August 16, 2023
By Sharan Kaur Phillora
In a groundbreaking move, Nanjing, the capital city of China’s Jiangsu Province, has unveiled a government-endorsed metaverse platform, setting the stage for significant advancements in the domain of metaverse research and development (R&D).
Here’s what we know:
Titled the “Blockchain Technology and Application Innovation Platform of China,” the city’s objective is to position itself as a forerunner in metaverse innovations, potentially prompting other Chinese cities to follow suit.
The vanguard of this government-supported endeavor is the Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST). The university is orchestrating a collaboration between numerous academic institutions and blockchain enterprises from across the nation. Pooling their resources and expertise, this coalition seeks to establish China as a global leader in the ever-evolving metaverse landscape.
Demonstrating its dedication to the cause, NUIST pioneered China’s first-ever metaverse major in September 2022. Not resting on its laurels, the university further enhanced its commitment by inaugurating a dedicated department for wearable virtual reality devices in April 2023.
In a parallel development, Shanghai is carving out its own metaverse niche. With an ambitious blueprint, the city projects an impressive annual revenue of 350 billion yuan from the metaverse by 2025. Notably, Shanghai’s metaverse innovations are already manifesting in real-world applications, encompassing virtual medical consultations and digital renditions of historic monuments.
The much-anticipated platform was launched during the Nanjing 2023 Metaverse Application Co-creation Conference, an event which drew the participation of over 200 experts, academicians, and industry leaders from diverse fields.
The platform intends to foster increased collaboration across educational institutions and businesses. Its overarching goal is to spur innovation and broaden horizons for economic expansion in the metaverse sector.
In tandem with these developments, Jianye District, one of Nanjing’s 11 districts, is strategizing to capitalize on the platform to augment its burgeoning metaverse industrial sphere. This new undertaking aligns with NUIST’s past initiatives in the metaverse domain, especially following its 2022 rebranding of the Department of Information Engineering to the Department of Metaverse Engineering.
About the author
Sharan Kaur Phillora’s thirst for knowledge has led her to study many different subjects, including NFTs and Blockchain technology – two emerging technologies that will change how we interact with each other in the future. When she isn’t exploring a new idea or concept, she enjoys reading literary masterpieces.
