Shanghai accelerates debut of industrial Metaverse applications

Shanghai is speeding up development and application of Meterverse, the hottest buzzword in the high-tech industry, to boost the city's digital economy, a national political adviser from Shanghai said during the Two Sessions, which concluded today.

Shanghai is the first city nationwide to put Meterverse in its long-term blueprint.

Several industrial Metaverse applications will debut this year in Lingang of the Pudong New Area, covering digital factories, an underground parking lot and the new Shanghai Astronomy Museum.

Metaverse, a cutting-edge technology, will be put into practical industrial use in Shanghai in various industries to boost innovation and the digital economy, said Zhang Ying, vice director of Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information. She is also a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"Shanghai will establish a healthy and China-specific Metaverse ecosystem to boost the economy," Zhang said during the Two Sessions.

As a booming industrial region and part of Shanghai's free trade zone, Lingang is using industrial Metaverse techs to boost its digital economy and improve efficiency, covering automotive and chip factories, digital and manless harbors and entertainment sites like a new astronomy museum and an ocean park.

The related techs include digital twin, 3D modeling and location services, automotive driving and virtual reality, local officials said.

For example, Metaverse will be used to create virtual "university and undersea worlds" in the parks to deliver immersive experiences and relieve huge traffic pressure.