Core Viewpoint - The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has released a draft for public consultation on the "Guidelines for the Construction of a Comprehensive Standardization System for the Metaverse Industry (2026 Edition)", aiming to establish a standard system to support the innovative development of the metaverse industry by 2028 [1][2]. Summary by Sections Industry Overview - The metaverse is described as an immersive interconnected space that integrates digital and physical worlds, characterized by high immersion, real-time continuity, autonomous creation, and open interconnectivity. It plays a crucial role in promoting the high-end, intelligent, and green transformation of the manufacturing industry and improving the modern industrial system [9]. Overall Requirements - By 2028, the goal is to formulate over 20 national and industry standards to establish a foundational standard system for the metaverse industry. By 2030, this number is expected to exceed 50, with a focus on key standards that support high-quality future industrial development and promote the globalization of the metaverse industry [3][11]. Construction Ideas - The metaverse industry standard system will consist of six parts: 1. Basic Standards 2. Supporting Capability Standards 3. General Service Standards 4. Application Standards 5. Development and Operation Standards 6. Security and Governance Standards [10][11]. Construction Content - **Basic Standards**: Include terminology and definitions, reference architecture, classification and identification, management, and testing and evaluation standards [4][17]. - **Supporting Capability Standards**: Focus on infrastructure and enabling technologies, including standards for intelligent terminals, new networks, computing power, trusted storage, and data [5][19]. - **General Service Standards**: Cover standards for digital entities, digital identities, digital content, digital assets, digital scenes, and digital-physical interaction [6][20]. - **Application Standards**: Specify requirements for the application of the metaverse in various fields such as industry, culture and tourism, broadcasting, education, social interaction, healthcare, commerce, emergency response, sports, and urban management [6][21][22]. - **Development and Operation Standards**: Include standards for design and development, system integration, and service operation [6][23]. - **Security and Governance Standards**: Address security requirements throughout the lifecycle of technologies, products, systems, applications, and services, as well as compliance requirements [6][24]. Safeguard Measures - Emphasize the need for coordinated efforts to establish a standardization technical organization in the metaverse field, involving various stakeholders from industry, academia, and research to collaboratively advance standard formulation. It also highlights the importance of international cooperation to participate in global standardization activities [25].

Group 1 - The 2025 National General Artificial Intelligence Innovation Application Competition's Hefei New Station High-tech Zone Special Competition focuses on the "AI + Metaverse" track, held on December 10 at the Shaoquan Lake Science and Technology Innovation Center [1] - The competition is organized by the China Computer Federation and the Anhui Provincial Department of Science and Technology, with support from various local institutions [1] - The event targets innovative teams without established companies and high-growth technology startups with independent intellectual property, focusing on wearable devices, digital twins, digital humans, data labeling, components, and basic software in the metaverse and AI sectors [1] Group 2 - Prizes for the special competition include a maximum of 500,000 yuan for first place, 300,000 yuan for second place, and 200,000 yuan for third place, with additional funding from the Hefei New Station High-tech Zone [1] - The total prize for the finals can reach up to 1 million yuan at the provincial level and 500,000 yuan at the district level [1] - Winning projects that register in Anhui will benefit from local policies promoting high-quality development in the AI industry and support for the metaverse industry [1] Group 3 - A project landing negotiation meeting, scenario release conference, and business environment promotion meeting will be held on the same day as the competition, with over 200 participants from government, academia, enterprises, investment, media, and other sectors [2] - The aim is to explore the innovative value of AI + Metaverse and assist Hefei in becoming a national hub for artificial intelligence and metaverse innovation [2]

Core Insights - Sichuan is accelerating the development of frontier technologies such as the metaverse and brain-computer interfaces (BCI), establishing demonstration scenarios in smart manufacturing and cultural tourism, leading to a positive industrial development trend [1][3] - A public empowerment platform for the metaverse industry ecosystem in Sichuan is being co-built by relevant departments and enterprises, aiming to integrate resources, technological achievements, case studies, and industrial ecology [1][4] Industry Overview - The metaverse industry is entering a new phase characterized by technological breakthroughs and a shift from virtual to real applications, with significant advancements in interaction technologies like BCIs, spatial computing, and artificial intelligence [2] - The global metaverse market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.74% from 2022 to 2030, with the domestic market expected to exceed 24,000 million by 2026 [2] Sichuan's Position - Sichuan has established a strong foundation for the metaverse and BCI industries, with the "Western Brain Valley" in Chengdu's Jinniu District operational, leveraging clinical resources from Sichuan University [4] - The province faces challenges such as financing and patent delays, with an average patent authorization time of 2.5 years compared to the national average of over one year [4] - The Sichuan government is promoting innovation and ecosystem building through initiatives like the "Sichuan Brain-Computer Interface and Human-Machine Interaction Industry Breakthrough Action Plan (2025-2030)" [3][4]