Web4Hub was a two-year research, stakeholder engagement and policy-support project carried out for the European Commission's DG CNECT from 2024 to 2026. It supported the Commission's strategy on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds by examining how emerging internet technologies could shape the future web and its governance. The project focused on how the EU could act early to support an open, interoperable, trustworthy and rights-based internet, while enabling European businesses and public institutions to benefit from new technological opportunities.
The project had two main objectives: to assess key technological developments relevant to Web 4.0 and virtual worlds, including standardisation, interoperability, cybersecurity, digital identity and economic transactions; and to support a global multistakeholder debate on future Web 4.0 governance. The governance strand began in 2024 and culminated in the Global Multistakeholder High-Level Conference on Governance of Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds on 31 March to 1 April 2025, while the technology research workstream continued through 2026.
The project combined technology research, governance analysis, stakeholder engagement, foresight and dissemination through an iterative methodology. Activities included:
- Desk research and horizon scanning of more than 380 emerging technology and policy signals;
- Around 100 expert interviews across government, industry, academia, civil society, standards organisations and the technical community;
- A global stakeholder consultation with 95 responses;
- 13 expert workshops and targeted technical discussions, generating more than 270 contributions;
- Foresight and scenario analysis;
- Ad-hoc research, briefings and dissemination responding to Commission needs;
- Moderation of sessions during the Global Multistakeholder High-Level Conference on Governance of Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds (400+ participants from 70 countries).
The adaptive approach was particularly important because several topics evolved significantly during the project, notably agentic AI, decentralised architectures, digital identity and post-quantum cryptography. The team therefore combined iterative research, horizon scanning and targeted expert engagement to integrate emerging developments and generate more concrete and actionable findings.
Under the technology strand, the project produced seven thematic deep-dive papers on digital identity and identification; decentralised data and service architectures; agentic AI state of play; agentic AI and internet infrastructure; agentic AI, trust and architecture; alternative and blockchain naming systems; and post-quantum cryptography. The papers assessed implications for infrastructure, interoperability, trust and security, competitiveness, sovereignty and governance. The papers are available here: https://www.veriangroup.com/en-be/news-and-insights/web4hub-thematic-papers-web-4-0
The governance strand produced a background paper, an input document based on the stakeholder consultation and the conference outcome document. This work supported the High-Level Conference, organised by the European Commission and the Polish Presidency of the Council, which brought together more than 400 participants from around 70 countries and contributed to high-level policy and technical principles for the future internet. More information at: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/event-web-4-governance
The project culminated in a Final Synthesis report bringing together findings across internet infrastructure and connectivity; architecture and trust; and European sovereignty and competitiveness. These findings were further discussed at the final synthesis workshop, "Europe and the Future Web: from Findings to Opportunities", on 17 September 2026, with Commission representatives and selected experts.
Overall, Web4Hub provided the Commission with a timely and forward-looking evidence base at a moment when the technologies, markets and governance approaches examined were evolving rapidly. The project took place in the broader context of the European Commission's 2023 Strategy on Virtual Worlds and Web 4.0, the recommendations of the Citizens' Panel on Virtual Worlds and the Global Multistakeholder High-Level Conference on Governance for Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds held in 2025, which together set out the EU's ambition to shape an open, interoperable and human-centred next generation of the web. Its findings also relate to ongoing Commission work, including the negotiation of the Cloud and AI Development Act and the broader European technological sovereignty package, as well as ongoing work on the future of the internet and internet governance.