Industrial Metaverse you can touch: Open Lab Day 2025 at ARENA2036 shows the factory of the future

How do virtual and real production worlds merge to create a new dimension of industrial value creation? This question was the focus of the Industrial Metaverse 2025 Open Lab Day, to which ARENA2036 welcomed more than 80 participants from industry and research on November 11. The Industrial Metaverse became tangible on the store floor of the innovation platform - with live demonstrations, guided tours and practical insights into current developments in digital twins, simulation and real-time control.

Bringing the Industrial Metaverse to life

A demo on the topic of "Digital twin of a factory in the omniverse - model creation and use using the example of ARENA2036" by our research coordinator Michael Hernándes illustrated the potential of networked production - and that the industrial metaverse has long been a reality. In exclusive guided tours of the ARENA2036 store floor, guests were then given direct insights into ongoing research and development projects that show how virtual models, data and physical systems are increasingly merging. At ten themed islands, member companies and partners presented concrete applications that are already making the vision of networked, intelligent and sustainable production a reality today.

Theme islands: Where research and practice come together

• With "Networks as a communication basis and data source for digital twins" (Matthias Jablonowski), Nokia showed how 5G and edge technologies form the basis for reliable and low-latency data flows in the industrial metaverse.
• Waveye demonstrated with "Virtual training of a humanoid robot in the virtual ARENA2036 with Isaac Sim" (Dr. Gor Hakobyan) how AI and simulation can revolutionize the training of complex motion sequences.
• Mercedes-Benz AG opened the doors to immersive product development in the "Mercedes Holodeck" (Daniel Pohlandt). Visitors were able to experience how XR technologies are accelerating the vehicle development of the future and redefining interdisciplinary collaboration.
• ARENA2036/Collectu presented "Asset Connectivity on the Shop Floor" (Dr. Frederik Wulle & Dr. Colin Reiff), a reference implementation for capturing and utilizing real-time data from a robotic system—a central component for efficient digital twins.
• With "Digital Engineering in the Industrial Metaverse" (Dr. Stefan Reinhardt), ISG Industrielle Steuerungstechnik GmbH showed how virtual commissioning and simulation are already shortening development times and minimizing risks.
• With "3D scanning & inventory" (Steffen Kappes), FARO Technologies made it clear how precise scan data forms the basis for its own digital twin projects and digital planning processes.
• In a presentation titled “Opportunities for Facility Management Through the Industrial Metaverse” (Clarissa Hack), SPIE provided insights into how digital twins can make building and facility management more efficient and sustainable.
• Siemens presented "Smart Building Solutions in the Industrial Metaverse" (Christopher Börner) and showed how energy efficiency and building networking will be seamlessly integrated into digital production environments in the future.
• DXC Technology presented "Visual Engineering. From reality to digital copies." (Stoyan Boyukliyski), DXC Technology presented the possibilities of transforming real objects into detailed digital copies using AI-based processes.
• Fraunhofer IPA and Mercedes-Benz rounded off the range of topics with "Robo-Cable: Potential for AI-supported automation in Wire Harness" (Andreas Kernbach) and "From Simulation to Reality: Bridging the Visual Gap with Synthetic Data and Digital Twins" (Tom Thushar) - two examples of how digital twins and synthetic data are opening up new horizons for robotics and manufacturing.

Impetus for the future of production

The event not only offered insights into the current state of research, but also served as a platform for professional exchange between industry, science and start-ups. Participants took the opportunity to network and discuss common fields of application and research issues.

Become part of the Industrial Metaverse now! You can find more information on the project page.

The slides from the first half of the event are available here: "Open Lab Day."