Next-generation Open Virtual worlds & web 4.0 alliance in Europe

NOVA provides the coordination and governance backbone for Europe to lead the development of Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0. Its objective is to launch and operationalise the European Partnership on Virtual Worlds, while supporting the Initiative on Web 4.0 ensuring that these technologies evolve as open, interoperable, trustworthy and human-centric systems aligned with European values. NOVA will develop two community-endorsed Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas: One for Virtual Worlds and one for Web 4.0 designed through inclusive multi-stakeholder processes. Both will embed principles of inclusivity, ethics and accessibility, and will be linked through a Joint Synergies Matrix that identifies overlaps and shared building blocks. These strategic agendas are translated into practical instruments, including a Virtual Worlds Roadmap with sectoral deployment pathways in health, education, culture, industry and cities, a Web 4.0 Implementation Agenda with architectural frameworks, standards and protocols, and an SME and Startup Competitiveness Blueprint providing business models, cooperation patterns and adoption guidance. At its core, NOVA is building Europe’s strategic framework for Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0. This framework will be continuously updated through an agile process that ensures SRIAs and implementation plans remain aligned with emerging technologies, market dynamics and societal needs. Beyond strategy, NOVA delivers policy recommendations, programming inputs for future funding, and a European standardisation strategy that consolidates Europe’s role as a global rule-shaper. By advancing the idea of building bridges between industry, research, academia and innovators, NOVA forges a pan-European community that becomes an indispensable actor and a magnet for talent. Through this process, NOVA ensures that Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0 are not only technologically advanced, but also inclusive, trustworthy and ready for large-scale deployment across Europe.