Discipline meets creativity and therefore enables innovation. Patricia is an experienced cross-sector & multi-disciplinary technology and innovation strategist currently working for the Strategic Regional Innovations pillar at the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Manufacturing.
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Christophe REIG
A graduate of the Aeronautical Maintenance Institute and holder of a Master’s degree in Business Administration, I joined the company, now called ArianeGroup, over 20 years ago. After a few years in the production sector, I joined the Ground Systems Design Office. After taking on various responsibilities in the development of mechanical ground systems for military projects, I worked on a number of civil projects (launch sites, launchers, satellite integration centres, etc.) and nuclear projects (ITER, dismantling of nuclear installations, etc.). With a strong end-user focus, around 4 years ago I joined ArianeGroup’s Digital & Transformation unit to develop and deploy innovative digital solutions (Virtual Reality, 3D simulation of industrial processes, Product Lifecycle Management, etc.) for the whole company. In November, I joined the @My Job Glasses community as an ambassador to promote the aerospace industry.
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Geoffrey GORISSE
As a virtual reality researcher, my investigations focus on virtual characters (avatars and agents). I study the sense of embodiment and the way avatars impact human behavior in immersive environments. I am also in charge of teaching 3D modeling and real-time rendering, as well as programming for VR interfaces.
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Oriane WALKOWIAK
After a year in the B2B department, supporting companies in the RetailTech, E-commerce and EdTech sectors in their export initiatives, Oriane is now B2B project manager for companies in the Cultural and Creative Industries sector, as part of the ICC Immersion government program jointly run with the Institut Français.
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Carl BOEL
Carl BOEL has over 6 years’ experience in immersive learning, i.e. learning and training using immersive technologies such as augmented, mixed and virtual reality. In this daily practice, he combines research with field expertise. Carl is a researcher in immersive learning at the Thomas More University of Applied Sciences and received his PhD on the subject in 2023. He leads several research projects on immersive learning, both nationally and internationally. Carl is the principal author of a framework for implementing virtual learning in education nationwide, the first of its kind in the world. In 2017, he founded Virtual Learning is Reality as an independent XR consultant, and has designed, developed and tested multiple learning experiences for companies, organizations and government institutions. In the process, he noticed a need for scalable XR solutions, which led to the birth of Dexr in 2022, a code-free authoring tool for creating your own XR training, guided by evidence-based instructional design principles. With Dexr, he aims to democratize XR technologies for learning, supporting the widespread adoption of XR technologies in education and industrial training. Finally, he continues to expand his XR network as co-chair of XR Valley, content curator for Immersive Tech Week and member of the Immersive Learning Research Network organizing committee.
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Rebecca FRIBOURG
Rebecca Fribourg is a lecturer at the Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France. His research focuses on the theme of avatars, i.e. digital representations of users in a virtual continuum ranging from virtual reality to augmented reality. Prior to this, she obtained her PhD at the University of Rennes 1 within the Inria research institute in 2020, after which she completed a 6-month post-doctoral internship at Trinity College Dublin. His research offers scientific contributions to the study of avatars, combining new theoretical concepts, innovative technological developments and experimental methodologies, as well as the more psychological aspects that can explain the success or otherwise of these technologies.
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Laetitia BOCHUD
A political scientist trained in Switzerland and the United States, Laetitia Bochud led the communication and marketing department of a luxury brand for the Swiss market, among other project management activities. In 2017, she joined the stimulating scene of immersive technologies with Virtual Switzerland. This association, initially supported as a National Thematic Network (2017-2020) by the Swiss Innovation Agency Innosuisse, fosters and promotes the development, integration, and technological transfer of Swiss XR according to 3 axes: 1) production and creation, 2) industry and integration, 3) innovation and research. Besides managing projects and facilitating productions and initiatives, Laetitia is also a university CAS lecturer, jury member, curator, and public speaker. Elected Digital Shaper 2022, Laetitia chairs the board of XR4Europe, an association that supports and federates European XR professionals, and that is involved in Horizon Europe projects. She is also and ambassador for Women in immersive Tech in Switzerland, and the global lead for the IMPULSE Programme – the European XR Accelerator, one of the initiatives she helped co-create.
