“We look forward to working together and achieving innovative results” was the unanimous conclusion of all those present who met online on April 7, 2025, for the onboarding event with the associated European application partners in the ERTRAG project.

The English-language event was moderated by Heike Herma Thomsen (ILAG).

After welcoming the participants and introducing them briefly, Dr. Andrea Altepost (ILAG) gave an overview of the project, emphasizing once again the project goal and the desired results.

“ERTRAG is primarily a work science project,” she reminded the audience. The fascinating mixed reality technology is designed to make work easier for sales staff at Stryker, a manufacturer of medical technology products, as well as for users in clinics and other medical contexts, opening up innovative training and sales options and reducing stress.

Timon Vielhaber (World of VR) then presented the technical possibilities and areas of application of the “Possibl” platform developed by his company, which World of VR uses for virtual training and as a showroom solution in various fields. In the ERTRAG project, the platform is to be further developed into a mixed reality showroom for 3D data-based medical product presentations.

Dr. Leif Oppermann (FIT) used the example of the successfully completed 5G Troisdorf IndustrieStadtpark project to provide insights into the design, implementation, and evaluation of XR technologies for the use cases to be developed within the ERTRAG project.

Dr. Tim Bewersdorf (UKHD) presented the Heidelberg University Hospital, in particular the Center for Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, and Paraplegiology (ZOUP). Within the project, the UKHD will primarily contribute to the product development of new instruments and the associated customer support from the “voice of the customer” perspective.

After this introduction, the associated European partners presented their respective expertise and competencies and formulated their expectations for the results of the ERTRAG project.

Jerry Middleburg and Klaas Meyer joined the meeting as representatives of the Amsterdam Skills Centre (ASC). As a training incubator for the medical center of the University of Amsterdam, other Dutch universities, and European and international institutions, the ASC provides significant support to the healthcare sector with a training center and courses in surgery. They are looking forward to testing new technological teaching and training options in the project.

The internationally oriented Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) was represented by Simone Pizzagalli and Vladimir Kuts. Their Industrial Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab conducts research and projects in the fields of VR/AR, digital twins, and human-robot interaction.

It offers ERTRAG access to human-robot interaction experts in Estonia who are also active in medical scenarios and in the field of Industry 5.0. Erson Halili and Kristina Mikkonen from Finland presented the University of Oulu (UoO), which conducts research in the field of hybrid intelligence and education with digital technologies in healthcare.

The research group focuses on collaboration in transdisciplinary teams (health scientists, psychology, social sciences, human-computer interaction), tests hybrid intelligence and XR solutions in health education, and interacts in educational environments to promote competence-based education in vocational training.

Unfortunately, our colleagues from the University of Nottingham (UK) were unable to attend and will participate in the next meeting. The consortium is also looking forward to meeting the social partners IG Metall and MedTech Europe, as well as the Schleswig-Holstein Economic Development and Technology Transfer Agency as transfer partners at the follow-up meeting, which is expected to take place in September.

According to ILAG Director Dr. Michael Bau, the interesting and promising kick-off event provided an impressive cross-section of the expertise and resources pooled in ERTRAG across Europe. We look forward to our future ERTRAG-ful cooperation!