EU Cluster Meeting on Digital Cultural Heritage

On 24 and 25 September 2025, in her capacity as Blue Shield’s EU Representative for Digital Cultural Heritage, Second Secretary General Anna PUHR participated in a Cluster Meeting hosted by the European Commission in Brussels. This cluster event brought together policymakers, cultural heritage institutions, technology providers, researchers, and other sector representatives to showcase achievements from EU-funded projects and help shape the next phase of Europe’s digital transformation in cultural heritage.

The first day highlighted innovations in areas such as 3D digitisation, extended reality, and artificial intelligence for cultural heritage, and previewed the Data Space for Cultural Heritage: Strategy 2025-2030, which outlines priorities for infrastructure, data access and reuse, and digital transformation across the sector. Participants discussed the importance of interoperable standards, high-quality digital assets, and professional training to support sustainable data ecosystems for cultural heritage.

On the second day, a meeting with international organisations and networks on digital cultural heritage took place, presenting recent developments and organisational priorities in the digital domain, as well as discussing opportunities for connection and collaboration with European data spaces. During the meeting, Anna PUHR presented the outcomes of a survey conducted among Blue Shield National Committees on “Digital & Cultural Heritage” that gathered insights on the use of digital tools, data needs, and related challenges across national contexts. The results contributed to positioning the Blue Shield perspective in discussions with the European Commission and international partners, ensuring that the needs and experiences of cultural heritage actors are considered in the development of future digital frameworks.

++ Photos: European Commission / private ++