The Operational ROI of Simulation-Based Training: Why Industry Leaders Are Investing in Custom Training Simulators

As industrial systems become more sophisticated and workforce challenges intensify, organizations are reevaluating how they train operators, technicians, and field personnel. Traditional workforce development methods—classroom instruction, printed manuals, shadowing senior employees, and limited access to live equipment—remain important, but they are increasingly insufficient for modern operational demands.

Across industries including construction, manufacturing, mining, oil & gas, utilities, aviation, logistics, healthcare, and defense, organizations are adopting simulation-based training to improve workforce readiness while reducing operational risk and long-term training costs.

Modern custom training simulators are no longer viewed simply as emerging technology or “VR experiences.” They are increasingly being implemented as strategic operational systems capable of improving safety, accelerating onboarding, standardizing procedures, preserving institutional knowledge, and generating measurable return on investment (ROI).

For many organizations, the question is no longer whether simulation-based training is effective. The focus has shifted toward how much operational value simulation can deliver at scale.

Reducing Equipment Damage and Operational Risk

One of the most immediate benefits of simulation-based training is the reduction of costly operator errors.

Reduced Equipment Damage & Operational Risk

Industrial equipment often represents significant capital investment. Cranes, mining haul trucks, drilling systems, aircraft support equipment, manufacturing machinery, and utility infrastructure can each cost hundreds of thousands—or millions—of dollars to purchase and maintain.

Training incidents involving live equipment can result in:

• Equipment damage
• Production interruptions
• OSHA violations
• Environmental incidents
• Insurance claims
• Worker injuries
• Legal liability
• Reputational damage

Simulation-based training enables operators to gain experience and make mistakes in a controlled virtual environment before interacting with live machinery. Trainees can repeatedly practice critical procedures such as:

• Equipment startup and shutdown
• Hazard recognition
• Emergency response
• Lockout/tagout procedures
• Failure recovery
• Maintenance operations
• Complex sequencing tasks
• Safe equipment positioning

In a simulator, failure becomes a learning opportunity rather than a costly operational event. For many organizations, avoiding even a single major incident can justify the investment in a custom simulator platform.

Accelerating Workforce Onboarding and Skill Development

Many industries are facing labor shortages, increasing turnover, and the retirement of experienced personnel. Organizations are under pressure to bring new employees to operational competency faster than traditional training systems typically allow.

Faster Workforce Onboarding

Simulation-based training accelerates onboarding by allowing trainees to begin developing practical experience immediately—without waiting for live equipment availability, field scheduling, or production downtime.

Because simulators support unlimited repetition in a low-risk environment, trainees can develop:

• Procedural familiarity
• Muscle memory
• Situational awareness
• Operational confidence
• Decision-making skills

more rapidly than through passive instruction alone.

Unlike field-based training, simulation environments are not constrained by weather, production schedules, equipment access, or instructor availability. Organizations can train continuously and consistently, improving time-to-proficiency across the workforce.

Minimizing Equipment Downtime During Training

Training on live production equipment introduces a persistent operational conflict: equipment must either generate revenue or be taken offline for workforce development.

Reduced Equipment Downtime

Simulation-based training significantly reduces this conflict by allowing operators to train without interrupting operations or removing equipment from service.

Organizations can conduct training without:

• Consuming fuel
• Causing equipment wear
• Interrupting production schedules
• Reserving large training yards
• Restricting operational availability

This is particularly valuable in industries where equipment utilization directly impacts profitability, including:

• Mining
• Construction
• Oil & gas
• Manufacturing
• Aviation ground operations
• Utilities

By separating training activities from production equipment, organizations can maintain operational continuity while still expanding workforce capabilities.

Lowering Training Costs at Enterprise Scale

Traditional instructor-led training becomes increasingly expensive as organizations scale geographically.

Lower Training Costs at Scale

Operational training programs often require expenditures related to:

• Instructor travel
• Lodging and per diem
• Training facilities
• Equipment transportation
• Fuel consumption
• Printed training materials
• Site coordination
• Safety supervision

Custom simulation platforms allow organizations to centralize and standardize training delivery across multiple locations and departments.

Once deployed, a simulator can support training for:

• New hires
• Experienced operators
• Maintenance personnel
• Dealers and distributors
• Safety teams
• Field technicians
• Customers and end users

Simulation systems can also be deployed across a variety of environments, including corporate training centers, classrooms, dealerships, mobile training trailers, and remote networked systems.

This scalability creates long-term cost efficiencies that are difficult to achieve with traditional training models alone.

Improving Knowledge Retention Through Experiential Learning

Traditional training methods frequently rely on passive learning approaches such as manuals, lectures, and presentation-based instruction. While valuable for foundational knowledge, these methods often struggle to produce high retention rates and operational confidence.

Better Knowledge Retention 

Simulation-based training creates active learning environments where trainees directly engage with procedures and systems.

Rather than simply receiving information, trainees:

• Perform tasks
• Make operational decisions
• Solve problems
• Experience consequences
• Interact with equipment systems in real time

Experiential learning has consistently been shown to improve retention and practical skill transfer compared to passive instructional methods.

Immersive simulation environments also tend to increase trainee engagement, participation, focus, and confidence—factors that directly influence long-term workforce performance.

Standardizing Training Across Global Operations

Large organizations often struggle with inconsistent training delivery between instructors, facilities, regions, and business units.

Standardized Training Across the Organization

Over time, localized practices and tribal knowledge can create procedural variation that affects safety, compliance, and operational quality.

Simulation-based training platforms enable organizations to standardize:

• Operational procedures
• Safety protocols
• Maintenance workflows
• Equipment usage standards
• Compliance training
• Assessment criteria

This ensures that trainees receive consistent instruction regardless of geography, instructor, language, or facility location.

For multinational organizations, training standardization can improve operational consistency while supporting broader compliance and quality assurance initiatives.

Preserving Institutional Knowledge

A growing percentage of experienced operators and technicians are approaching retirement, creating significant knowledge transfer challenges across many industries.

When experienced personnel leave the workforce, organizations risk losing decades of operational expertise, troubleshooting experience, and field-tested best practices.

Custom simulation platforms provide a mechanism for preserving this institutional knowledge by embedding subject matter expertise directly into the training system itself.

Organizations can incorporate:

• Best practices
• Failure scenarios
• Troubleshooting workflows
• Safety habits
• Operational judgment
• Real-world environmental conditions

into scalable training content that remains available for future generations of workers.

This transforms expertise from an individual asset into an organizational capability.

Safely Training for High-Risk and Low-Frequency Scenarios

Some operational scenarios are too dangerous, too costly, or too rare to recreate safely in real-world training environments.

• Examples include:
• Equipment rollovers
• Hydraulic system failures
• Electrical faults
• Fires and explosions
• Hazardous material incidents
• Severe weather operations
• Emergency shutdown procedures
• Underground collapses

Simulation enables organizations to repeatedly train for these scenarios without exposing personnel, infrastructure, or equipment to actual danger.

This improves workforce preparedness while strengthening overall safety performance and emergency response capability.

Leveraging Real-Time Analytics and Performance Data

Modern simulation systems can automatically capture detailed trainee performance metrics during training exercises.

• Organizations can measure:
• Completion times
• Error rates
• Safety violations
• Procedural compliance
• Reaction times
• Assessment scores
• Decision-making patterns
• Learning progression over time

This transforms training from a subjective process into a measurable operational system.

Training managers gain visibility into workforce competency trends, certification progress, readiness levels, and recurring skill gaps—enabling continuous improvement across both training programs and operational procedures.

Multi-Platform Deployment Flexibility

Modern simulation systems are no longer limited to a single hardware platform.

Custom training simulators can often deploy across:

• Virtual reality (VR) headsets
• Mixed reality (MR) devices
• Desktop workstations
• Touchscreen kiosks
• Projection systems
• Mobile tablets
• Physical simulator hardware

This flexibility allows organizations to align deployment strategies with operational constraints, facility requirements, technical infrastructure, and workforce demographics.

A single simulation platform can often support multiple deployment environments simultaneously, improving scalability and long-term adaptability.

Repurposing Existing Training Assets

Many organizations already possess extensive libraries of technical and training content, including:

• CAD models
• SOP documentation
• Maintenance manuals
• Engineering specifications
• Instructor curriculum
• Safety documentation
• Video libraries
• OEM technical data

These existing assets can frequently be repurposed into interactive simulation environments rather than recreated from scratch.

Leveraging current training materials reduces development time and cost while maximizing the value of prior investments in training infrastructure and technical documentation.

Supporting Sustainability and ESG Initiatives

Simulation-based training can also contribute to broader sustainability and environmental goals.

By reducing reliance on live equipment during training, organizations can decrease:

• Fuel consumption
• Equipment emissions
• Material waste
• Physical consumables
• Travel requirements
• Training-related wear and tear

For organizations pursuing ESG objectives or sustainability initiatives, simulation offers an opportunity to improve operational efficiency while simultaneously reducing environmental impact.

Workforce Readiness as a Competitive Advantage

Organizations that train more effectively often operate more effectively.

• Well-trained employees typically:
• Make fewer operational errors
• Work more safely
• Require less supervision
• Adapt more quickly to new systems
• Operate equipment more efficiently
• Learn procedures faster

As industries become increasingly competitive and technologically advanced, workforce readiness itself becomes a strategic differentiator.

Simulation-based training enables organizations to scale expertise more rapidly and consistently than traditional training methods alone.

Simulation Platforms as Long-Term Operational Infrastructure

One of the most significant advantages of custom simulation systems is their ability to evolve over time.

Unlike one-time training events, simulation platforms can expand to support:

• New equipment models
• Updated operational procedures
• Additional languages
• Multiplayer collaboration
• Remote instruction
• Advanced analytics
• AI-driven adaptive learning
• Evolving compliance requirements

Over time, the simulator becomes more than a training tool. It becomes a long-term operational platform that supports workforce development, safety, compliance, and organizational resilience.

The Future of Industrial Workforce Training

The future of workforce development is increasingly immersive, measurable, scalable, and data-driven.

Organizations investing in simulation-based training are not simply purchasing software or hardware. They are investing in:

• Operational efficiency
• Workforce readiness
• Safety improvement
• Knowledge preservation
• Training scalability
• Standardization
• Long-term resilience

As industrial systems continue to grow more complex and experienced workforce shortages intensify, simulation-based training is becoming one of the most strategically valuable investments organizations can make.

Companies that adopt these technologies early are positioning themselves not only to train more effectively—but to operate more effectively as well.

Beyond VR: How Spatial Computing Turns Tribal Knowledge Into Digital Workforce Intelligence

Why industrial training simulators are becoming safer, smarter, and more scalable ways to prepare workers for complex equipment, hazardous environments, and mission-critical procedures.

Beyond VR: How Spatial Computing Training Turns Tribal Knowledge into Digital Workforce Intelligence

Industrial training is facing a new kind of pressure.

Experienced operators are retiring. Younger workers are entering the field with different expectations for how they learn. Equipment is becoming more complex. Safety expectations are increasing. And many organizations are being asked to do more with fewer highly experienced people available to train the next generation.

This is not just a staffing issue. It is a knowledge-transfer issue.

For decades, many industrial organizations have relied on a combination of classroom instruction, manuals, shadowing, and on-the-job learning. Those methods still matter, but they are not always enough for today’s equipment, procedures, and workforce challenges. A new operator may need to understand machine controls, jobsite awareness, equipment inspection, emergency procedures, team coordination, and the consequences of small mistakes — often before they have meaningful access to the real equipment.

That is where spatial computing-based simulation training becomes valuable.

Spatial computing is often associated with VR headsets, AR glasses, and mixed-reality devices. But the real value is not the headset. The real value is the ability to turn physical equipment, operational procedures, jobsite environments, safety risks, and expert decision-making into interactive 3D training systems.

For industrial organizations, this means workers can practice before they perform. They can make mistakes without damaging equipment, interrupting operations, or putting themselves and others at risk. They can repeat difficult procedures until they build confidence. And trainers can measure not just whether someone completed a course, but how they actually performed.

Lower Costs and Less Downtime

That shift, from passive instruction to measurable practice, is why spatial computing is becoming an important tool for workforce development.

The workforce problem is also a training problem

The U.S. manufacturing sector alone may need as many as 3.8 million workers between 2024 and 2033, with roughly 1.9 million of those roles at risk of going unfilled if workforce challenges are not addressed, according to reporting on research from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute. The same reporting notes that digital skills, including simulation software skills, are becoming increasingly important in manufacturing environments.

That matters because the skills gap is not only about finding people. It is about preparing people.

Industrial work often depends on expertise that is difficult to capture in a manual. Experienced operators know what a machine should sound like. They know where not to stand. They know which steps are easy to overlook, which shortcuts are dangerous, and which abnormal conditions require immediate attention. Much of that knowledge is learned through years of experience.

The challenge is that organizations cannot always wait years for new workers to develop that judgment.

Simulation-based training helps close that gap by turning expert knowledge into structured, repeatable training experiences. A simulator can recreate the machine, the controls, the surrounding environment, the required sequence of actions, the common mistakes, and the consequences of those mistakes. Instead of relying entirely on one-on-one instruction from senior personnel, companies can preserve and scale that expertise across locations, teams, and generations of workers.

Faster Workforce Onboarding

Beyond “VR”: the simulator is the training system

It is tempting to think of spatial computing training as simply “putting someone in VR.” But that misses the point.

The headset, display, desktop interface, touchscreen, HoloLens, or physical controls are only the delivery mechanism. The real intelligence is in the simulation model underneath.

A strong industrial training simulator can include:

• Accurate 3D equipment models
• Realistic control behavior
• Physics-based machine movement
• Guided procedures
• Fault conditions and emergency scenarios
• Performance tracking
• Instructor tools
• Team-based multiplayer training
• Scoring and assessment
• Scenario variation
• Integration with physical controls or hardware mockups

This is where spatial computing becomes more than an immersive visualization. It becomes a digital training environment.

A trainee does not just look at a machine. They operate it. They inspect it. They respond to problems. They experience the results of their decisions. And over time, the simulator can produce data that helps trainers understand where individuals or teams need more practice.

Recent industrial VR safety-training research supports this direction. A 2024 study of VR-based safety training for refinery hazards described VR as a way to provide risk-free immersive practice for emergency protocols, equipment handling, spatial navigation, and evacuation procedures in high-risk industrial settings.

That is the key idea: simulation creates a safe place to practice unsafe, expensive, rare, or difficult-to-reproduce scenarios.

What this looks like in real industrial training

ForgeFX has seen this pattern across a wide range of simulation projects: the most valuable training applications are not generic 3D experiences. They are purpose-built systems designed around specific equipment, specific learners, and specific operational goals.

For example, the JLG AccessReady Fusion XR simulator demonstrates how spatial computing can help train operators on construction equipment such as aerial work platforms and telehandlers. These machines are expensive, physically large, and often used in environments where operator awareness is essential. A simulator gives trainees an opportunity to become familiar with controls, movement, positioning, and safe operation before stepping into the real equipment.

The Somero S22EZ Laser Screed VR Training Simulator shows a similar benefit in concrete construction. Laser screed operation requires an understanding of the machine, the surface being placed, control inputs, and the workflow of the job. In a real-world setting, training time can be limited by equipment availability, job schedules, material cost, and the risk of mistakes. A VR simulator allows operators to practice the procedure in a focused environment where repetition is possible.

The Global Ground Support Aircraft Deicing Simulator shows how simulation training can support aviation ground operations. Deicing requires operators to work around aircraft, equipment, weather constraints, fluid application procedures, holdover time considerations, and team coordination. A simulator can recreate aircraft types, deicing vehicles, environmental conditions, and multi-user scenarios in a transportable format.

And in heavy equipment projects for OEMs such as John Deere, Komatsu, and Caterpillar, simulation helps manufacturers train operators, technicians, dealers, customers, and sales teams on equipment that may be expensive, difficult to transport, or not yet widely available in the field.

Different industries. Different equipment. Same underlying value: spatial computing makes complex work easier to teach, safer to practice, and easier to measure.

The safety benefit: practice the dangerous moments before they happen

No simulator should be treated as a magic solution for safety or compliance. Safety outcomes depend on culture, supervision, procedures, engineering controls, maintenance, and many other factors.

But simulation can play an important role in safety training because it allows organizations to train for moments that are difficult to practice in real life.

Safer Training for High-Risk Tasks

A worker can practice responding to an equipment fault. An operator can learn what happens when a load is positioned incorrectly. A team can rehearse communication during a time-sensitive procedure. A trainee can experience a hazardous scenario without real-world consequences.

This matters because many industrial mistakes happen not because people lack information, but because they lack experience applying that information under realistic conditions.

Traditional training can explain what to do. Simulation lets people practice doing it.

That distinction is especially important for younger workers and new hires. Many digital-native learners are accustomed to interactive environments where they can experiment, receive feedback, and repeat tasks until they improve. Spatial computing-based simulation training aligns well with that learning style while still supporting the rigorous procedural standards required in industrial environments.

The operational benefit: train without disrupting the operation

Industrial training often competes with production.

Real equipment may be in use. A jobsite may not be available. A machine may be too expensive to dedicate to training. A physical training setup may require travel, instructors, fuel, materials, consumables, or downtime. Some scenarios may be too dangerous or rare to recreate safely.

Simulation helps reduce those constraints.

A simulator can be deployed in a training center, at a trade show, on a desktop, in a VR headset, in a transportable hardware station, or across multiple locations. Trainees can practice repeatedly without putting hours on machines, consuming materials, or waiting for ideal field conditions.

For OEMs, this creates an additional advantage. A training simulator can become part of the customer experience. It can help dealers demonstrate equipment. It can help customers understand safe operation. It can support onboarding for new machine models. It can reduce the burden on field trainers and make training more consistent across regions.

That is why more OEMs are viewing simulators not just as internal training tools, but as competitive advantages. A well-designed simulator can help a customer get value from equipment faster.

The measurement benefit: training becomes data

One of the most important advantages of simulation-based training is that it can produce measurable performance data. In a classroom, completion is often measured by attendance or a quiz. In a simulator, completion can be measured by actual behavior.

Measurable Performance Data

Did the trainee follow the correct sequence? Did they look in the right direction before moving? Did they choose the right tool? Did they respond correctly to a fault? Did they communicate with the team? Did they complete the task efficiently? Did they repeat the same mistake across multiple attempts?

This is where simulation turns training into digital workforce intelligence.

When training systems capture performance data, organizations can identify skill gaps, improve curriculum, compare scenarios, support certification programs, and tailor coaching to the individual. Over time, this data can help companies understand not only who has been trained, but who is ready.

That distinction matters in high-consequence industries.

From tribal knowledge to scalable expertise

Every industrial organization has experts whose knowledge is hard to replace. They know the equipment. They know the job. They know the mistakes people make. They know the warning signs that do not always appear in a manual.

Spatial computing-based simulation training gives companies a way to preserve that knowledge and scale it.

Capture Tribal Knowledge

The process often begins by working with subject matter experts to capture procedures, decision points, equipment behavior, environmental constraints, and common failure modes. That knowledge is then transformed into interactive scenarios. The result is not just a digital replica of a machine. It is a training system built around the way work actually gets done.

This is especially valuable when organizations need to train across multiple sites, support new product launches, standardize procedures, or reduce dependence on a small number of senior trainers.

A simulator does not replace experienced instructors. It amplifies them.

It gives instructors better tools. It gives trainees more practice. And it gives organizations a more consistent way to transfer knowledge.

Standardized Training at Scale

The future: multiplayer, AI, and digital twins

The next generation of simulation training will become even more intelligent.

Spatial Computing Simulation-Based Training: Stronger Workforce. Safer Operations. Better Results.

Multiplayer training allows teams to practice coordination, communication, and role-specific responsibilities in shared virtual environments. This is particularly valuable for aviation ground support, defense, oil and gas, construction, emergency response, manufacturing, and other industries where performance depends on more than one person.

AI will support adaptive instruction, automated coaching, scenario generation, and performance analysis. Instead of every trainee receiving the same experience, training systems will be able to adjust based on what the learner does well and where they struggle.

Digital twins will make training environments more connected to real equipment, real procedures, and real operational data. As equipment becomes more instrumented and connected, training simulators can increasingly reflect how machines behave in the field.

ForgeFX Simulations Awarded Subcontract to Advance Chemical and Biological Training Capabilities for U.S. Defense Program

ForgeFX Simulations is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a subcontract under a U.S. government-funded defense research initiative supporting advanced chemical and biological training capabilities for warfighters.

New award builds on ForgeFX’s expanding role in immersive CBRN training and simulation for U.S. defense programs

Issued by Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA), the subcontract supports the development of a U.S. defense training program that incorporates simulated devices within the Enhanced Warfighter Adaptive Training (EWAT) platform. For ForgeFX, this award represents both an important new phase of work and a continuation of the company’s broader commitment to delivering immersive, high-fidelity training systems for complex operational environments.

At the center of this effort is a difficult and mission-critical challenge: how to prepare personnel to detect, analyze, and respond to chemical and biological threats in environments where live training is costly, constrained, and often impractical to repeat at scale.

Addressing a Training Challenge That Physical Equipment Alone Cannot Solve

Training for chemical and biological threat response requires more than device familiarization. Personnel must be able to operate sophisticated detection equipment under pressure, interpret changing readings, and make rapid decisions in environments where exposure risk, timing, and situational awareness all matter.

In real-world training programs, however, access to physical devices is often limited. Equipment can be expensive, specialized, and difficult to distribute widely across training populations. Live hazardous conditions are also inherently constrained, making it challenging to provide repeated, hands-on experience in realistic scenarios.

That is where simulation delivers meaningful value.

Under this award, ForgeFX will develop interactive digital replicas of critical chemical and biological detection devices, delivered as modular components within an Unreal Engine-based application designed for integration into existing Department of Defense training environments. These simulated devices are intended to provide validated behavior without relying exclusively on physical equipment, helping training organizations expand access while maintaining realism.

The solution will support a broader training environment in which chemical and biological threat conditions evolve dynamically. As simulated plumes disperse and environmental conditions change, the digital instruments will generate corresponding readings and alerts. Trainees must then interpret the data, follow procedures, and take appropriate protective action in response to unfolding conditions.

This transforms training from passive device exposure into a more complete form of operational preparation.

Bringing Real-World Devices Into a Scalable Digital Training Environment

As part of the program, ForgeFX is developing digital replicas of devices that include the MultiRAE Pro multi-gas monitor and the MX908 handheld mass spectrometer. These are the kinds of tools used in serious detection and response workflows, and their inclusion reflects the importance of realism and fidelity in immersive training.

Exposure Report’s coverage of the award also identified these instruments as Honeywell’s MultiRAE Pro and 908 Devices’ MX908, further underscoring the real-world relevance of the systems being brought into the training environment.

For ForgeFX, building simulations of devices like these is not simply a visualization exercise. It requires accurately translating device logic, interaction design, feedback, readings, and user workflows into a form that supports effective learning. The goal is to help users build confidence and procedural fluency before they encounter comparable demands in the field.

By making this training more repeatable and more accessible, simulation can help organizations extend training reach across more users, more locations, and more scenarios than would be practical through physical equipment alone.

Building on ForgeFX’s Experience in CBRN and Defense Training

This award also builds on ForgeFX Simulations’ prior and ongoing work in support of U.S. defense initiatives, including programs associated with the Capability Program Executive for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CPE CBRND), formerly JPEO-CBRND.

ForgeFX’s public work in this space includes mixed-reality and augmented-reality training systems developed in collaboration with organizations such as SciTech Services, Inc., and MRIGlobal. Previous EWAT and HoloTrainer efforts have focused on delivering high-fidelity digital twins of CBRN detection devices, networked multiuser training, guided instruction, and sandbox-style simulation experiences designed to improve readiness for distributed defense teams.

That experience matters.

Chemical and biological training is not just about creating visually realistic software. It requires an understanding of complex workflows, equipment behavior, scenario design, and the operational demands placed on trainees. Over time, ForgeFX has continued to deepen its work in this area by helping transform specialized procedures and equipment interactions into scalable immersive learning systems.

This latest award extends that trajectory by expanding the role simulation can play in helping defense organizations prepare personnel for demanding chemical and biological scenarios.

Why This Work Matters

The importance of this work lies in its practical impact.

When training organizations are constrained by limited hardware, restricted access to live hazardous environments, and the challenge of delivering consistent instruction across distributed teams, simulation offers a way to close critical gaps. It can reduce dependence on scarce equipment, increase opportunities for repetition, support standardized training outcomes, and make high-value instruction available to a broader set of users.

Just as importantly, simulation enables training to be adapted over time. Scenarios can be repeated, adjusted, and expanded without recreating the full logistical and safety burden of live exercises. That flexibility is especially important in mission areas where readiness depends on exposure to varied, high-stakes decision-making situations.

For warfighters and defense training leaders alike, the value is clear: more realistic preparation, more frequent practice, and more scalable access to complex training experiences.

A Continued Commitment to Immersive Training for Mission-Critical Readiness

ForgeFX Simulations has spent more than two decades developing immersive 3D training solutions for enterprise, industrial, and defense organizations. Across those sectors, the company’s work has focused on the same core objective: helping people master complex equipment, procedures, and environments through realistic simulation.

This new award reflects the continued evolution of that mission within the defense space.

ForgeFX is honored to contribute to a program that addresses some of the most difficult training demands in chemical and biological readiness, and grateful for the opportunity to support this effort alongside Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) and the broader U.S. defense training community.

As immersive technologies continue to mature, the role of simulation in defense readiness will only become more important. ForgeFX is committed to helping lead that progress by building solutions that are not only technologically advanced, but operationally useful, scalable, and grounded in the realities of how people train.

For the original announcement, read the press release and the Exposure Report article covering the award.

ForgeFX at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026: From Iron to Impact With Immersive Operator Training

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 reminded everyone why this show sits at the center of construction innovation. Across five packed days in Las Vegas (March 3–7), more than 140,000 construction professionals from 128 countries converged on the Las Vegas Convention Center to evaluate equipment, explore new technology, and build the relationships that keep job sites moving. 

For ForgeFX Simulations, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 was about one thing: making training scalable, consistent, and jobsite-relevant—without the cost, risk, and bottlenecks that come with relying solely on scarce machines and even scarcer “master trainers.” That theme ran through everything we did on the show floor and on stage—from hands-on demos in the North Hall to our “From Iron to Impact” talk on the Ground Breakers Stage. Training new operators today often means pulling expensive machines out of production or limiting access to the few units available. Meanwhile instructors are stretched thin and learning curves keep getting longer. VR fills that gap by giving trainees a way to build foundational skills before they ever step into a real cab.

Learn More:  Shaping the Future of Training in Construction: How ForgeFX Is Helping the Industry Move from Iron to Impact

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 Proved the Industry is Ready to Scale What Works

CONEXPO-CON/AGG is explicitly built for scale: the show runs every three years and positions itself as North America’s largest construction trade show, with 2,000+ exhibitors, roughly 3,000,000 square feet of exhibit space, and 150 education sessions. 

Those numbers matter because they mirror the challenge facing OEMs, dealers, rental providers, and contractors: getting consistent performance at scale—across geographies, shifting jobsite conditions, and a workforce pipeline under pressure. That’s why education and workforce readiness weren’t side topics in 2026; they were central programming. Even the new Ground Breakers Stage (presented by Sherwin-Williams) was designed to spotlight real-world innovation and the companies applying it now—explicitly including “the evolution of equipment training.” 

At ForgeFX, we felt that shift directly in conversations at the booth: attendees weren’t asking whether immersive training “might work someday.” They were asking how to operationalize it—how to deploy repeatable training across dealer networks, how to measure skill progression, and how to integrate simulation with existing instructor-led programs. That perspective aligns with how CONEXPO-CON/AGG framed the conversation in its own coverage: VR isn’t positioned as a replacement for hands-on training, but as a way to make hands-on time more targeted and productive. 

What ForgeFX Showcased in the North Hall 

ForgeFX exhibited in the North Hall at Booth N10330. From the start, our goal was simple: make immersive training tangible. Not a concept video—something you can try, discuss, and evaluate as a real component of a training ecosystem.

ForgeFX Simulations at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026

In the CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibitor directory, ForgeFX is described as developing immersive training simulators that combine VR/AR with real-world controls integration, aimed at accelerating workforce readiness while improving safety and standardizing training.

We demonstrated training built around realistic workflows and authentic equipment behavior, with integrated physical controls and performance tracking—designed not as a “one-off app,” but as infrastructure OEMs can deploy broadly.

We also highlighted the reality that training has to run where the workforce is—across different devices and environments. ForgeFX’s develops training platforms that run across headsets and traditional devices (like phones and desktops), supporting scalability across distributed operations.

A Crowd Magnet for a Reason: AccessReady Fusion XR and Physical Controls in VR

One of the most effective ways to communicate the value of simulation-based training is to let people feel how quickly it builds familiarity and confidence—especially when VR is paired with the physical controls operators will use in the real world.

Heavy Equipment VR Training Simulator

At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026, we featured JLG’s AccessReady Fusion XR™, which ForgeFX developed as a virtual reality access equipment training simulator intended to help trainees learn proper operation in a safe, risk-free virtual environment. JLG describes AccessReady Fusion XR as an immersive VR-based training simulator for MEWP users of all skill levels—covering everything from controls familiarization to advanced operation—and enabling instructors to create scenarios and define evaluation criteria. AccessReady Fusion XR includes networked multiuser support, enabling trainees to connect over the internet and train together in a shared virtual environment, supporting instructor-led modes and collaboration.

From all the interactions we had with folks over the week, two things stood out in attendee reactions:

First, “controls familiarity” is not a trivial baseline. When operators can repeatedly practice the basics—without tying up a machine, burning fuel, risking damage, or introducing early-stage mistakes into a live environment—it changes the economics and safety profile of ramp-up training. VR-based simulation helps trainees build foundational skills before stepping into real equipment, so instructor time and machine time can be applied where they matter most.

Second, the conversation quickly moved from “cool demo” to “deployment questions.” Attendees asked about rollout across multiple locations, localization and translation, consistency of instruction, and performance metrics and measurement—exactly the operational issues addressed by ForgeFX’s scalable training infrastructure.

From Iron to Impact on the Ground Breakers Stage

Beyond the booth, ForgeFX was proud to be part of the Ground Breakers Stage lineup—CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s new keynote platform created to elevate the conversations shaping the future of construction, including workforce and training innovation. 

How VR Simulation is Transforming Heavy Equipment Training

On Wednesday, March 4, ForgeFX CEO and Co-Founder Greg Meyers presented “From Ironto Impact: How VR Simulation Is Transforming Heavy Equipment Training”. CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s session description captured why this topic resonated: equipment manufacturers face mounting pressure to train faster and more consistently amid rising equipment costs, shrinking labor pools, increasing safety requirements, and limited access to machines—while traditional training struggles to scale and can place novice operators into high-risk situations too early.

Greg summarized a core idea that we heard echoed across the show: “VR-based simulation lets trainees learn the fundamentals before they ever touch equipment in the real world.”

Greg Meyers, ForgeFX Simulations, From Iron to Impact

What we wanted attendees to take away was not that simulation-based VR training is “the future,” but that production-ready solutions can be a practical tool inside existing training programs right now—supporting instructors, standardizing early learning, and helping organizations scale expertise across a distributed workforce.

The Ground Breakers Stage programming framed ForgeFX’s session as the conclusion of a Day 2 arc focused on “the evolution of equipment training,” reinforcing that immersive training is now part of the broader technology stack shaping jobsites—alongside robotics, digital services, and connected platforms.

Why Immersive Training was Everywhere at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026: Labor Constraints, Safety Realities, and the Need for Consistency

The “why now” behind immersive training wasn’t theoretical at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026; it was backed by the realities that contractors and OEMs are navigating.

Workforce availability remains a persistent constraint. In AGC’s 2026 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook, AGC notes that many firms remain concerned about persistent labor shortages, and among firms planning to hire, more than 80% report difficulty finding qualified hourly craft or salaried workers. In parallel, the 2025 Workforce Survey published by AGC and NCCER found that 92% of responding firms reported difficulty hiring for open positions.

Safety remains a non-negotiable driver for better training and standardization. CPWR’s construction “Focus Four” framing highlights that falls, struck-by, electrocution, and caught-in/between incidents together account for almost two-thirds of construction fatalities. While VR is not a safety “silver bullet,” it can provide repeatable practice and assessment—especially for foundational behaviors and situational judgment—before a trainee’s first real-world exposure to high-consequence environments. That aligns with CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s own training narrative: VR addresses limited machine availability and safety concerns, while reducing costs tied to consumables, travel, and downtime. 

ForgeFX Simulations Transforms OEM Instructor Expertise into Scalable Training Infrastructure

And at the scale of a global OEM or a national rental network, consistency is the hidden problem behind both performance and safety. CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s Ground Breakers Stage session description explicitly points to the need to train “faster, safer, and more consistently,” noting that traditional methods can be hard to scale and can expose expensive equipment to damage while consuming costly resources.

This is where simulation becomes more than a training “format.” It becomes infrastructure: a way to capture expert knowledge, translate it into measurable, repeatable learning experiences, and deliver it broadly—so results don’t depend on which instructor happens to be available, or which machine is free, or whether travel budgets allow someone to attend a proving ground class. 

ForgeFX Simulations Transforms OEM Instructor Expertise into Scalable Training Infrastructure at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026

It’s worth noting that while study contexts vary, broader enterprise VR research continues to reinforce a core point that matters for industrial training: well-designed VR-based learning application can improve confidence and speed of learning compared to traditional approaches. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) reported that learners trained with VR were “up to” 275% more confident to act on what they learned than classroom learners (with specific comparisons cited against classroom and e-learning modalities). The key message for heavy equipment manufacturers is not to copy-paste those percentages, but to recognize the direction of impact: immersive learning can compress early learning curves when it’s engineered around real tasks and reinforced by practice and feedback—exactly the pattern we see driving interest in simulation-based operator training.

Partnering for scale: ForgeFX and Pico XR at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026

Scaling immersive training isn’t just about the content; it’s also about deployment and operations. At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026, ForgeFX highlighted VR-based operator training built for PICO XR and a collaboration focused on advancing enterprise operator training deployments—especially for construction, mining, and heavy equipment OEM contexts.

From a deployment standpoint, the messaging emphasized flexibility for OEMs at scale—pairing immersive training systems with enterprise-oriented headset capabilities and centralized device management considerations for fleet rollout. 

This also connected to a forward-looking theme raised in CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s coverage: what happens when the “instructor-level” guidance embedded in simulators can eventually extend beyond training environments into real operations—supported by maturing wearable technologies. 

For ForgeFX, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 reinforced a clear direction: the market is moving from isolated XR pilots toward programs that can be deployed across teams, regions, and dealer networks while maintaining quality, measurement, and operational feasibility.

We left Las Vegas energized by what we heard from OEM leaders, training teams, and workforce advocates—and proud to have contributed to a show where training wasn’t treated as an afterthought, but as a strategic lever for safety, productivity, and growth. The momentum at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 made one thing clear: the industry is ready for training solutions that are scalable, measurable, and built for real jobsite demands. ForgeFX Simulations helps OEMs, dealers, and training organizations bring that vision to life with immersive VR-based operator training. Contact ForgeFX Simulations to start a conversation about scaling safer, more consistent, and more effective equipment training.

ForgeFX Simulations to Showcase VR-Based Operator Training at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 is almost here, and ForgeFX Simulations is bringing the future of heavy equipment operator training to Las Vegas.

As the construction and heavy equipment industries continue to face increasing demands for safety, productivity, and workforce readiness, immersive simulation has emerged as a practical, scalable solution. At this year’s show, ForgeFX will demonstrate how VR-based operator training is moving beyond innovation headlines and delivering measurable operational impact.

Visit ForgeFX in North Hall, Booth 10330

ForgeFX Simulations will be exhibiting in North Hall, Booth 10330, where attendees can experience firsthand our latest VR-based operator training simulators built specifically for PICO XR devices.

We’re pleased to be joined in our booth by representatives from PICO XR, demonstrating how tightly integrated hardware and training software create high-performance, enterprise-ready solutions.

Our immersive training systems are designed to help operators develop real-world skills in a safe, controlled environment, as well as reduce risk and improve safety outcomes. ForgeFX Simulations helps our customers accelerate their operators' time-to-competency, increase confidence before operating live equipment, and support workforce development initiatives at scale

By replicating real equipment behavior, jobsite scenarios, and operational challenges, ForgeFX simulations allow trainees to build muscle memory and decision-making skills without exposing equipment, personnel, or production schedules to risk. For heavy equipment manufacturers and industrial organizations, this means improved readiness, reduced downtime, and stronger long-term workforce capability.

From Iron to Impact: Greg Meyers to Speak at CONEXPO

In addition to live demonstrations at the booth, ForgeFX CEO Greg Meyers will present: “From Iron to Impact”, Ground Breakers Stage, Wednesday, March 4 at 3:00 PM.

ForgeFX Simulations at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 — VR operator training simulators built for PICO XR, Booth N10330.

This session will explore how immersive simulation is transforming operator training across the heavy equipment sector.

Drawing on years of collaboration with leading OEMs and equipment manufacturers, Greg will share practical insights on:

• How simulation has evolved from experimental technology to operational strategy

• Lessons learned from implementing immersive training programs at scale

• The measurable safety and performance outcomes manufacturers are seeing

• Why workforce development now requires immersive, repeatable, data-driven training

The presentation reflects decades of experience working alongside industry leaders to modernize training approaches while preserving operational excellence.

Transforming Operator Training for a Changing Industry

The heavy equipment industry is undergoing significant change. Workforce shortages, increased safety expectations, and rising equipment complexity demand smarter training solutions.

Traditional methods alone are no longer sufficient to prepare operators for modern jobsite realities.

Immersive VR-based training provides a powerful complement to hands-on experience. It enables repetition without risk, performance tracking without downtime, and scalable deployment across multiple locations.

At ForgeFX Simulations, we’ve spent more than 20 years developing advanced training simulators that bridge the gap between equipment engineering and human performance. Our work at the intersection of simulation, virtual reality, and industrial training continues to push operator development forward.

CONEXPO 2026 provides an opportunity to experience that evolution firsthand.

Join Us in Las Vegas

If you’re attending CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026, we invite you to:

• Visit North Hall, Booth 10330 to experience our VR-based operator training built for PICO XR

• Attend Greg Meyers’ session, “From Iron to Impact,” on Wednesday at 3:00 PM

• Connect with our team to discuss how immersive simulation can support your training objectives

We look forward to the conversations, demonstrations, and insights that will shape the next generation of heavy equipment operator training.

See you in Las Vegas.