Unbridled hype and early flirtations with the metaverse have prompted industry, public thinkers, and everyday web users to speculate about its potential to reshape the internet, business, and our social lives. Perhaps the most complete and influential mapping of what the metaverse will be was authored by strategist, advisor and essayist, Matthew Ball, two years ago. He wrote that the metaverse will be persistent, synchronous, interoperable, connective of the digital and physical worlds, and defined by content from a wide range of contributors.
Predicting the evolution and impact of a change so broad and complex is assuredly difficult, but it can be instructive to examine the potential influence of the metaverse through narrower sectors. The manufacturing sector, for example, could see new opportunities for innovation by leveraging the metaverse’s capabilities. Let’s take a look at how that could happen.