Step into the Future of XR with VIC at the Engineering Festival
20 September 2026 · 10:00–16:30 · Leonardo Campus, Politecnico di Milano
What will the technologies of tomorrow look like — and how will they change the way we learn, work, design and connect?
On 20 September 2026, the VIC – Virtual Innovation Consortium will bring the future of extended reality (XR), immersive technologies and social robotics to the Engineering Festival at Politecnico di Milano.
Designed as an interactive innovation playground, the VIC experience invites visitors of all ages and levels of expertise to explore emerging technologies through hands-on activities, immersive experiences and encounters with the researchers, universities, research centres and companies developing these solutions.
Discover XR through hands-on experiences
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore a range of technologies and applications:
Build Brunelleschi’s Dome
Step into an immersive journey through the construction of one of the
world's most iconic architectural masterpieces and experience the
making of Brunelleschi's Dome from a new perspective.
Share a metaverse
Meet friends in a shared virtual environment, take part in an augmented
reality treasure hunt, or design and furnish a kitchen in a virtual
space. Discover how immersive technologies can extend beyond
entertainment into every day and professional contexts.
Train for Industry 4.0
Experience how virtual reality is transforming professional training,
skills development and industrial processes through simulators and
applications developed for innovative Industry 4.0 scenarios.
Meet social robots
Discover how pet-bots and humanoid robots are being developed to support
human relationships and personal well-being, and explore emerging
perspectives in social and affective robotics.
Connecting research, education and industry
VIC's participation in the Engineering Festival reflects the consortium's wider mission: bringing together higher education, frontier research and industry to create new opportunities for knowledge exchange, digital innovation and skills development.
The VIC consortium brings together universities, research institutions, vocational education and training providers, and industry partners from across Europe.
From virtual and augmented reality and shared metaverses to immersive learning, Industry 4.0 simulators, digital cultural heritage and social robotics, VIC showcases how collaboration across sectors can turn emerging technologies into opportunities for learning, experimentation and innovation.
Join us in Milan
Whether you are a researcher, student, industry professional, educator, technology enthusiast or simply curious about what the future holds, come and explore the VIC innovation playground at the Engineering Festival.
VIC Engineering Festival Brochure