3D-4CH supports the Twin it! Part II campaign, contributing to key European policy discussions on 3D cultural heritage

The 3D-4CH project is proud to have supported the Twin it! Part II – 3D for Europe’s Culture campaign, a European initiative led by our project partner, the Europeana Foundation, and the European Commission. The campaign aims to advance the 3D digitisation, preservation, and reuse of cultural heritage across Europe.

 

Building on the success of the original Twin it! campaign, which unified EU Member States around a shared vision for 3D digitisation, Twin it! Part II places stronger emphasis on the meaningful reuse of digital cultural heritage assets. It encourages Ministries of Culture and cultural institutions to contribute high-quality 3D digitised heritage to the common European data space for cultural heritage and to demonstrate its value in education, research, tourism, and innovation.

 

As a project dedicated to advancing the digital transformation of cultural heritage through 3D technologies, 3D-4CH actively supports these objectives and contributes to the broader European vision of making 3D cultural heritage data more accessible, interoperable, and reusable.

 

Supporting the Twin it! Part II Grand Final

The culmination of the Twin it! Part II campaign took place through a series of high-level events showcasing Member States’ achievements in 3D digitisation and exploring future reuse opportunities.

 

On 12 May 2026, 3D-4CH representatives participated in the High-Level Political Closing Event in Brussels, held under the auspices of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event brought together Ministers of Culture, policymakers, and cultural heritage stakeholders to reflect on progress and discuss the future of 3D digitisation in Europe. Discussions highlighted the strategic importance of 3D technologies for preserving and promoting cultural heritage, as well as their potential for enabling new cross-sectoral applications.

 

The 3D-4CH project also hosted a booth at the venue alongside other European projects, providing an opportunity to showcase its activities and engage directly with stakeholders.

 

Contributing to policy discussions at the Digital Heritage Summit 2026

The project’s engagement continued on 26 May 2026 in Limassol, Cyprus, during the Policy Roundtable held as part of the Digital Heritage Summit 2026. The event brought together experts, policymakers, and researchers to discuss how advanced 3D and AI technologies can support digital transformation, cultural heritage policy, and the development of common data spaces.

 

The Twin it! Policy Roundtable formed the policy component of three interlinked pan-European events marking the conclusion of Twin it! Part II. Within the framework of the Digital Heritage Summit 2026, the Roundtable focused on the convergence of 3D digitisation and Artificial Intelligence in the cultural heritage sector.

 

In line with EU policy priorities, discussions explored how AI can enhance the documentation, digitisation, and dissemination of Europe’s cultural heritage, with reference to the European Commission’s 2021 Recommendation on the common European data space for cultural heritage and the EU Apply AI strategy.

 

During the session, project coordinator Marco Medici presented a 3D-modelled Roman carved column interpreted with AI, demonstrating an integrated pipeline combining high-precision 3D documentation, interactive modelling, multimodal LLM-based semantic segmentation, and web-based 3D visualisation. The case study, developed within 3D-4CH, illustrated how AI can support cultural heritage analysis through automated interpretation, scalable documentation, and interactive access for researchers and conservators.

 

Advancing Europe’s 3D cultural heritage ecosystem

The Twin it! Part II campaign reflects the growing recognition of 3D digitisation as a strategic priority for Europe’s cultural heritage sector. By encouraging Member States to create, share, and reuse high-quality 3D assets, it directly supports the objectives of the European data space for cultural heritage while fostering innovation in research, education, and public engagement.

 

Through its participation in both the Brussels High-Level Event and the Limassol Policy Roundtable, 3D-4CH has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Europe’s digital heritage ambitions and strengthening collaboration between institutions and Member States.

 

The project looks forward to continuing its contribution to a more connected and innovation-driven cultural heritage ecosystem, where 3D technologies help preserve cultural memory while enabling new forms of knowledge, access, and reuse.