Tonight at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland HTC Vive announced that it will devote $10 million “to drive VR content and technologies that will create positive impact and change,” according to a company spokesperson.
Vive is pledging these funds through a new program called VR for Impact. The money will also be used in conjunction with the United Nations’ “Sustainable Development Goals by 2030” platform. According to an official Vive statement:
“Virtual Reality provides a tremendous opportunity to develop and share ideas in impactful ways that lead to change, and through VR for Impact, HTC Vive will fund and support content and technologies that create the most powerful experiences to transform our world.
….Virtual Reality’s ability to immerse people into an experience is unmatched, and VR can drive the world to act on global issues the human race is facing. Through VR for Impact, HTC Vive is committing $10 million dollars to industry partners and content developers to create experiences that improve awareness, education, and lead to action.”
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is a coalition effort that aims to call corporations, nonprofits and other organizations to action in support of the world’s most impoverished and marginalized peoples. The platform includes 17 stated goals that include “No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Quality Education and Gender Equality” among others.
“HTC Vive will fund the best ideas using Virtual Reality that truly drive awareness and positive change in our world,” said Chairwoman and CEO of HTC, Cher Wang, in a prepared statement. “We encourage all players in the VR eco-system to join as only together can we drive real impact.”
One of Vive’s potential partners in the VR for Impact campaign, the World Food Program, believes that the company’s immersive prospects could significantly drive forward charitable causes by engaging society through empathy.
“There are millions of untold stories in every crisis, especially on the front lines where much of our work takes place,”said Corinne Woods, Director of Communications for the World Food Program. “HTC’s support of new ways to tell important stories, and help in shaping innovation for the UN’s sustainable development agenda, will build on the impact of our work and take it in new and exciting directions.”
As of today, Vive is calling for ideas that could become a part of its VR for Impact initiative and will announce the first winners on “Earth Day” April 22, 2017.
Vive’s chief competitor, Oculus, also has a similar program called VR for Good.
