New technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) offer many opportunities and challenges for a wide variety of contexts. In business, for example, VR and AR can be used for the development, launch, and communication of new products, or in helping technicians improve production processes. Although promising, it will certainly also disrupt several industries (e.g., entertainment, tourism, and real estate), as geographical location becomes less relevant, and therefore entail many challenges.

VR and AR can also become relevant tools in other disciplines, such as psychology, medicine, and education. In psychology and medicine, VR can be helpful in exposing patients to and analyzing their behavior in specific situations; AR may become an important tool during surgeries; and VR can also be used for educational purposes, such as practicing speeches in a virtual environment.

The expert practice Virtual and Augmented Reality aims to bring together academic researchers from different disciplines (e.g., marketing, economics, operations and technology management, psychologists, and health care) and experts from practice (e.g., managers, psychologists) to jointly research the potential and effects these immersive technologies have on business, consumers, health care, and education. Our objective is to advance academic knowledge on immersive technologies and provide interested parties with the newest insights to make the best-informed decisions on where and how to use VR and AR in their daily activities in order to increase their performance. Additionally we work with Immersive Tech Space of ECDA.