EUreka3D: Supporting 3D in the Data Space for Cultural Heritage

3D technologies offer opportunities to broaden access to culture, preserve our shared cultural heritage and spur creativity and innovation. By supporting the Twin It! 3D for Europe’s culture campaign, the EUreka3D project empowers cultural heritage institutions to unlock the potential of 3D digitisation for their collections.

The EUreka3D project started on 1 January 2023 as a data space supporting project funded by the European Commission’s Digital Europe Programme. The project supports the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector, specifically focusing on 3D. Its work aligns with the European Commission Recommendation that demands Member States and cultural institutions make an urgent effort to digitise heritage in 3D and make it available online for reuse.

However, cultural heritage institutions face various challenges concerning the creation, storage, visualisation and preservation of 3D models of cultural heritage, which are significantly more complex than 2D collections. EUreka3D is working to provide support, capacity building and some solutions to these challenges. This will be achieved by developing the EUreka3D platform, a pilot e-infrastructure including various valuable features that institutions can use in managing their 3D assets and related information, and by producing training resources.

The EUreka3D pilot platform aims to provide cultural institutions with secure solutions for data, metadata, and paradata management, 3D collections delivery to users, conversion and visualisation features, and interoperability with established tools and procedures like MINT and METIS.

During 2023, Eureka 3D organised events to support and build capacity in working with 3D for cultural professionals, students, and technology partners, collecting feedback and insights about the requirements and the next step being the development of applications using the Eureka3D platform for creating cultural experiences for various activities.