How can we go about it if we want Europe to stand up to the future giants of the metaverse? Should we build virtual duplicates of our museums, factories or countries? The right method is to create a “European-style” metaverse.
The European metaverse is included in the presidential program, but its method of construction remains to be defined. A collective from the European Metaverse Think Tank describes the roadmap so as not to miss the next wave of the digital transition.
Emmanuel Macron promised to “build a European metaverse”. However, faced with Meta-Facebook, which spends a billion every month, we can already forget the idea of competing with it. But how do we go about it if we want Europe to stand up to the future giants of the metaverse? Should we build virtual duplicates of our museums, factories or countries?
Which virtual universe should you choose then: Meta, Fortnite, Huawei? And to make purchases there, will you have to wait for the e-euro or use a private cryptocurrency? As we can see, building a European metaverse cannot be decreed. We have to look at the problem differently. The right method is to create a “European-style” metaverse.
New great digital wave
We must first define the metaverse: like “multimedia” in the 2000s, it is a portmanteau to group together cryptocurrencies, NFTs, virtual and augmented reality, blockchain, artificial intelligence and collaborative platforms. He evokes the new great digital wave, more powerful than the web, e-commerce and Uberization combined.
Then explain what the metaverse is for: today, commissions on a money transfer between countries are 6%. They will be almost zero thanks to cryptocurrencies. When our TGV is late, you have to fill out a form to get a refund. This will be automatic thanks to programmable money. When you buy a house off plan, it's difficult to imagine living there.
You will be able to see yourself there with your children thanks to the immersive glasses. When we travel, we spend our time leafing through tourist guides. We will have useful information superimposed on the monuments thanks to augmented reality glasses. When you buy a box of ravioli, it is impossible to ensure that it does not contribute to deforestation. We will have complete traceability of production thanks to the blockchain.
A Code that remains to be written
Specify the trust framework. The metaverse is threatened by hyper-competition, abuse of dominant position, manipulation of information, identity theft, underpaid work, addiction marketing, capture of personal data. The first European regulations (DMA, DSA) show the way. But a true Metaverse Code equivalent to the Air Transport Code remains to be constructed.
Identify reference models. Faced with excessive price competition, Yuka displays the nutritional quality of products on consumers' smartphones. Faced with the domination of oligopolies over small producers, the brand “Who’s the boss?” » establishes the fair distribution of the price of a liter of milk.
Faced with the uberization of independents, SACEM recognizes the contribution of each musician in a collective work. Faced with disinformation, AFP-Facteur dissects the videos to verify their authenticity. These models have their imperfections, but provide standards for assessing the societal benefit of thousands of projects in the metaverse.
Making the European voice heard
Open a perspective of prosperity. In 1900, far behind in the technologies of electricity, mechanics and chemistry, France had propelled itself to the top positions in ten years thanks to the invention of their uses: automobiles, aviation, cinema, large stores, medicines, cosmetics, perfumes. Likewise, today it must appropriate technologies to enrich its know-how and reinvent its products.
Imprint European identity on the metaverse. The world needs to hear the European voice to make products natively sustainable, through more advanced standards, consumer responsibility and the culture of the general interest. This need is not just ideological, it is a competitive advantage to be developed.
The spearhead of a new strategy
Federate the visions of a new economic and social model, drawing inspiration from French Tech and supporting start-ups, but in a more inclusive way for responsible consumers, pioneering users and large changing companies. Finally, encourage businesses and educational sectors to appropriate technologies to understand, test, innovate and reinvent themselves.
Like every major technological advance - printing, steam, electricity - the metaverse will profoundly transform the economy.
Like every major technological advance - printing, steam, electricity - the metaverse will profoundly transform the economy. The European Metaverse Roadmap must become the spearhead of a new industrial policy strategy.