Interview with Advisory Board Member Erik Jan Bijvank: “Immersive Technology Needs to Deliver the Wow Factor *and* Add Value”

The Advisory Board of CIIIC consists of 21 carefully selected members who provide both solicited and unsolicited advice to our program team on key content-related topics. As representatives of the IX community and ambassadors of IX in the Netherlands, they play a crucial role in connecting with the industry. But who are these members, what do they do, and—most importantly—how do they view IX?

Advisory Board member Erik Jan Bijvank from VR production company ScopicLabs ScopicLabs kicks things off..

“Make sure your work — both technically and aesthetically — is rock solid. Never compromise on quality.”

Who are you and what do you do?

"I'm Erik Jan Bijvank – father of two daughters, husband, and someone who thrives on adventure, people, sports, and exploring new perspectives. Those motivations led me to co-found ScopicLabs, where I focus on everything involved in building and growing an organization. In practice, that means: new business, account management, trendwatching, concept development, business model innovation within XR/IX, legal matters, networking, forecasting — and let’s not forget delegating.”

What attracts you to immersive technology and new forms of content?

“For me, it’s all about perspective. The power of immersive technology lies in creating new ways to experience and understand the world — something that drives me personally. I also firmly believe in technology as a tool to improve efficiency. Immersive tech, especially in combination with AI, is a powerful way to deepen and broaden human capabilities.”

Why did you decide to join the CIIIC Advisory Board?

“Curiosity — in the broadest sense of the word. I’m interested in the people on the board: their knowledge, vision, and ideas about the future of immersive. I also see the board as a place to actively contribute to the direction CIIIC is heading and to expand my network. One idea I’d like to explore: setting up ‘Immersive Masterclasses’ for large international organizations in the Netherlands, under the CIIIC banner.”

What’s your dream or mission when it comes to immersive (IX)?

“My dream is broad adoption of immersive technology across society — using tech and creativity in ways that add real value at scale. For ScopicLabs, that means developing rich, meaningful experiences that make the future tangible. At the same time, we aim to create social experiences that resonate in the now and deliver impact.”

Which developments in immersive do you think are essential to strengthen?

“The biggest challenge in the Netherlands is boosting demand for concrete use cases in the commercial sector — both B2B and B2C. That requires a shift: creators need to recognize that content quality is critical. Too often, the focus is on technology — engines, scenario builders — but without strong content, there’s no impact. In this early stage of immersive, the wow factor is still essential. It drives demand and helps shift from a tech-push to real user need.”

CIIIC is driven by public values. What’s your take on that?

“Public values are important, but they also come with challenges. Many CIIIC use cases are geared toward public institutions, where themes like safety, transparency, and real-world legal frameworks play a big role. That makes concept development interesting, but actual implementation can be complex, time-consuming, and costly. As a result, it’s not always easy to translate these concepts into commercial applications.”

Finally: the Advisory Board gives advice. What’s your message to the community? And how can people reach you?

“Make sure your work — both technically and aesthetically — is rock solid. Never compromise on quality. Expectations around immersive are high; your audience compares your work to what they know from TV and mobile content. Make sure you at least match that standard — or better yet, surpass it.

Want to brainstorm or share ideas? You can reach me via CIIIC at adviesraad@ciiic.nl, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-jan-bijvank-8a26041, or just through the web. Always happy to connect!”

Photography: Ben Houdijk