IE University hosts the first Metaverse Summit in Madrid
Marking the start of a collaborative partnership that recognizes the role of architects and designers in shaping the virtual future known as the metaverse, IE School of Architecture and Design will host the Metaverse Summit’s first Madrid meetup on 25 March.
It will take place in the IE Tower and will bring together entrepreneurs, builders, investors and experts as well as students and faculty from IE University to explore and construct the future of metaverse together. It is the first event of its kind in Madrid and aims to foster and unite the local community.
The themes of the summit seek to challenge using real life models, and will allow participants to explore what is to come, through topics such as decentralized governance, identity and community, creativity, immersive experiences, spatiality, and new business models. Professionals participating in the program come from firms such as Deloitte, the Spanish administration and creative fields, including architects and designers, for instance.
“The partnership between IE University, an educational institution focused on innovation, and Metaverse Summit makes the event even more unique”, explained Yingzi Yuan, founder and builder of Metaverse Summit. “ I believe there is a relevant education gap when it comes to the ever-closer Web 3 and hence a largely unprepared workforce. Metaverse Summit and IE University are the perfect team to promote the conversation around this new platform and the future of the internet, and encourage the next generation to get involved”, she added.
“Virtual environments are an opportunity for an immersive experience, and IE University, as a leading academic institution, has a responsibility to work towards building an equitable, inclusive and collaborative metaverse.”
Cristina Mateo, Associate Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design
Cristina Mateo, Associate Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design, said hosting the Metaverse Summit is a way for the school explore the opportunities that talking about building a metaverse offers for inclusive representation of people from diverse backgrounds, whilst exploring the relationship between space, identity and social interaction. “Virtual environments are an opportunity for an immersive experience, and IE University, as a leading academic institution, has a responsibility to work towards building an equitable, inclusive and collaborative metaverse”, she explained. In fact, IE School of Architecture and Design is moving into the design of virtual environments and is working on courses on AI and the Design Process, Virtual Environments and Gaming, amongst others, which are required in a world where the interplay of the virtual and the physical is growing.
“With our expertise in the development and execution of spatial environments, who better than architects and designers to lead in creating the 3D virtual spaces of the metaverse? It is our duty to get involved and help shape the future of the internet,”
Fatemeh Monfared, member of the hosting team of Metaverse Summit Madrid Founder and Chief Metaverse Architect at Spaces DAO.
“We’ve been given a fresh canvas and we need to act responsibly and creatively.”
The event will take place in the IE Tower, the 590 foot (180 m) high building with 538,000 square feet (50,000 m2) of floorspace and 75,000 square feet (7000 m2) of green spaces in the heart of Madrid. Those interested in attending the event (face to face, through Zoom or through the metaverse) can register through this link.