Engineering the Metaverse as a Sociotechnical Infrastructure: A Systematic Review of Its Technological and Governance Dimensions

Abstract

The metaverse is consolidating as an emerging digital infrastructure that integrates immersive environments, distributed architectures, artificial intelligence systems, and blockchain technologies, configuring itself as a high-impact sociotechnical ecosystem across multiple productive and social sectors. This study presents a systematic literature review aimed at analyzing its scientific evolution from an engineering perspective, identifying emerging technological, regulatory, and social dimensions. A total of 95 articles indexed in Scopus and published between 2012 and 2025 were examined, applying explicit inclusion, exclusion, and thematic categorization criteria under a structured protocol. The results reveal ten principal dimensions: immersive education, digital health, digital law, business transformation, virtual communication, gender and inclusion, digital art and heritage, cybersecurity, digital property, and technological governance. A significant acceleration in scientific production since 2021 is observed, associated with advances in immersive technologies, artificial intelligence, and decentralized digital economies. Gaps are identified in standardization, interoperability, regulation, and technological accessibility. It is concluded that the consolidation of the metaverse will depend on the design of interoperable architectures, digital governance frameworks, and responsible engineering approaches oriented toward sustainable development