Business Talks: Save the dates for ‘reality’ technologies conference

Join practitioners and academics in exploring eXtended Reality (XR), where virtual and physical realms converge at the eXtending Reality: Immersive Design, Production and Technology event on September 11.

The eXtended Reality (XR) realm encompasses diverse technologies, including augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR), which seamlessly blend virtual and physical realms to create fully immersive experiences.

While XR is often associated with Hollywood VFX and gaming, its applications extend far beyond entertainment.

Advertising, architecture, creative technologies, graphic/visual design and film/media/animation studies are just a few disciplines that benefit from the transformative power of XR.

This conference looks at an emerging field of scholarly and professional interest, bringing together practitioners and academics to delve into what the influx of XR technology means for the future of the creative industries.

Hosted by the University of Portsmouth - renowned for its Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR) - we will provide a tour of our next-gen facilities, including a professional standard motion capture studio, 3D photogrammetry suite, haptic immersive technologies, and a virtual production sound stage.

The event runs from 9am to 7pm in the University’s Eldon Building, Winston Churchill Avenue, Portsmouth, PO1 2DJ. Tickets are £15 (discount); £47.50 (early bird rate); £75 (standard) and can be booked here.

University shares in £55m funding to help meet the UK’s net zero target

The University of Portsmouth is part of a £55m programme of investment to help drive forward change in the energy system and help to meet the UK’s net zero target by 2050.

Portsmouth joins one of six research hubs and centres, which aim to boost knowledge, create innovative green technologies and reduce demand for energy to achieve greener, cleaner domestic, industrial and transport energy systems.

The university will receive a share of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding as part of its work with The UK Hub for Research Challenges in Hydrogen and Alternative Liquid Fuels (UK-HyRES); a five year collaboration between several universities including Bath, Sheffield, Warwick, UCL, St Andrews and Surrey.

The team will coordinate a national, interdisciplinary programme of research to ensure a pipeline of projects that can deliver commercialisation of hydrogen and alternative liquid fuel technologies that are safe, acceptable and environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, decoupling fossil fuels from our energy system and delivering greener energy.

Portsmouth researchers will lead on the ‘social’ cross-cutting theme, accompanying other cross-cutting research themes in economic, safety and environmental issues, as well as technical themes relating to production, distribution, storage and end-use.

Dr Chris Jones, Associate Professor in Applied Psychology at the university and Lead of the Technology Acceptance Research Group: Energy technologies (TARG:ET), said: “This investment represents a genuine opportunity to grow the UK's interdisciplinary research and innovation activity around hydrogen and alternative liquid fuel technologies, in a way that is responsive to their environmental, economic, safety and social drivers and impacts.

“Leading the 'social cross-cutting theme', which constitutes a key aspect of this programme, is clear recognition of the university's significant research and innovation activity in energy and environmental technologies, including hydrogen, and cements a consideration of the social acceptance of these technologies at the heart of their ongoing research and development.”

Big Networking Night is back

We are rolling out the red carpet and inviting you to our annual flagship networking event, Big Networking Night on Thursday September 21.

The University of Portsmouth is taking a more serene approach to networking, enterprise and entrepreneurship to help you feel uplifted, inspired and closer to your true self.

You'll have the chance to hear from three of our Entrepreneurs in Residence; Rachel Lowe MBE, CEO and Founder of Rachel Lowe Games & Puzzles; Claire Tamplin, CEO and Founder of The Mindful Movement Coach Mission; and David Thomson, CEO and Founder of Suada; and Abigail Norman, first year Business, Management and Entrepreneurship student.

The free event runs from 6pm-9pm at The Village Hotel Portsmouth. Find out more and register at BNN23.eventbrite.co.uk

Find out more

To find out more about the University of Portsmouth, visit its website