Digitising the past. Reimagining the future.
XRculture is an EU-funded initiative at the forefront of digital cultural heritage innovation. Our mission is to enrich the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage through advanced technologies—3D digitisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and extended reality (XR).
Our mission
We focus on three key areas:
- Creating high-quality 3D models using cutting-edge AI tools like NeRF and Gaussian Splatting, particularly for challenging artefacts such as transparent, reflective, or textureless objects.
- Developing an open, standardised framework for managing and visualising 3D models across web and XR platforms.
- Designing immersive XR applications that support education, tourism, preservation, and outreach in the cultural heritage sector.
XRculture brings together a dynamic network of cultural institutions, research centres, and technology providers from across Europe. Our collaborative approach bridges the gap between heritage and innovation, ensuring that cultural content is not only preserved, but transformed into accessible, interactive, and reusable digital experiences.
Through real-world use cases—ranging from heritage at risk to museum holograms and virtual learning—we demonstrate how digital tools can expand public access, deepen engagement, and empower institutions.
XRculture is part of the Digital Europe Programme, supporting Europe’s digital transformation while promoting the creation, sharing, and reuse of cultural resources in sustainable and inclusive ways.
Project Partners
Uniting Europe’s Expertise in Culture and Technology.
The success of XRculture is driven by a diverse and multidisciplinary consortium of leading organisations from across Europe. Together, we bring expertise in cultural heritage, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, 3D digitisation, and extended reality (XR) to tackle the challenges of preserving and reimagining Europe's cultural legacy.
Project Coordinator
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INCEPTION, born out of an EU project, is a spin-off of the University of Ferrara specialised in digitising cultural and built heritage using BIM-based technologies and semantic web platforms. They have software solutions for 3D BIM model management, visualisation, and archiving, with technologies like the ICE (INCEPTION Core Engine) enhancing these processes. They bring rich experience from projects like 4CH, 5Dculture, and DSCH. INCEPTION will also subcontract CARARE for ensuring the possibility of publishing and aggregating content to Europeana.
Consortium Members
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Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) is a dynamic research and innovation centre, boasting over 600 professionals investigating various technological and societal disciplines. FBK joins with its 3DOM research unit, which specialises in heritage 3D documentation, AI solutions, geospatial data analytics, and VR/AR solution development. FBK will support INCEPTION for the technical coordination of project activities.
Europeana Foundation (EF), is an independent, non-profit organisation at the heart of the common European data space for cultural heritage, the new EU flagship initiative to accelerate the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector and foster the reuse of digitised cultural heritage in various fields such as education, research and tech. Europeana and common European data space for cultural heritage encompass the development of digital literacy and expertise among cultural heritage professionals and support technical innovation through the creation and enhancement of digital tools. EF advocates the creation of robust frameworks and policies as well as creating awareness of various initiatives and projects to shape a future where digital culture is accessible, engaging, and continuously evolving.
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IN2 offers AI-powered web-based solutions, simplifying digital content management from collection to presentation. Their core technology is an AI-driven platform for content indexing, management, and publishing, providing tailor-made solutions for specific markets. Their vast European collaboration in the last 15 years, including projects like 5Dculture, WEAVE, and CultureMoves, has positioned them as a force in the cultural heritage sector's digital transformation.
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ARCTUR is a tech SME from Central Eastern Europe, renowned for its HPC (High Performance Computing) services. With their extensive IT infrastructure, they offer a strong foundation for complex IT solution deployment. Their past contributions include projects like WEAVE, DATES, TOURISM 4.0 TRL 3-6, and CLASSICA, giving them a comprehensive understanding of how advanced technologies can impact various sectors.
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RDF has over a decade of experience in providing libraries for software vendors, particularly those handling large object-based data and open software standards. Their expertise lies in delivering solutions for STEP EXPRESS technology and Semantic Web technology, with proficiency in (Parametric) Geometry representations and operations. Their solutions are utilised by numerous software companies and research institutions, reflecting their established reputation in the field.
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Pixelated Realities (PR) will contribute to enhancing cultural heritage preservation methods, incorporating 3D scanning, virtual and augmented reality, and advocating for modern approaches to material heritage in restoration and reconstruction practices.
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UNIVPM, Università Politecnica delle Marche, will join with the Department of Civil, Building, and Architectural Engineering (DICEA) an excellence research unit as demonstrated by the first place among Italian research units in the national ranking. Thanks to the award of a national funding for excellent departments, DHEKALOS lab was founded, equipped with state-of-the-art tools for the digitization of cultural and architectural heritage, museums, as well as equipment useful for viewing, testing and interacting with any type of digital facsimile, for the development and use of AI, virtual, immersive and augmented reality.
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MIC, the Italian Ministry of Culture, will join with the Central Institute for Catalogue and Documentation (ICCD), which is part of the Central Institute for the Digitalization of Cultural Heritage - Digital Library. Among its activities, it promotes and coordinates initiatives in the field of cataloguing and digitization, enhancement, enjoyment, and documentation of archaeological, architectural, historical, artistic, and ethno-anthropological assets, in collaboration with Italian and international research organizations. In fact, Italian state museums will be also included as content providers for the project.
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TALENT S.A., founded in April 2003, operates with advanced technology to develop and commercialize innovative software products and services in various sectors of economic and technological interest, with emphasis in: Golocation Information systems that involve processing of geographic and geo-coded data, like web-mapping and publishing systems, assets and property management systems, crisis management systems, fleet management systems; e-learning for children and life-long learners through the use of innovative computer environments, like dynamic simulations, construction and manipulation of mechanical models, collaborative strategy games; specialized systems in the fields of culture and tourism, like interactive guides, games of cultural interest and tools for scientific uses, will upgrade people’s traveling experience and knowledge base.