Today, at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, HTC announced that it has committed $10 million towards a virtual reality fund. The said capital infusion is being done through a new program called VR for Impact. And it’ll be aimed towards further driving “VR content and technologies that will create positive impact and change.”
Under this program, HTC will provide funds to those developing content in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The said VR technologies, the company says, should create positive impact and incite change among others. It further states that VR provides developers with an opportunity and a medium to share ideas in an impactful way. It is a tremendous way for them to create a powerful experience to transform the world.
Talking about the launch of this program, Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO of HTC, says,
The potential for Virtual Reality to help us learn, understand, and transform the world is limitless. VR for Impact is a challenge to the VR community and content developers across the globe to help drive awareness and to solve the biggest challenges of mankind.
HTC Vive will fund the best ideas using Virtual Reality that truly drive awareness and positive change in our world. We encourage all players in the VR eco-system to join as only together can we drive real impact.
As for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, it is a coalition effort launched in support of the impoverished and marginalized sections of the society. It also aims to put a stop to poverty, pollution and save the planet to ensure people stay healthy and prosperous. The program, thus, calls corporations, non-profits, and other organizations to support them in this mission.
Gabo Arora, Creator of the UN’s VR Initiative comments on the fund as under,
HTC is a pioneer in recognizing the work the UN has done to promote social change through virtual reality. The Vive’s room-scale VR capability can be a powerful tool for immersive storytelling, education, and training; their support will empower more people to affect global change, give voices to the most vulnerable and provide access to new possibilities for the most marginalized.
With regards to the same, HTC has launched a VR for Impact website and is currently accepting project ideas. You’re required to choose the goal your technology provides a solution for and the impact it creates. The batch of winning projects will be announced on Earth Day i.e 22 April 2017.
