VR/AR ECOSYSTEM REPORT: PORTUGAL Q1 2021 34 Whatdoyouneed/hopefor/fromthePortugalEcosystem? Createbridgestoempowertheworkandnetworkthatwebeendoing,thatisOpen Sourceandavailabletobeusedcommercially.NeuroGEARSLtd(NGR)isa technologycompanybridgingComputerScience,Neuroscience,Education,Arts,and Robotics.NGRworkswithworldwideresearchandinstitutionalpartnersacrossnearly ahundredlabsintheU.K.,UnitedStatesandEurope,performingR&Dactivities, developingcustomresearchequipmentandtrainingstudentsandstaff.NGRalsohas runningcollaborationswithUniversityCollegeLondonandotherinternational institutionsonlarge-scaleresearchprojects,suchastheInternationalBrain Laboratory,todevelopthenextgenerationofopen-sourcetoolsforreproducible researchinNeuroscience. NGRalsodevelopsaward-winningtrackingtechnologiessuchastheHiveTracker (https://hivetracker.github.io/),andtheBonsaivisualprogramminglanguage(https:// bonsai-rx.org/).Bonsaiisnowusedbyover3,000researchersandhundredsoflabs worldwidetorunallkindsofneuroscienceexperiments,includinghigh-density electrophysiologyrecordingswithCMOSsiliconprobes,imagingofneuralactivity withminiaturizedmicroscopesinfreelymovinganimals,andreal-timebehaviour monitoringfordrivingclosed-loopvirtualrealityenvironments. NGRstarteditsactivityin2017,buildingonexpertiseindesigningcustom neuroscienceresearchequipment.IthassinceexpandeditsR&Dactivities,building onmorethan15yearsofexperienceofitsteammembersinthedesignofinnovative real-timehardwareandsoftwaretechnologiesforvirtualrealityandneuroscience research.NGRteammembershavebeeninvolvedattheforefrontofneuroscience technologydevelopmentinEuropeandtheUnitedStatesinthelastdecade, participatinginlarge-scaleEuropeanprojectsandopen-sourcetechnology disseminationactivitiesworldwide,aswellasinterdisciplinaryartandscience collaborations. CustomerTypesand/ornames ChampalimaudFoundation,FundaçãoCalousteGulbenkian,SainsburyWellcome Centre,Artica,MIT,https://open-ephys.org TypeofCompany Software-www.bonsai-rx.org EmployeesorFTEequivalent:1-5 SizeofCompany WhyareyouinPortugal? BecauseBonsaiRXwasborninPortugalbutthemaincreatorendedupbymoving toLondonwhereNeuroGEARSwascreated.Partofthedevelopmentofbonsai thecorecomponentofNeuroGEARSasalwaysbeeninPortugal. Itisimportantforustotoreachthemarketlocallyandinternationally. Itisnecessarytoensurewaystocollaborateinprojectswithsomerelevantplayers andbeabletopartnershipwitheuropeancompanies,universitiesandresearch centres. Ataneuropeanlevelhavingafootprintineuropeecosystemisveryrelevantto NeuroGearsandPortugalhasbeenalwayshistoricallyimportantbymaking bridgesbetweendifferentcountriescontinentsandcivilizations. NGRteammembershavebeeninvolvedattheforefrontofneuroscience technologydevelopmentinEuropeandtheUnitedStatesinthelastdecade, participatinginlarge-scaleEuropeanprojectsandopen-sourcetechnology disseminationactivitiesworldwide,aswellasinterdisciplinaryartandscience collaborations. NGRalsodevelopsaward-winningtrackingtechnologiessuchastheHiveTracker (https://hivetracker.github.io/),andtheBonsaivisualprogramminglanguage (https://bonsai-rx.org/).Bonsaiisnowusedbyover3,000researchersand hundredsoflabsworldwidetorunallkindsofneuroscienceexperiments,including high-densityelectrophysiologyrecordingswithCMOSsiliconprobes,imagingof neuralactivitywithminiaturizedmicroscopesinfreelymovinganimals,andreal-time behaviourmonitoringfordrivingclosed-loopvirtualrealityenvironments.NGR starteditsactivityin2017,buildingonexpertiseindesigningcustomneuroscience researchequipment.IthassinceexpandeditsR&Dactivities,buildingonmorethan15 yearsofexperienceofitsteammembersinthedesignofinnovativereal-time hardwareandsoftwaretechnologiesforvirtualrealityandneuroscienceresearch. NeuroGEARSisanearlystagetechnologycompanybridgingNeuroscience, Games,Interaction,andRobotics,bornfromthedesiretoexploreandcreate inspiringinterfacesforaugmentinghumanexperience—andtomaketechnology itselfmoreaccessibletoeveryone. CompanySummary CompanyName Contact Name:AndréAlmeida Email:a.almeida@neurogears.org Website:www.neurogears.org NeuroGEARS CaseStudy N/A
VR/AR ECOSYSTEM REPORT: PORTUGAL Q1 2021 35 Whatdoyouneed/hopefor/fromthePortugalEcosystem? WedefinitelyneedtohavemoreawarenessregardingVR/ARopportunitiesand possibilitiesinB2Benvironments.Thereisstillthisnotionthatimmersive technologiesaregoingtohappensomewhereinthefutureandthatuseful applicationswillonlybecomeavailablein2yearstime. It'simportantthatmoretrainingandeducationintheseareasaremadeavailableand thatprofessionalsinallareasbecomeawareoftheimpactandpotentialchangesthat immersivetechnologiesarebringingtoB2Bprocesses.Andthatalsomeanstraining professionalsinnewjobprofilesthatarerisingondemand. Ofcourse,giventhepandemic,officialgovernmentsupportisalsoneeded,inorderto compensateforthereducedactivityandmarketuncertaintythatishappening- Thissupportcouldcomeintheformofprojectsand/orfundingopportunitiesfor companiestotestdriveVR/ARsolutionsintheirbusinesses.Thereareanumberof VR/ARusecasesthatcanhelpsoothentheeffectsofthepandemic,likeremote assistanceforindustrialsupervisorsandtrainers,try-onARexperiencesforecommercestoresorvirtualvisitstoheritagemonumentsoreventoour grandparentsatnursinghomes. CustomerTypesand/ornames Ex.Microsoft,NOS,Samsung,Deloitte,ENEL. Moreathttps://nextreality.com/clients TypeofCompany SoftwareDev EmployeesorFTEequivalent:10-20 SizeofCompany WhyareyouinPortugal? Theopportunitytoreach,throughPortugal,toseveralmarketshasbeencentralto NextReality'smarketexpansionandpartnershipbuilding.Timezone-wise,Portugal iswelllocated,aswecaneasilytalktomostofEuropeandNorthAmerica. Thisalsoallowsustotapintodifferent,portuguese-speakingmarketsinthe shouthernhemisphere.WealreadyhaveanofficeinSouthAmericaandthe brazilianmarketisclearlyagreatopportunity.Atthesametime,inAfrica,emerging technologiescanbringhugecost-saversinEducationandHealthincountrieslike Angola,MozambiqueorCapeVerde. AlthoughVR/ARisanemergingmarket,wealreadyseereallyniceskillsintheavailable ITtalentpoolinsophisticatedareaslikecomputervision,interactiondesignorVR/AR businessdevelopment-besidesUnity,Unrealandothersoftwaredevelopers. Also,thereisalsoacultureforplayerstopartnerup-partneringwithuniversitiesand researchcentersregardingR&Defforts,bothatalocalandataneuropeanlevelisa clearbenefit. NextRealityisaleadingVR/ARtechnicalteam,withprovenweb,mobileand blockchainskills.Since2010,NextReality'steamhasworkedwith1100+ organizationsonimmersivetechsolutionsworldwide,throughourofficesin PortugalandPeru. Mainusecasesincluderemoteassistance,immersivetraining,augmented workspace,augmentedlogisticsandlately5G-enhancedVR/ARscenarios. AsaMicrosoftGoldPartner,NextRealitypublishedthefirstHololensappin portuguese&arabicandcontinuouslyimplementsbespokesolutionsthat integrateMicrosoftgMixedRealityproducts. Amongotheraccolades,NextRealitywasconsideredin2020aTop10AR/VR ServicesConsultancycompanybyCIOApplicationsEurope. NextRealityisaspin-offofITPeopleGroup,aninnovation-drivencorporategroup focusedonincreasingbusinessesandorganizations'productivity. CompanySummary CompanyName Contact Name:LuisBravoMartins Email:hello@nextreality.com Website:www.nextreality.com NextReality CaseStudy www.youtu.be/YnzDd88_sVs
