HTC, Shenzhen government to jointly set up VR research institute

Taipei, March27 (CNA) Taiwan-based HTC Corp. announced Monday that it has set up a cooperative relationship with Shenzhen, in China's Guangdong Province, in which they will jointly establish a virtual reality (VR) research institute in the Chinese city, with HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang (王雪紅) to head the new venture.

The planned International Virtual Reality Research Institute (IVRI) will be built up into one of the world's biggest research and application centers in the area of VR technology, HTC said in a statement.

While establishing the institute, efforts will be made to develop a VR-centered industrial ecosystem in Shenzhen, the statement said, noting that the project has won the support of VR pioneer Tom Furness and many other scholars and experts in the field.

The announcement was made during the Vive Ecosystem Conference 2017 (VEC2017), a two-day event that opened earlier in the day in Shenzhen with the participation of leaders in the VR industry from around the world, according to the organizer, HTC.

Apart from the IVRI plan, HTC also made public at the VEC2017 a name list of more than 30 startups in Taipei, San Francisco, Beijing and Shenzhen that it has picked to join its Vive X accelerator program.

Under the program, the selected companies will be given access to major opportunities such as investment from venture capital firms, expert advice on development and mentorship from experienced VR professionals, and other networking and support benefits, as part of efforts to develop a global VR and augmented reality ecosystem, according to HTC.

Addressing the event, Alvin Wang Graylin, the China regional president of Vive at HTC, described the announcements as a good start in 2017 for the global VR industry.

As the mainstream entertainment business begins to embrace VR, it will increase public recognition and acceptance of VR devices and relevant products to a higher level, Graylin said.

(By Jeffrey Wu and Elizabeth Hsu) ENDITEM/J