Industrial Metaverse: From Vision to Industrial Reality

© Chinese Academy of Engineering: More than 150 experts are taking part in the workshop

Wuhan, 23 March 2026

How will the Industrial Metaverse move from vision to reality? The 10th German-Chinese Workshop in Wuhan demonstrated that key technologies have long since found their way into industry, and their further development requires international exchange.

On 23 and 24 March, experts from Germany and China gathered in Wuhan for the 10th German-Chinese Workshop to discuss developments relating to the Industrial Metaverse. It was jointly organised by acatech, the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the MÜNCHNER KREIS and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The workshop is part of a collaboration that has grown since 2012 and has established itself as a reliable platform for dialogue between academia, industry and institutional stakeholders.

Application of the Industrial Metaverse

Zhou Ji (CAE) and Michael F. Zäh (acatech, TU Munich) opened the workshop. They highlighted the long-standing collaboration as a solid foundation for international exchange.

Discussions centred on the Industrial Metaverse as an integrative concept that connects physical and digital production worlds. Contributions from Germany and China presented a complementary picture: whilst German perspectives primarily emphasised systemic interrelationships and business models, the Chinese side focused on concrete applications and scaling.

Michael Dowling (acatech, MÜNCHNER KREIS) summed up the diverse approaches: “The Industrial Metaverse opens up not only technological but also new economic prospects – the crucial factor is how these are translated into viable applications.”

AI, data and infrastructure as the foundation

The participants focused on the role of artificial intelligence, digital twins and data-intensive infrastructures. Michael F. Zäh illustrated how machine learning is already being used today across the entire value chain – from planning to quality assurance. In addition, Alois Knoll (acatech, TU Munich) and Dieter Kranzlmüller (acatech, LMU Munich / LRZ) highlighted how high-performance computing and simulation form the basis for modelling and optimising complex industrial systems. Siegfried Zhiqiang Wu (acatech, CAE) expanded on this perspective by considering its integration into urban and infrastructural contexts. They highlighted how industrial and urban systems are becoming increasingly digitally interlinked.

Contributions from China expanded this perspective to include infrastructural and technological developments, particularly in the interplay between AI, immersive technologies and future communication networks. It thus became clear that topics such as ‘AI+XR’, immersive communication and 6G are closely linked to the further development of the Industrial Metaverse and enable new forms of interaction as well as industrial applications.

The discussions made it clear that the Industrial Metaverse is increasingly evolving from a conceptual idea into a real technological and industrial platform. Whilst German contributions emphasised integration into existing industrial processes and value creation models in particular, Chinese contributions demonstrated concrete progress in implementation – for example in areas such as robotics, digital infrastructure and industrial platforms. This combination of systemic integration and technological implementation highlighted just how strongly the two perspectives complement one another.

New demands on training and skills

Alongside technological issues, the focus shifted to training. Michael Abramovici (acatech, Ruhr University Bochum) and Ömer Şahin Ganiyusufoğlu (acatech, QIAP – Qingdao International Academician Park) emphasised the need to make training systems more interdisciplinary, practice-oriented and technology-focused. There was also agreement with the Chinese experts that future skills will increasingly lie in the interplay of AI, systems thinking and international cooperation.

The Chinese contributions supplemented this perspective with concrete reform proposals: the speakers highlighted the greater integration of AI, data-driven methods and practice-oriented learning formats, as well as close alignment with industrial requirements, as central elements of future education. At the same time, it was emphasised that, alongside technological skills, judgement, creativity and the ability to make informed decisions remain crucial.

Insights into the practice and context of cooperation

To complement the workshop, an exchange took place with representatives of the city of Wuhan. The reception at the town hall provided an opportunity to continue the dialogue in a broader setting and to underline the importance of international exchange.

Company visits, such as to the Wuhan Metaverse Digital Industry Hub, Dongfeng Motor, Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC) and Xiaomi, illustrated just how closely technological development and industrial application are already intertwined today.

International cooperation on the Industrial Metaverse remains key

The workshop made it clear that the further development of the Industrial Metaverse can only succeed through international exchange. “International dialogue is indispensable, particularly when it comes to technological developments of this complexity,” said Michael F. Zäh. “It enables us to bring together different perspectives and develop joint solutions.”