Bearded man wearing virtual reality headset

Belfast has become a magnet for the creative arts with an explosion of talent in music, theatre, film and television. Our bands, artists, and film-makers consistently push the creative boundaries and the city is building a serious reputation worldwide.

Our colleges and universities, students and researchers continue to explore the edge of new techniques and technologies both in the creative sector and in their application in everyday life. In a statement of its bleeding-edge ambition the city has established a national immersive lab that seeks to bring Virtual and Augmented Reality Tech into the home, the office and on to the factory floor.

The new Belfast Immersive Lab, in partnership with the Department of Economy and Digital Catapult will give any organisation the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the latest immersive technology.

The lab will be equipped with the latest augmented and virtual reality hardware and a VR team will encourage local businesses, innovators, and researchers to try-out, proto-type and exploit what is expected to be a key technology sector in the coming decade.

In support of this ambition we have pioneered a £20,000 Immersive Belfast Tourism challenge designed to encourage SMEs to proto-type exceptional immersive experiences that will attract more visitors to Belfast.

People cycling using Belfast's public bike hire scheme, Belfast Bikes.

Using machine vision to manage active travel routes in Belfast

This pilot is looking at how machine vision and machine learning can help to identify obstacles along Belfast routes that can reduce the capacity for more active travel.

Women using virtual reality headset

Memory Anchors Treasure Hunt Quest

Exploring new ways to preserve heritage and local stories through interactive digital sculpture and storytelling.

A family using virtual reality headsets and pointing at a map of Belfast on the ground in Belfast City Hall

Augment the City – Immersive tech innovators help to capture Belfast stories

Major new funding competition supporting local SMEs to innovate in immersive technologies to enhance visitor experiences in the Belfast region.