UK-based immersive technology company FourPlus has secured funding from Innovate UK, the UK's national innovation agency, to develop a mixed reality training platform for pharmaceutical companies and the healthcare sector. The company's immersive technology, including virtual reality experiences, is widely used in the life sciences industry for various purposes such as workforce management, marketing and training through 3D asset visualisation, facility visualisation, laboratory training for bioscience students, and data visualisation.
With a £1 million ($1.28 million) investment, primarily provided by Innovate UK, FourPlus will collaborate with Holosphere and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to create a mixed reality experience with multiplayer capabilities. The platform aims to train individuals in manufacturing roles within cell and gene therapy, biopharmaceuticals, and other sectors in the broader life sciences industry. It will also facilitate staff training, store digital training records, offer data analytics tools, and enable collaboration between trainers and trainees within virtual environments.
Mixed reality (MR) is an immersive computer-generated environment that merges the physical and digital worlds, allowing for interaction between physical and digital elements.
Over the course of 18 months, FourPlus will develop and deliver the platform, with the first release set for demonstration by the end of 2023. Dr. Ivan Wall, CEO of FourPlus, expressed excitement about the project and its collaboration with Holosphere and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult. He highlighted the cost, time, and waste reduction benefits of virtual reality (VR) in supporting the training of new sector employees. Dr. Wall emphasised that the project would deliver a next-generation solution integrating mixed reality, customizable training, multi-user interactivity, data analytics, and training support features.
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