Through immersive technologies and a novel platform model, Museums in the Metaverse is redefining how cultural heritage is experienced - digitising Scotland’s and the world’s history, empowering creators, and transforming education, tourism and the creative economy.
Museums in the Metaverse (MiM), led by the University of Glasgow, is a pioneering £2.7 million initiative supported by the UK Government’s Innovation Accelerator programme. This groundbreaking project is leveraging extended reality (XR) technologies – including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to make our rich cultural heritage accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Through a two-sided platform approach, MiM empowers users to explore world-class digitised cultural collections and create their own virtual museums. It is revolutionising how museums engage audiences, tell stories and monetise content, ushering in a new era of cultural participation and digital creativity.
Inspiration
MiM responds to a growing need in the cultural sector:
- As much as 90% of the world’s heritage collections are in storage and can’t be easily accessed
- Museums are inaccessible to some, whether for reasons of physical or mental health, or geographical limitations
- Cultural institutions face financial pressures that restrict digital transformation
- Audiences increasingly demand immersive, interactive and self-directed experiences
By digitising collections, enabling user-generated museums and offering commercialisation tools, MiM addresses these needs while driving inclusive access, education, and creative enterprise.
Key goals include:
- Reducing costs and increasing revenues for virtual museum creation
- Democratising access to Scotland’s and the world’s cultural assets
- Developing future-ready educational tools for learners of all ages
- Enabling new models for cultural storytelling, preservation, and business
Innovation and Impact
MiM has created a robust digital infrastructure for cultural engagement, combining world-leading photogrammetry workflows, advanced VR environments and a build-your-own-museum platform.
Key Achievements:
- 13 high-quality VR environments developed and deployed
- 600 digitsed heritage objects from major institutions
- 4 exemplar VR experiences ready for commercialisation
- £3.2M AVE media coverage in 2024 alone
- $50K Meta Ad Credits to drive audience engagement in 2025
- Developed a business model exportable across sectors
Economic Impact:
- 7.6 FTE jobs created directly
- 22 FTE jobs indirectly supported across 6 Glasgow SMEs
- £900K contracted to Glasgow-based SMEs
- £950K invested in local employment
The project has significantly enhanced the University of Glasgow’s XR Labs and contributed to the establishment of Realities & Immersion Glasgow known as RIG (a Research & Innovation in Immersive Realities Centre), now a hub for immersive heritage research and development.
Partners and Collaboration
MiM is powered by a consortium of cultural and creative leaders:
- University of Glasgow (lead partner)
- Edify, a pioneer in immersive education technology
- Historic Environment Scotland
- National Museums Scotland
- The Hunterian Museum
This collaborative approach has positioned Scotland as a global leader in immersive cultural heritage and creative technology innovation.
Research and Audience Insight
MiM conducted the world’s largest audience study on virtual museums to date, revealing strong demand and untapped potential:
- 79% of respondents want digital access to currently inaccessible collections
- 77% would likely use VR to explore cultural heritage
- 55% have already tried VR; 96% are aware of it
- 38% expressed a willingness to pay for virtual heritage experiences
- 51% would be willing to be paid for creating them
These insights are guiding future platform development and are informing national policy through MiM’s contributions to a DCMS Creative Industries think tank. The project was showcased in a landmark report launching at the House of Commons in early 2025.
Conclusion
Museums in the Metaverse is transforming how we preserve, experience, and share culture. By merging Scotland’s and the world’s rich heritage with cutting-edge immersive technology, the project is driving innovation in education, tourism and the creative economy. With an internationally recognised platform, powerful partnerships, and a scalable model, MiM is not only redefining museums – it’s reimagining the future of cultural engagement.