RECLAIM THE FUTURE FEAT. SPATIAL REALITIES
HOW TO STAY AT THE FOREFRONT OF XR WITHOUT SACRIFICING DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY

Thu November 12, 2026 03:00 pm CET

How do we embrace the next wave of immersive technology without giving up control over the digital future we are building?

In this live edition of Spatial Realities, XR podcasters Thomas Riedel and Thomas Bedenk look beyond the latest devices and technology trends to ask a bigger question: How can we stay at the forefront of XR while preserving our ability to choose, shape and control the technologies we depend on?

From platforms and hardware to AI, data, standards and infrastructure, they explore where technological progress creates new possibilities and where new dependencies emerge. What should companies, creators and the European XR ecosystem be paying attention to now? And where do we need alternatives, open standards and greater digital sovereignty to maintain our room to act?

Format

Live Podcast

App

VRChat

Location

AREA X

Duration

45 min

Access via

Presenter

Thomas Riedel
Host & Founder at Spatial Realities
© Simon Veith

Thomas Riedel is a Cologne-based freelance tech journalist, podcast producer, and keynote speaker. His specialty? De-bullshitting the hype cycle. Thomas dives deep into tech, startups, and the future of work. Currently, he’s the voice behind ‘Spatial Realities’—Germany’s premier XR podcast—and the architect of NRW’s largest XR meetup. Whether it’s the Metaverse, digital transformation, or the startup ecosystem, you’ll find Thomas dropping knowledge at conferences, on live TV, or across the podcast charts. He also hosts an annual blogger summit and tracks Germany’s green innovation scene via GreenTech Startups.

Thomas Bedenk
Tech Strategist and Advisor at Freelance

Thomas Bedenk is a freelance advisor and tech strategist with 30 years of experience in emerging technologies. He is also the co-host of the Spatial Realities podcast. His focus areas are Strategy, UX, Innovation, and Emerging Technologies (XR/AI). He is a keynote speaker and founding member of XRBB and game. He was an interim Professor of Creative Producing and Digital Strategies for XR at Hochschule Darmstadt. From 2015 until 2024, he was VP XR at Endava and Director Immersive Media at Exozet. In 2008, he founded the game studio Brightside Games. He has degrees in Design and Human Factors. He has been a designer and developer since 1996, when he published his first games and websites online.

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