philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

The Industry of Virtual Reality Alliance Launches In Beijing As the Only Official, Government-endorsed VR Organization In China

[Philip Lelyveld comment: VR is specifically mentioned as a focus area in the Central Committee's latest 5 year plan.]

Under the guidance of the Electronic Information Division of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), HTC, the pioneer in innovative smart mobile and VR technologies, and other leading enterprises and research institutes in the VR area have worked together to establish the Industry of Virtual Reality Alliance (IVRA.com). The IVRA aims to enhance the development of the VR ecosystem in China by promoting technology innovation and the formulation of industrial standards, bridging hardware, software, content, platforms and industrial applications.

China's VR industry is entering a defining period in 2016. In May, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the National Innovation-driven Development Strategy Outline, highlighting the need to develop a new generation information network technologies, enhance VR technology research and industrial development, strengthen the IT Infrastructure for economic and social development, promote the innovation of industrial technology system, and form new development advantages. The establishment of the IVRA is in line with the country's VR and innovation-driven development strategy.

More than 170 enterprises and institutions have confirmed their partnership with the IVRA. This includes leading VR enterprises at home and abroad such as Alibaba, Huawei, JD, Netease, Sohu, Perfect World, Enlight Media, Letv, iQiYi, Samsung, Nokia, AMD, Ubisoft, NVIDIA, and ARM. Laboratories and research centers belonging to domestic and foreign well-known higher education institutions are among the IVRA's supporters as well. These are the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, BEIHANG University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing Normal University, Peking University, Zhejiang University, Shandong University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Columbia University, Stanford University, and the University of Washington. Local industrial parks and investment institutions such as Laoshan District of Qingdao, China Nanchang VR Industrial Base, Shanghai Jinqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone, VR Venture, and Makers Global also back the Alliance's aims.

See the full story here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-industry-of-virtual-reality-alliance-launches-in-beijing-as-the-only-official-government-endorsed-vr-organization-in-china-300336399.html