International organisations join forces in Brussels to shape the future of digital cultural heritage

On 25 September 2025, the European Commission hosted a roundtable in Brussels with leading international organisations and networks active in cultural heritage, research and education. The meeting brought together representatives from across Europe and beyond to exchange recent digital developments, define priorities and explore collaboration.

Commission priorities: data spaces, skillsand virtual worlds

Opening the event, Szymon Lewandowskifrom the European Commission outlined the Commission's policy framework in the field of digital cultural heritage. Herecalled the ambitious targets set by the Recommendation on a Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage, which calls for the 3D digitisation of all heritage at risk and half of Europe's most visited monuments by 2030. While progresshas been made in recent years, significant work remainsto reach the 2025 and 2030 milestones.

A preview of the upcoming Data Space for Cultural Heritage: Strategy 2025-2030, co-developed with Member States and the EuropeanaInitiative, showed its focus on interoperable infrastructures, data access and reuse, and digital transformation with artificial intelligence (AI), immersive technologiesand new standards.

International organisations: from the archives to AI

Participants showcasedthe diversity of innovation in their fields. The Arts and Humanities Research Council(UKRI) presented investments in digital infrastructures, digitisation of collections, and ethical AI. Blue Shieldhighlighted digital mapping of heritage at risk and IT protection in crisis situations.

CIPA Heritage Documentationreported on advances in photogrammetry, laser scanning and satellite sensing, and the use of AI to generate 3D models. The European Holocaust Research Infrastructuredescribed its application of AI and speech recognition to archives and oral histories. The European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Sciencedemonstrated platforms for 3D visualisation, semantic annotationand open science.

Europa Nostrapresented digital tools developed under the European Heritage Hub. The European Regions Research and Innovation Network stressed the role of regions in enabling AI adoption while noting persistent disparities. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions underlined the importance of a rights-based approach to information access and introduced its new Digital Cultural Heritage Network.

Other perspectives included NEMO's toolkit for purpose-driven digital leadership and its warnings about growing cybersecurity threats, the Time Machine Organisation's work on 4D visualisation and genealogical mapping, and UNESCO's international standard-setting role and new 'Virtual Museum of Stolen Goods'with Interpol. Wikimedia Sverigeemphasised the importance of keeping cultural heritage content visible at a time when Wikimedia resources are widely used for AI training.

Open discussion: opportunities and challenges

In the final discussion, participants reflected on how to connect their work with the Common European Data Spaces, the benefits this could bring, and challenges for long-term preservation.

They highlighted the need for standardisation and interoperability, warning against fragmentation and competing standards. Clearer guidelines for 3D digitisation and Extended Reality (XR) were seen as essential to ensure quality and reuse.

A lack of training opportunities and a skills catalogue for the cultural heritage sector wereflagged as significantgaps. Addressing this jointly could improveboth digital capacity and the quality of digitisation.

Smaller institutions and regions voiced concerns over limited resources and capacity, with ERRIN calling for targeted support. UNESCO and others stressed the difficulty of storing and managing large 3D datasets, pointing to the need for mapping repositories and shared infrastructure.

On the horizon

The European Commissionconcluded that the roundtable confirmed both the opportunities and the challenges of digital transformation in cultural heritage: from technical innovation and AI to the governance, skills and standards needed to ensure sustainable progress. The event thus marked an important stepin strengthening international cooperation and in shaping the future of the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage.