ORLANDO, Fla., May 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Orlando region is home to next-generation gaming, entertainment, AI, AR/VR, IoT and simulation training companies. The people, entrepreneurs and companies here created the most attractive and technologically advanced region in the world for several decades, and now they are doing the same for the metaverse, turning Orlando into the MetaCenter.

The MetaCenter statement follows the announcement of “Incredibly Real,” a new brand that tells the complete story of Orlando, both the fantastical and the authentic elements of the subway, both in tourism and in business. The MetaCenter is an important piece of the incredibly real work that goes on here.

“After years of watching closely as the building blocks of this new frontier unfold, the metaverse is taking shape, and it is clear that Orlando tech companies play a significant role in developing this new world,” said David. Adelson, Director of Innovation for the Orlando Economic Association. “There is no other region in the world that combines creativity, technology and innovation like we do and that is what makes Orlando the MetaCenter.”

Orlando and the surrounding region have become a booming tech hub, home to everything from startups to global giants, driving the technology that is creating the metaverse and helping companies access what Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley they considered an $8 trillion growth opportunity.

The Orlando Economic Partnership is taking the entire region into the metaverse, working with Unity to create a digital twin of the 800-square-mile metropolitan area that will use new 3D technology to map out scenarios on everything from infrastructure to real estate to talent availability to climate change. . The Orlando region has one of the highest concentrations of Unity licenses in the country, thanks to the number of local businesses working in modeling, simulation and training, as well as theme parks, games and entertainment.

“From simulation and modeling to game development, world building and even imagination, Orlando is home to not only the talent, but also the business-friendly climate incentives needed to grow the metaverse,” said Cathy Hackl. of Futures Intelligence Group, who is popularly known as the Godmother of the Metaverse. “As the future of the web takes shape, it’s clear that the Orlando region is becoming the MetaCenter that will have a huge impact on the short- and long-term evolution of the metaverse.”

hackl, a globally recognized tech futurist and Metaverse/Web3 advisor to top brands, has paved the virtual I-4 into the digital world. Through his work at Magic Leap and his close relationship with Full Sail University, located in Orlando, he experienced firsthand how the tech ecosystem from Orlando to South Florida has become a global epicenter where technology meets technology. creativity, enabling the future of the Internet. Hackl and his company are working with the Orlando Economic Partnership on the region’s metaverse strategy. As the future takes shape, all eyes are on Orlando waiting to see what’s next.

With the state’s status already established as a launching pad for science and innovation, Orlando’s investment in being first to market as a world leader in technology hubs powering the metaverse is not compromised. Similarities can be seen in Miami as it emerges as the crypto city of the future. However, it is to Orlando where companies flock as a hotbed of talent and development.

“It’s not just Orlando businesses paving the way for the future of the metaverse, it’s our universities,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “From the University of Central Florida (UCF) to Full Sail University, we are seeing students graduating well-versed in model simulation and AR/VR. With 550,000 college students within a 100-mile radius of Orlando, there is no comparison in the country when it comes to young talent. We are training the workforce of the future.”

Leaders in entertainment, sports, fashion, retail and academia already call the Orlando region home, and this diversity of locally occurring innovation has proven global in scope with the formalization of the first MetaCenter.

“The MetaCenter brings together the many pieces of our Orlando tech ecosystem and provides limitless opportunities for talent and entrepreneurs,” said Charlie Lewis, president of the Orlando Tech Council. “Orlando’s tech community continues to grow, and the MetaCenter ID is a critical element in connecting our community.”

Orlando’s innovative ability to leverage its MetaCenter as the hub for leading industries driving Web3 innovation includes:

AR/VR: Orlando is the modeling and simulation training capital of the world. With more than $6 billion in contract work annually, AR/VR technology is at the center of creating Orlando’s metaverse; companies include Disney, Universal, Lockheed Martin, Falcon’s Creative, Brand XR, AVT Simulation, and Red 6.

Gaming: The industry draws from a pool of local talent from various higher education programs, including UCF’s graduate video game design program, ranked the best program of its kind in the world three times in the last six years; leading companies include Electronic Arts, Iron Galaxy, 302 Interactive, Echo Interaction, Unity, and GameSim.

Artificial intelligence: Orlando businesses are driving AI innovation in everything from human resources to defense, IoT and healthcare, with a lineup that includes Checkr, SoarTech, Kore.ai, Care.ai, MindSphere and AdventHealth.

3D reconstruction: CREOL, the UCF School of Optics and Photonics, is a world leader in education, research, innovation, and partnerships in optics, lasers, and photonics, providing talent for companies such as Luminar, NeoMetrix, Lensar, Dash, Simetri, .decimal, and TrueScan.

internet of things: Leading companies are calling innovation hubs like NeoCity and Lake Nona home, including SkyWater, BRIDG, imec and Micross.

“We are a destination that welcomes millions of visitors each year who come here to experience cutting-edge technology and entertainment,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. “The innovations that happen here will be experienced in the virtual metaverse, but also in the physical world where the metaverse comes to life in our world-renowned theme parks.”

For more information about the MetaCenter, visit TheMetaCentro.org and follow on twitter @the_MetaCenter.

For more information about the Orlando Economic Partnership and the Orlando region, visit orlando.org or follow @orlpartnership on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Y LinkedIn.

About the Orlando Economic Association 
Orlando Economic Partnership (the Partnership) is a public-private economic and community development organization working to advance Broad-Based Prosperity™ by strengthening Orlando’s economy, amplifying Orlando’s history, championing regional priorities, empowering community leaders and building a bright region. These five founding goals serve to enhance the region’s competitiveness while responding to the needs of communities, residents, and businesses.

About MetaCenter
The MetaCenter is the physical and digital intersection in the Orlando region where cutting-edge gaming, entertainment, AI, AR/VR, IoT, modeling and simulation training companies are driving innovation to develop Metaverse and Web3 applications. People, entrepreneurs, companies and a pool of talent have created the most attractive and technologically advanced region in the world, making the Orlando region the MetaCenter and another example of the incredibly real advancements taking place here.

Media Contact:
maddie meyer
Uproar PR for Orlando Economic Partnership
mmeyer@uproarpr.com
573-535-1761