation and founding of the Laval Virtual association and its event.
2017
Installation at the Laval Virtual Center; a place of innovation and sharing.
2020
100% virtual edition due to Covid-19, bringing together 6,000 avatars.
2026
28th edition of Laval Virtual, Europe’s biggest XR event.
Laval, European capital of VR
Laval Virtual, a major VR/AR association
Laval Virtual is a major and historic association in the field of immersive technologies: virtual, augmented and mixed reality. It was created in 1999 under the impetus of former Laval mayor François d’Aubert, with the ambition of bringing together numerous players in the VR/AR sector in a single region.
The association is headquartered at the Laval Virtual Center, the leading international hub for virtual and augmented reality.
A bold gamble
The first event dedicated to virtual reality
In 1999, it was an audacious gamble for a medium-sized region to position the city of Laval ahead of other much larger metropolises. Innovation also meant having the flair to bet on technologies that were then emerging and highly confidential.
Inspiration came from Japan, but Laval was the birthplace of the first event dedicated to virtual reality.
Laval, capital of XR schools
Laval Virtual, the leading hub for Virtual Reality education and research
Higher education and research in Laval are driven by a dynamic network of specialized schools and cutting-edge laboratories. This ecosystem offers a wide range of degree programs—from Bachelor’s to Master’s—covering virtual reality, real-time 3D, and immersive design, backed by renowned research teams
Today, Laval brings together around 200 students fully specialized in XR and about forty researchers and PhD candidates, with an ambitious target of reaching 360 students. This unique concentration makes the region the largest Virtual Reality training hub in France and Europe.
The key principles and values that guide and reinforce our actions.
Our values.
Gather
… the right people to spark positive and meaningful impacts.
Inspire
… today’s innovators to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Valorize
innovations that benefit humanity.
Laval Virtual, member of the CNXR
As a member of the CNXR, Laval Virtual is actively involved in promoting and developing immersive technologies in France. This membership of CNXR, the national network dedicated to players in virtual and augmented reality and immersive technologies, reinforces our mission to support innovation and create opportunities for the XR ecosystem.
SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques) is simply the world’s largest event dedicated to computer graphics, visual effects (VFX), and interactive technologies.
Organized annually in the United States (or Canada) by the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), SIGGRAPH brings together tens of thousands of researchers, developers, animation studios (such as Pixar, Disney, and ILM), and tech giants (including NVIDIA, Meta, and Google).
The ultimate invitation : The winning project of the #ReVolution competition earns a direct ticket to exhibit at the next edition of SIGGRAPH!
IVRC | Japan
IVRC (Interactive Virtual Reality Contest) is an international virtual reality creation competition founded in Japan in 1993. Designed as a true incubator for young talent, the contest challenges student teams to conceive, prototype, and present innovative interactive works and immersive devices.
An international showcase : the project that wins the #Students competition award flies off to Japan to present their prototype to the public, researchers, and Japanese pioneers in immersive technologies.
Laval, pioneering and inspiring for over 25 years
Since 1999, Laval has embodied a visionary territory, a European pioneer in virtual and augmented reality. By launching the first exhibition dedicated to VR, the city made a bold bet that has become a global success.
Today, Laval Virtual is Europe’s leading XR reference, reflecting a pioneering and collaborative ecosystem that brings together, inspires, and promotes human-centered innovation for future transitions.
