Virtual Training at Scale: XR, AI and the Future of Workforce

Swedish industry is currently facing substantial demands to upskill both new and existing employees, driven by rapid transformations in production systems and the emergence of new technologies and products. These shifts necessitate the development of entirely novel production processes and place considerable pressure on organisations to deliver timely and effective competence development. Simultaneously, the industry must uphold high standards of workplace safety while responding to global pressures for increased productivity. 

XR technologies offer significant potential to enhance the speed, quality, and accessibility of industrial learning. However, their widespread adoption remains limited due to a lack of empirically grounded frameworks that address how XR can be effectively scaled and integrated into existing organisational learning infrastructures.

This project seeks to address this gap by advancing knowledge on the sustainable and scalable adoption of XR technologies within Swedish industry. It aims to develop robust frameworks to guide the integration of XR into industrial training systems, ensuring alignment with organisational goals, pedagogical principles, and technological capabilities. 

A particular focus is placed on the role of AI in enhancing the relevance and impact of XR training. By designing and evaluating AI-powered virtual agents that support operators in their everyday tasks, the project explores how adaptive, real-time learning support can be achieved in operational environments. 

Conducted in close collaboration with Volvo Trucks, SSAB and Luleå kommun the project is grounded in real-world industrial contexts to ensure relevance and applicability. Ultimately, it will contribute to building a more agile, inclusive, and future-ready Swedish workforce by enabling the strategic scaling of XR-supported training across both near-term and long-term horizons.