25/11/2025
XR and the industrial metaverse – Why you should explore them right now?
Industrial digitalization is no longer a “future trend”: companies are already using artificial intelligence and extended reality (XR) technologies in practice. When data, people, and processes meet in the same digital space, decisions improve and surprises decrease.
With artificial intelligence, XR technologies, and new IT study programs, an entire generation is emerging that thinks in 3D and navigates virtual environments as naturally as they use Teams. At the same time, companies are racing to develop new XR glasses and metaverse-related solutions. Extended reality (VR, AR, and MR) technologies are not just entertainment tools – they are shaping the future of production, design, and training.
Still, many wonder what the “industrial metaverse” really means. It’s easy to picture avatars and headsets that make users look like they’ve wandered into a video game. Does it have real value? The short answer: it depends on how you use it. The long answer: well, that’s what this blog is about.
Industrial metaverse: Less sci-fi, more value
The industrial metaverse is a virtual environment that brings together 3D factory models, process data, and real-time information – and much more. It’s a digital platform where component metadata, such as spare part details and stock levels, location data, version history, maintenance records, and service instructions, are all in one place and visually accessible.
Combine this with real-time production data and links to simulation software, and you get an environment where you can not only view the current state of the factory but also predict what’s ahead. Designers, maintenance engineers, and production managers can make informed decisions – without searching through ten different systems or traveling on-site.
In other words: less unnecessary visits, more shared understanding.
XR and the industrial metaverse won’t make your factory “virtual”; they’ll make it smarter.
The lifecycle of a model doesn’t end at commissioning – it starts there
Many think a digital factory model is just a design-phase tool, but that’s not true: it can be used throughout the factory’s lifecycle. Once the factory is modeled in an XR environment, the model can support training, safety drills, and maintenance planning. For example, onboarding new employees can happen safely in a virtual environment where pressing the wrong button won’t stop the entire production line.
And when production equipment is updated, XR allows testing changes before a single bolt is removed. This is not only convenient but also cost-effective. Every mistake avoided virtually is a real-world saving.
Training efficiently and safely – without interrupting production
In one project, a VR environment was used to train operators on a device over 200 meters long. First, the device and its surroundings were modeled virtually. Then employees explored the equipment and space interactively through animations, which is far more effective than learning from textbooks or slides.
In VR, real-time routes, inspection paths, and safety aspects could be practiced calmly, whereas in the real factory noise levels exceeded 80 decibels. New employees also noted that familiarizing themselves with such a massive machine would have meant kilometers of walking; now it was possible at their own pace, from their own workstation.
Savings through virtual design
In another project, VR was used for factory layout planning. The planned factory was brought into a virtual environment, where different production departments could review their future spaces and equipment.
Employees identified several errors in planned equipment locations and misplaced structural penetrations. These would have been costly during construction, but now they were corrected before building began – saving time, money, and stress.
Why is now the right time to jump in?
If the industrial metaverse sounds like a big leap, it is. But every journey starts with a small step, and even one XR project can reveal the hidden potential in your factory’s data and models. Once the technology is in place, it can expand gradually: from training to design, from maintenance to process optimization.
XR and the industrial metaverse won’t make your factory “virtual”; they’ll make it smarter. Simply put, the industrial metaverse is a new way to see old systems. If it leads to fewer emails, more understanding, and better decisions, why not give it a try?
And while the word “metaverse” might conjure images of space suits and laser swords, in reality, all you need is an open mind – and a willingness to look at the future through VR lenses.
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Visionary: Marko Jaakonmäki
Elomatic’s visualization team leader Marko Jaakonmäki sees digitalization as a key factor in moving towards a carbon-neutral circular economy. He predicts a new divide in the industry: companies that can quickly adopt new technologies will thrive, while those with low levels of digital maturity will lose market share.
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3D design materials can be used in the manufacture of equipment, production, training, problem-solving and communications. We provide various applications and XR software tailored to your needs.