“My God, today we are making history!”,
said entrepreneur Tijen Onaran at the beginning of her moderation, thus describing the significance of Meta’s opening in Bavaria’s state capital. Around 150 invited guests attended the opening celebration on the “Campus of Ideas”, including representatives from politics and the press as well as decision-makers from local and national companies. Bavaria’s Minister of Science Markus Blume said:
“We welcome the next representative of ‘Big Tech’ with open arms. Meta will enrich and advance the development of artificial intelligence and immersive technologies – and from the heart of the Free State. The location decision for Munich makes clear: Bavaria is a top technology hub and attracts innovation-minded people and companies from around the world. The conditions are right here: excellent talent, outstanding research landscape, and great startups make Bavaria a very special innovation ecosystem.”
Also Angie Gifford, Vice President Europe, Middle East and Africa at Meta, confirmed:
“Many factors make Munich the ideal location for the new office. These include leading-edge research, the availability of skilled professionals, and proximity to relevant companies in Bavaria. This offers us completely new opportunities for collaboration.”
In a panel discussion with local partners of the company, participants explored the future and opportunities of the VR ecosystem in the Munich region and Germany. Afterward, guests had the opportunity to test the new Meta Quest 3 VR headset and industrial applications.
Meta closes research partnership with CDTM
In the course of the opening, Meta also announced a new partnership with the Center for Digital Technology and Management (CDTM). In the interdisciplinary postgraduate program “Technology Management”, students learn how to put their ideas into practice and start their own companies. Meta provides a community space in its new office for selected tech startups from over 1,000 CDTM students.
Meta also plans to host industry-relevant events there in the future, further strengthening collaboration with local partners from business, research, and education. Examples of this initiative are Meta’s existing partnerships with Accenture, Straight Labs, and BMW, which aim to develop and strengthen Germany as one of Europe’s most important innovation hubs in the fields of virtual and extended reality.
“We still have enormous possibilities, but also a responsibility as we walk the digital path, and we would like to walk it together. Not just as business partners, but also as neighbors and as friends”,
said Gifford.
