In high-stakes humanitarian contexts, preparedness can mean the difference between life and death. Yet training for aid workers often falls short. Enter XRisis: an immersive platform designed to simulate real-life emergencies in virtual environments, bridging the gap between theory and field practice. Developed by XR Ireland and Action Contre la Faim as part of the CORTEX2, XRisis enables interactive training experiences via desktop or VR, making advanced preparation tools available to a broad range of humanitarian professionals. With technical support, mentoring, and integration with key CORTEX2 technologies, the team has laid the groundwork for an impactful solution and is now moving forward with a three-year collaboration to take it even further.
Keep reading to learn about the key achievements and future steps in XRisis — Emergency Crisis Simulation & Preparedness Metaverse Toolkit.
XRisis’s progress on the CORTEX2 Programme
Q: How would you summarise the advances XRisis has made during Phase 2 of the CORTEX2 Support Programme?
A: In Phase 2, the XRisis team completed the implementation of the validation platform for our three Pilots, and the integration of the platform with the four CORTEX2 enabling technologies. This activity was completed in parallel with the Testing and Validation Plan, deployed into Phase 3.
Q: What has XRisis achieved now that the Programme is complete?
A: XRisis has created a use case that specifically addresses serious gaps in the training of humanitarian aid workers. Traditional approaches are often limited by high costs, restricted accessibility, and a lack of realism — especially for local actors with fewer resources. To overcome these bottlenecks, XR Ireland and Action Contre la Faim developed XRisis: an immersive simulation platform featuring low-threshold, interactive training formats that run on desktop computers or VR headsets, recreating real-life emergencies in a virtual environment.
Q: What would you highlight about the Support Programme, what’s helped advance your solution the most?
A: Access to a project mentor, who helped guide us through both technology bottlenecks and key CORTEX2 value adds.
Q: What’s the status of XRisis after completing the Programme? What are your next steps?
A: XR Ireland has entered into a three-year agreement with Action Contre la Faim to continue to explore and develop a commercialised XR training platform for the humanitarian sector.
Check out XRisis’s previous interview and stay updated on its progress!
Want to know more about other CORTEX2 innovators’ updates? Browse all our supported teams on the CORTEX2 website: