Two New Projects Advancing the European Cultural Heritage Cloud
HERITΛGE is pleased to announce its participation as a consortium partner in two new projects funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, both contributing to the development of the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH) through the ECHOES initiative.
These projects place HERITΛGE at the heart of a major European effort to modernise cultural heritage research, conservation, and interpretation through shared digital infrastructures, advanced technologies, and collaborative, community-driven approaches.
Building the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage
The ECHOES project aims to establish the ECCCH as a shared digital platform designed to support collaboration among heritage professionals, researchers, and institutions across Europe. The Cloud will provide access to data, advanced scientific and training resources, and innovative digital tools, all co-developed by the cultural heritage community to respond to real professional needs.
By integrating currently fragmented actors and disciplines into a cohesive digital ecosystem, ECHOES seeks to strengthen the Cultural Heritage Digital Commons, enabling more efficient workflows, interdisciplinary collaboration, and wider access to heritage knowledge.
MusicSphere: Preserving Sound, Craft, and Musical Heritage
Within the ECHOES framework, HERITΛGE is a partner in MusicSphere, a project dedicated to the preservation, study, and interpretation of traditional musical organs, including pipe organs and their ancient Greek predecessor, the hydraulis.
MusicSphere combines advanced digital technologies to create precise digital replicas of these instruments, capturing their physical, mechanical, and acoustic characteristics. Through acoustic modelling and simulation, the project will explore how sound interacted with architecture and environmental conditions, offering new insights into historical performance practices. Virtual and interactive tools—including digital and augmented reality applications—will allow users to experience the handling and sound of these instruments, enhancing both research and public engagement.
By integrating 3D visual data, sound modelling, historical sources, and ethnomusicological research, MusicSphere aims to provide a holistic understanding of the artistic, technical, and cultural significance of these instruments while supporting long-term preservation and restoration efforts.
EXCALIBUR: Digital Twins for Archaeology and Human Remains
HERITΛGE also joins EXCALIBUR, a Horizon Europe project aligned with the ECCCH that focuses on burial sites, excavation contexts, artefacts, and human remains. Despite their scientific importance, archaeological human remains are often under-studied and difficult to interpret for both professionals and the public.
EXCALIBUR addresses this challenge by developing a holistic framework based on digital twin technologies, creating innovative, affordable, and easy-to-use tools to support research, conservation, restoration, and museum interpretation. The project will deliver open-source, interoperable, and human-centred toolkits, validated through real-world pilots and professional training.
By combining AI and machine learning, extended reality applications, and data management tools, EXCALIBUR aims to enhance the study and presentation of complex bioarchaeological evidence and ensure broad adoption of ECCCH infrastructures across the sector.
Through its participation in ECHOES, MusicSphere, and EXCALIBUR, HERITΛGE contributes its expertise in capacity building, participatory approaches, and digital heritage innovation. The organisation will help ensure that the tools and platforms developed respond to practitioner needs, support professional training, and remain accessible to institutions and communities across diverse contexts.
Together, these projects mark an important step forward in HERITΛGE’s engagement with European digital heritage infrastructures and reaffirm its commitment to inclusive, collaborative, and future-oriented cultural heritage practice.
