News Stories · Innovation

IMD invests in hologram technology to improve learning capabilities and experience

The new technology will enable faculty to engage with more participants as if they were “in the room” without the need for travel.
May 2023

IMD has installed ARHT live hologram technology at its campuses in Lausanne and Singapore to expand the scope and reach of its executive education programs while minimizing climate impact. 

The technology will increase the ways in which IMD’s faculty and guest speakers can be deployed to deliver and contribute to programs on both campuses, enabling a greater diversity of expertise to engage as effectively as possible with a wider range of participants without the need for air travel. 

IMD has invested heavily in technology-mediated teaching capabilities on both campuses in recent years, such as the latest advancements in interactive video conferencing tools, to enhance existing pedagogical approaches and to pioneer and integrate new virtual and hybrid learning journeys. 

With the introduction of ARHT Capture Studio and ARHT screens in Lausanne and Singapore, participants present on both campuses can engage with life-size, life-like projections of faculty and other experts as if they were “in the room”, rather than on a screen. IMD expects this to improve engagement and retention levels for its programs, which have so far relied on standard videoconferencing interventions from supporting faculty and guest speakers for its face-to-face programs. 

With the reduced requirement for travel, faculty will be free to contribute to a wider range of learning journeys, expanding IMD’s capacity to deliver programs to a larger number of participants. For example, a program director based in Singapore running a session on sustainable business transformation can invite experts in Lausanne to “beam” into the room for specific interventions, allowing participants and guest speakers to interact and engage in a more realistic and natural way. 

As well as the pedagogical benefits, this new technology will have a positive impact on the environment. For example, a business class flight between Zurich and Singapore generates around 6.5 tons of CO2. If IMD avoids two trips a month during 10 month period this is a saving of 130 tonnes of CO2 per year.

“This exciting collaboration with ARHT will help us continue our mission of striving to be a leading provider of innovative executive education solutions that enable people from all over the world to gain access to our courses and expertise,” said IMD’s Chief Digital and Customer Experience Officer, Louis Leclézio. “We believe this partnership will further enhance our commitment towards sustainability and learning equity for our students by allowing us to bridge physical distances.”  

“By combining ARHT’s cutting-edge technology with our innovative approach to teaching, IMD is paving the way for a new era of immersive and effective education,” he added. 

“IMD is one of the most forward-thinking executive business schools today, and we are thrilled that they chose us as their partner for this initiative,” said ARHT CEO Larry O’Reilly. “Our technology takes learning and development to a whole new level, so we are excited to see how it will transform executive education in the hands of IMD.” 

Founded in 2014, ARHT is a pioneer and leader in live hologram technology. Thanks to its patented end-to-end technology, executives, medical experts, educators, entertainers, and thought leaders can travel at the speed of light to any destination.