How Takeda harnessed the power of the metaverse for positive human impact | EY

Choosing where to start

After identifying and analyzing many use cases for the metaverse, the Takeda-EY team aligned its strategy with business objectives and needs to focus on the following three:

• Immersive employee experience: attracting NextGen talent, improving onboarding, learning and collaborating
• Modernizing the product lifecycle: product launch, Research and Development, manufacturing and distribution
• Engaging patients and stakeholders: differentiating patient experience, patient communities, patient and provider connections and investor community engagement

The Takeda-EY team decided to start their launch into the metaverse by first focusing on an immersive employee experience, which presented the fastest way for Takeda’s people to benefit from the full impact of the metaverse, while also minimizing project risk. This approach helped to ensure that the team could drive adoption effectively and efficiently.

The proof of concept was designed to give employees:

• Meeting space to support immersive collaboration
• Onboarding and training space for employees to engage, learn and connect virtually
• Social space for employees to focus on team building and social connection
  
  

Building and launching the Takeda Metaverse

Creating an immersive, three-dimensional experience is different from building a website, mobile app or general applications. The EY Metaverse Lab came to the forefront with a multidisciplinary team that included 3D artists, cross-platform game engine developers, 3D modelers and animators, interior designers, user experience designers, full stack developers and solution architects, to help Takeda build a metaverse environment.

In terms of the design, it was important to Takeda leadership that the metaverse environment reflected the company’s brand, culture and values, as well as its commitment to patients, people and the planet. To reinforce this, the EY team digitally recreated the award-winning design of Takeda’s global headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, designed by Kashiwa Sato, and the Boston Takeda office, as well as adding new elements like a cultural center.

“This was a great example of bringing real life into digital seamlessly,” says Matthew Marra, Extended Reality Platform Lead at Takeda. “The design of the metaverse captured the look and feel of Takeda’s identity and buildings, creating continuity for existing employees and a useful introduction for new employees. Feedback from leadership was overwhelmingly positive.”