The New Zealand VR/AR Association (NZVRARA) and Massey University School of Design have formed a strategic partnership to support New Zealand’s virtual and mixed reality sector.
This partnership follows that formed by NZVRARA and Wellington-based virtual reality company, Blackeye VR in October 2017 to promote the VR/AR sector and accelerate adoption of VR and AR techniques by New Zealand organisations, and one in February 2017 with Auckland based Rush Digital, claimed to be one of the world’s leading creative technology studios.
NZVRARA executive director Courteney Lomas said the partnership was expected to build closer relationships between both international and national industry corporations and staff and students at Massey.
NZVRARA chair, Michael Gregg said NZVRARA was seeking to build deeper links to the academic and research community.
“Connecting with Massey University at this level sends a strong signal of our intentions to play an active role in cultivating a strong VR-capable graduate community to provide a skilled workforce for burgeoning New Zealand-based cross reality (XR) businesses to employ, as well as creating the next wave of start-ups” he said.
Professor Brian Lucid, head of Massey University’s School of Design, said the partnership with NZVRARA would support educational and student initiatives and build stronger connections between student and faculty research, industry partners and sector members.”
Lucid was a founding board member of NZVRARA and oversaw students at Massey University establishing New Zealand’s first tertiary VRAR Club, VRTX, in early 2017 before establishing a specialised VRAR room on the Wellington campus.
He said the development of virtual and augmented reality, and the public’s access to it, was expected to greatly expand before the end of the decade, and the mixed and virtual reality industry in New Zealand to double within two years.