Cluster event showcases the achievements of the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage

On 24 September 2025, the European Commission hosted the cluster event on the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage, organised by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency(HaDEA).

The event brought together cultural heritage institutions, researchers, technology providers and policymakers technology providers to take stock of progress and set priorities for the next phase of Europe's digital transformation in culture.

Opening the event, Jean François Junger (HaDEA) and Fulgencio Sanmartin(European Commission) highlighted the European Commission's commitment to strengthening the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage as a cornerstone for cultural heritage in the digital decade.

3D digitisation, Extended Reality and AI for cultural heritage

Eight EU-funded pioneering projects, AI4Culture, DE-BIAS, EUreka3D-XR, Lip3D, RCtoDC, XRCulture, 3DBigDataSpace, and 5DCulture,presented their latest achievements.

Theproject coordinators showcasedhow artificial intelligence, extended reality, and 3D digitisation are being applied to preserve and reuse cultural assets. From holographic postcards and educational applications to bias detection in archival metadata and large-scale 3D data aggregation, the projects demonstratedEurope's ability to innovate while ensuring accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability.

On the policy side, a keyhighlight was the preview of the Data Space for Cultural Heritage: Strategy 2025-2030by the European Commission. The strategy, soon to be published, outlines three priorities: building a robust and interoperable infrastructure, enabling wider access and reuse of cultural data, and accelerating digital transformation through standards, advanced technologies, and capacity building.

Pressing needs: quality, standards and skills

The panel discussion confirmed the strong momentum across the community. Experts agreed on the need for validated and high-quality 3D models, the promotion of open accessand interoperability, and long-term sustainability through open-source tools and standards. Speakers also underlined the importance of training professionals, with several new schools, workshops, and self-paced courses already under way.

The event closed with remarks from HaDEA, which stressed the role of cooperation and synergies in building a sustainable ecosystem. The projects showcasedare not isolated initiatives but part of a larger interconnected effort to bring Europe's cultural heritage into the digital age.

The cluster event showed that Europe is well on its way to creating a Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage that is innovative, inclusive, and future-oriented, a digital infrastructure designed to preserve the past while opening new possibilities for education, research, tourism, and creative industries.