This report was co-authored by Immerse UK and Oxford Insights & Data City, funded through the UK Research and Innovation ‘Audience of the Future’ Challenge Fund. It provides evidence of the growth of the sector and looks at its key drivers and barriers.
This is our third study of the UK’s immersive technology ecosystem, which follows on from the last report in 2019, after a hiatus in reporting as the industry navigated a tumultuous few years.
Overall the results have been incredibly positive, with industry turnover estimated around £1.4B, consistent growth in the number of XR companies operating in the country, sustained growth across various industry verticals, and recent trends in private investment indicating a healthy and growing sector.
Past Immersive Economy reports have highlighted the strong publicly funded agenda in the UK, rarely seen in other countries. This report looks at the significant results of this public funding over time, with a focus on the culmination of the Audience of the Future & Creative Industries Clusters Programmes, and how fundamental they have been to the growth of the industry.
The insights and evidence from this report highlight how the UK has set the groundwork over the past few years to position itself as a global leader in XR technology, and looks to identify upcoming opportunities and barriers to growth that need to be addressed to ensure the UK XR ecosystem continues to thrive.