Davos 2022: WEF launches metaverse for strong public-private cooperation

WEF 2022: The Global Collaboration Village will bring together key global stakeholders to address critical global issues

The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday announced that it is building a "Global Collaboration Village" as the virtual future of public-private cooperation, in collaboration with Accenture and Microsoft.

“Since our founding in 1971, the Forum has served as a platform where business, government, civil society and other stakeholders can come together to address critical global issues,” said Klaus Schwab, WEF Executive Chairman.

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“The metaverse will influence the way, people, governments, companies and society at large think, work, interact and communicate for the purpose of collectively addressing issues on the global agenda. The Global Collaboration Village will be an extension of the World Economic Forum’s public private platforms and in-person meetings and will provide a more open, more sustained and more comprehensive process for coming together," he added.

The Global Collaboration Village will bring together key global stakeholders, such as various international organisations, governments, partner companies and civil society organisations – to imagine alternative futures and explore ideas in an immersive way. 

Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, said: “While the metaverse is only in its early days, it already holds great promise, not only for redefining how organizations work and interact but also for fostering effective public-private partnerships."

Key aims of the Global Collaboration Village

1. Global cooperation: To create a new virtual space where global interaction can be enhanced.

2. Interactivity: To provide immersive experiences to foster a better understanding of key global challenges.

3. Inclusivity: To offer a collaborative public space for discussions about pressing global issues.

4. Impact: The platform and all of its goals are geared towards catalysing more effective individual and collective action

According to WEF, it is launching a new initiative on Defining and Building the Metaverse, which convenes more than 60 leading companies from technology and other sectors alongside experts from governments, academia and civil society.