Stepping into Tomorrow: How i2CAT’s Volum Technologies Revolutionises Immersive Communication

After years of hard work, in 2025, we were finally ready to share a landmark achievement that underscores our commitment to applied research and innovation: the creation of Volum Technologies, our newest spin-off. This venture represents a significant stride in the Media sector, translating years of cutting-edge research into a tangible solution that promises to redefine how we connect and interact. This initiative will not only advance the technological landscape but also generate real social impact, enhancing the lives of citizens and fostering a stronger economy.

Pioneering 3D Holographic Interactions

In January 2025, our Board of Trustees authorised the establishment of Volum Technologies, our fifth spin-off, set to launch during 2025. i2CAT will hold a share in the company and license two of our extensively developed technologies. Volum Technologies is set to commercialise HoloMiT®, a groundbreaking product offering high-quality 3D holographic solutions from standard commercial cameras. This innovation enables immersive, real-time videoconferencing at a competitive cost. HoloMiT® is more than just a product; it’s a hyper-realistic, multi-modal social platform for XR, complete with a developer-specific unit (SDK). This achievement is the culmination of four years of dedicated research and innovation, backed by a significant joint investment of over €3.7 million.

• +€3.7 million investment
• 4 years of research and development

The Missing Link: Bridging Distances with Genuine Presence

In an increasingly connected world, the challenge remains to create remote interactions that truly feel personal and immediate. Traditional videoconferencing often lacks the nuance of face-to-face communication, particularly when it comes to non-verbal cues, trust-building, and the critical sense of shared presence. We recognised the need for closer, more immersive experiences that could address this gap and solve existing social challenges across vital sectors like healthcare, education, business, and culture. Our goal was to facilitate high-quality, real-time, multi-user interpersonal interactions at a distance where the feeling of “being inside” the virtual world is paramount, all while ensuring the technology is accessible and cost-competitive.

Our Breakthrough Solution: HoloMiT®, Your Portal to Immersive Reality

Our answer to this challenge is HoloMiT®, the flagship product of Volum Technologies. HoloMiT® stands out by offering high-quality 3D holographic solutions using widely available, standard commercial cameras, thereby democratising access to advanced immersive communication.

HoloMiT® is designed as a comprehensive platform that:

• Facilitates immersive real-time videoconferencing at a competitive cost.
• Acts as a hyper-realistic, multi-modal social platform for XR, equipped with an SDK for developers.
• Provides a full-suite service encompassing capture, compression, streaming, and orchestration of high-quality 3D holograms.
• Excels in real-time, multi-user communications, supporting more than two participants simultaneously.

Our deep expertise in communications has been pivotal in developing this unique offering. HoloMiT® successfully combines the convenience of remote connection with the invaluable feeling of proximity and first-person interactions, enabling people to connect meaningfully without having to leave their homes. As a first commercial product, we are planning the HoloMiT Booth, which includes both hardware and software, available for approximately €40,000 per node, with rental options also planned.

Real-World Impact: Shaping Our Digital Future

The impact of Volum Technologies, powered by HoloMiT®, is set to be transformative across multiple fronts:

• Social Empowerment: This technology opens doors to new services that directly address societal needs. We foresee applications in healthcare (treating phobias, mental health, rehabilitation, and remote patient-specialist interactions), education (specialised training, conferences, and medical education), business (immersive trade fairs, demonstrations of unique goods like real estate or industrial machinery), and culture & heritage (virtual museum visits, historical site tours, and engaging escape room experiences).
• Economic Growth: By fostering this spin-off, we contribute to the growth of business opportunities and skilled employment within Catalonia, strengthening our economy.
• Validation of Applied Research: Volum Technologies is a testament to i2CAT’s success in transferring publicly funded applied research directly into the business sector and to the benefit of citizens. This is our fifth spin-off, marking a natural and meaningful evolution of our research initiatives.
• Proven Performance: The technology behind HoloMiT® has been rigorously developed since 2020 and validated through numerous pilots and customer interactions. It has been showcased at prestigious events like the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), and Interihotel. We have also conducted real-world projects with the Àmbit cluster, including demonstrations of hotel room options with holoportation.

The Journey Ahead: Our Vision for Tomorrow

This is merely the beginning of HoloMiT®’s journey. Volum Technologies is poised for continuous evolution, with exciting plans for the future:

• Product Evolution: We are already envisioning the HoloMiT Room, an evolution from a single booth to a more expansive room-based environment, similar to traditional videoconferencing, but with a holographic twist.
• Technological Advancements: Our research continues to integrate holoconferencing into advanced 5G and 6G architectures. We are also exploring cutting-edge techniques like Gaussian Splatting for scene encoding and continuously improving holographic reconstruction.
• Global Reach: While our initial validation phase focuses on strategic national partners and high-impact sectors in Catalonia, our vision includes a robust internationalisation phase. We are actively engaging with specialised companies in countries like the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany to expand HoloMiT®’s global footprint.

At i2CAT, we remain committed to accelerating the creation of spin-offs, exploring opportunities in diverse fields such as space, cybersecurity, and civil protection. We carefully analyse market timing and problem-solving relevance to ensure our deeptech ventures make efficient and effective use of public resources. With Volum Technologies and HoloMiT®, we are not just building a product; we are building a future of truly immersive and impactful communication.