How do you connect students from all over the world to drive innovation?

That was the question faced by Karsten Dehler, director of the Stibo Accelerator in Aarhus, Denmark. The answer, it turned out, lay outside of the physical world and instead in the Metaverse. See the video below to learn more or continue reading.

The Stibo Accelerator is an initiative of the Danish company Stibo Systems, one of the world’s leading data management companies. The Stibo Accelerator functions as an academic incubator and its goal is “to give back” to the universities from where they get their employees. So, every year, around 25 – 30 students write their bachelor’s, master’s thesis, or final university project at the Accelerator, often working with industry experts throughout the process. 

The hope is that students gain a head start on their dream careers and help bridge the gap between student life and getting their first job, says Randi Vestergaard, Communication and Event Manager at the Accelerator.

The Goal: Make it easier for students to connect

To provide students with the best possible environment to conduct research and share ideas, the Stibo Accelerator is constantly experimenting with new innovations, and Karsten tells us that it’s in the DNA of the Accelerator to be at the forefront of new technologies.

So, this is when the team at the Accelerator began to realize the tremendous potential of Extended Reality and decided to develop their own Corporate Metaverse. “We wanted to take what we were already doing […] and transform it into a virtual one.”

Why Stibo Systems chose to build their own Corporate Metaverse with SynergyXR

For the team at the Accelerator, choosing to build their own Corporate Metaverse with SynergyXR was an easy decision. Karsten describes how they were looking for “an experienced and professional partner that we could trust and who was willing to evolve the product together with us.” 

Creating a Corporate Metaverse also puts Stibo Systems in control of their virtual environment. For a company that deals with data, this was especially important in the decision-making process. With the SynergyXR platform, Stibo Systems is able to control who has access and where their data is going.

In this way, Stibo Systems’ goal was to create an “internal playground for our colleagues, customers, and partners where we can experiment together,” says Karsten.

Super smooth implementation

“It was just super, super easy,” says Karsten when asked about the onboarding process. SynergyXR provided Stibo Systems with a roadmap for when the different components of their Metaverse would be ready for testing and were able to follow through exactly in accordance with the plan.

Asked about her favorite thing with the platform, Randi states that it has been the SynergyXR organization. “They are all really amazing people and really easy to work with.”

When it comes to customer service, Karsten praises the proactive nature of the SynergyXR team, who have proactively reached out to the Accelerator when updates have been made to the platform.  

Also, what Stibo Systems was looking for in a partner was not only an organization that supports them in what they want to do but also acts as a sparring partner. 

“Overall SynergyXR has exceeded my expectations in all areas. It is just super positive to have a partner that you can count on, you can trust, and who delivers as promised – if not more.”

The Outcome: A Corporate Metaverse that blends the physical world with the virtual

Although it’s still early days, both Karsten and Randi are delighted with what the Stibo Accelerator has achieved so far. With the help of Synergy, Stibo Systems has created its own Corporate Metaverse that expands on the Accelerator’s already top-of-class environment for incubating academic talent. 

While the goal of Stibo Systems’ Metaverse was always to push the boundaries and create something “out of the ordinary”, Karsten tells us that they also wanted to “create some things that were anchored to the real world, physical Accelerator.” For example, some of the existing decorations in Stibo Systems’ office have been used to inspire their Metaverse.

Since launching their Metaverse in June of this year, there has been a repeated “wow” from both students and staff members when they first explore the Metaverse.

A new creative hub for students

The newly created Metaverse has already become a key component of students writing their thesis at the Accelerator. Students are able to use XR equipment like VR headsets to aid with their research as well as share research materials and resources.

Monica Andersen, a student of IT, Communication and Organization at the top-tiered School of Business, Aarhus University wrote her master’s thesis with fellow student Cæcilie Overby Sander on the subject of Extended Reality (XR). The thesis examined how Virtual Reality can be used as a tool to remove unconscious bias in the job interview process.

As a result, Monica and Cæcilie were able to use the VR headsets, along with students who were a part of the project. “It was pretty easy to use,” says Monica “and after 10 minutes or so, you could see the students loosen up.”

In her experience with Virtual Reality, Monica describes how there are “endless possibilities” and that it is exciting to be using a technology that “you can be a part of creating.”

Easier collaboration and knowledge sharing

The Metaverse promises to refashion the way that research collaboration is conducted. Karsten tells us that the traditional way for many students to showcase their research to partners is via a standard Powerpoint or a PDF file. But why not invite them into the Metaverse instead, poses Karsten? You are able to create a more immersive, interactive experience that really brings students’ research to life. 

Going forward, all students working on projects at the Accelerator will have a digital copy of their work stored in the Stibo Systems Metaverse, with the goal of increasing student collaboration and knowledge sharing.

 Randi tells us they have developed a similar program based out of Stibo Systems’ Atlanta office. While the Accelerator has partnerships with Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, and Georgia State Universities, “combining students’ schedules with the notorious Atlanta traffic makes physical meetings incredibly difficult,” she says. A number of online students from Georgia Tech are currently working on a case from Stibo Systems. And in the future, the plan is to use the metaverse to onboard online students who are potentially based all over the world.

Therefore, meeting in the Metaverse makes perfect sense. It enables students to be able to collaborate on projects without having to travel and lets them share their work with other students in Denmark. 

But why stop there? With the limitless potential of a Metaverse, there is always the possibility to invite students, institutions, and companies wherever they are based, says Karsten.

The Future

Karsten and Randi tell us how they are still at the age where people are exploring the Metaverse for the first time. But for the team at Stibo Systems, that is not enough. “I don’t just want people to try it, I want them to fall in love with it and come back and try even more,” says Karsten.

Looking into the future, Karsten and Randi have ambitious plans for the Metaverse not just in the Accelerator but also potentially in the company itself. Stibo System has offices in more than 20 countries, with approximately 2,000 employees working all over the world, so the idea of staff using the Metaverse seems a natural next step. 

“It’d be great if Stibo Systems’ employees would use the Metaverse to have meetings with each other” as well as “work on concrete projects inside the Corporate Metaverse,” Randi tells us, also mentioning that the onboarding of new employees is another exciting option.

“I can strongly recommend teaming up with SynergyXR – both for companies that don’t have any idea on how to get started in the Metaverse, or companies that have done their first experience with the Metaverse. With SynergyXR, you get a partner that can challenge you, support you, and develop your solution further than you could imagine.”