Meta and Seoul National University form metaverse think tank

Meta, formerly Facebook, jointly established a metaverse think tank with Seoul National University to research policies and technologies related to the metaverse, the social media company said Wednesday.

The research center, named XR Hub Korea, will delve into the technical advancements needed for companies to develop life-like extended reality (XR) services and the policy changes that need to follow for them to be widely used and accepted.

Experts from academia and industry will work together on the research, especially focusing on issues such as the economic benefits of the metaverse, data, privacy and cyber-security.

An XR Experience Center will be built inside Seoul National University’s central library, where visitors can check out the latest XR technologies.

This is the second XR Hub in Asia, following the establishment of XR Hub Taiwan last May.

“It is a long road to build the metaverse, and how we build is as important as what we build,” said Vishal Shah, head of metaverse at Meta. “It requires collaboration with policymakers, experts and industry partners to bring this to life.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]