Project - 3D-4CH -- Online Competence Centre in 3D for Cultural Heritage

Overview

The EU-co-funded project Online Competence Centre in 3D for Cultural Heritage (3D-4CH) is an ambitious and forward-thinking initiative designed to transform how cultural heritage is preserved, digitized, and shared for educational and societal benefit. This groundbreaking project unites the rich history and cultural diversity of the European Union and Ukraine with cutting-edge technologies, setting a new benchmark for digital heritage innovation.

Building on the foundations of influential projects like it´s preceding EU-funded project 4CH (Competence Centre for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage), DS4CH (Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage), and 5Dculture (Deploying and Demonstrating a 3D Cultural Heritage Space), this Centre aims to elevate the role of 3D digitization and advanced technologies in cultural preservation. It also looks to the future with forthcoming collaborations like XRculture and 3DBigDataSpace, ensuring a constantly evolving ecosystem of tools, services, and expertise.

The Online Competence Centre for 3D is more than a repository — it is aiming to be a vibrant hub for innovation, collaboration, and learning. Designed as a fully online platform, it will bring together leading cultural heritage institutions (CHIs), researchers, and practitioners to unlock the full potential of 3D technologies. By leveraging the extensive networks of E-RIHS (European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science) and national nodes established through 4CH, the Centre will deliver transformative impact across four key pillars:

1. Training and Capacity Building: Cultural professionals will be empowered with a suite of interactive online courses, in-person workshops, and immersive seasonal schools. Developed in partnership with universities and training centers, these programmes will offer certifications, ensuring participants gain both knowledge and formal recognition of their expertise.
2. Services and Tools: A curated collection of cutting-edge resources, including guidelines, best practices, and state-of-the-art tools in 3D digitization, artificial intelligence (AI), and extended reality (XR) will be provided. These resources will support a wide range of applications, from education and research to tourism and public engagement, ensuring broad societal impact.
3. 3D Deployment: The creation of new, high-quality 3D cultural assets will be championed and existing ones enhanced. By integrating standards for metadata, paradata, and sustainable archiving, the Centre will contribute to a unified and accessible European cultural data space.
4. Research and Development: By collaborating with leading research initiatives and through continuous exploration and the adoption of next-generation technologies, the Centre will ensure the seamless application of new methodologies to real-world cultural heritage challenges.

At its heart, the project is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity and addressing urgent cultural needs. Inspired by the 4CH "SUM – Save Ukraine Monuments" initiative, the Centre places a strong emphasis on Ukrainian cultural heritage, actively involving Ukrainian CHIs in all project activities. By creating a dedicated pipeline for integrating Ukrainian 3D content into the European data space, the project seeks to preserve and celebrate Ukraine's rich cultural legacy during challenging times.

IN2 leads the work package on impact measurement and long-term sustainability, works in use cases for storytelling and visitor engagement in XR and provides a community of practice for stakeholders.

Alongside IN2, the project consortium includes the following organisations:

• Inceptions S.r.l., Italy (Coordinator)
• Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Italy
• Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Italy
• Europeana Foundation, The Netherlands
• Connecting Archaeology and Architecture in Europe - CARARE, Ireland
• Time Machine Organisation, Austria
• The Discovery Programme Centre for Archaeology and Innovation - DISC, Ireland
• ARCTUR, Slovenia
• RDF Ltd, Bulgaria
• Pixelated Realities, Ukraine
• Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - CNR-ISPC, Italy
• The Cyprus Institute, Cyprus
• Posnan Supercompunting and Networking Center, Poland
• 3D Research, Italy
• European Fashion Heritage Association, Italy
• Talent S.A, Greece
• Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, The Netherlands
• Michael Culture Association, Belgium
• ATHENA Research Center, Greece
• KMKG – Royal Museums of Art and History, Belgium
• University of Jaén, Research Institute for Iberian Archaeology, Spain

Affiliated and Associated Partners:

• Europeana Network Association, The Netherlands
• NGO Volyn Foundation, Urkaine
• Instituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy
• Fondazione PIN - Polo Universitario Città di Prato, Italy
• Highbury Research & Development Ltd, Ireland
• Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, Italy
• Modèles et simulations pour l'Architecture et le Patrimoine, CNRS, France