From Brussels to Limassol: 3DBigDataSpace Advances the Conversation on Europe’s 3D Cultural Heritage Future

Published on 19 Jun 2026

From Brussels to Limassol: 3DBigDataSpace Advances the Conversation on Europe’s 3D Cultural Heritage Future
As Europe continues to invest in the digitisation and reuse of cultural heritage, the Twin it! Part II – 3D for Europe’s Culture campaign has become an important platform for bringing together policymakers, cultural institutions, researchers, and technology providers around a shared vision for 3D cultural heritage.

Over the past months, the 3DBigDataSpace project actively contributed to this European dialogue, participating in key campaign events during May in Brussels and Limassol and engaging with stakeholders on the future of 3D data, digital preservation, and cultural heritage innovation.

A European initiative for 3D cultural heritage

Led by Europeana and the European Commission, the Twin it! Part II campaign builds on the momentum of the original Twin it! initiative, which encouraged EU Member States to contribute high-quality 3D representations of cultural heritage to the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage.

The second phase of the campaign places a stronger focus on reuse, demonstrating how 3D assets can create value beyond digitisation itself. From research and education to tourism and public engagement, the campaign highlights the growing importance of accessible, interoperable, and reusable 3D cultural heritage data.

These objectives closely align with the mission of 3DBigDataSpace, which is developing the infrastructure, tools, and services needed to support the management, enrichment, sharing, and long-term reuse of 3D cultural heritage assets across Europe.

CC BY 4.0 Europeana

Showcasing 3DBigDataSpace in Brussels

On 12 May 2026, project representatives joined the Twin it! Part II High-Level Political Closing Event in Brussels, organised under the auspices of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The event brought together Ministers of Culture, policymakers, heritage professionals, and European projects to reflect on the progress made in 3D digitisation and to discuss future priorities for Europe's digital cultural heritage ecosystem.

Alongside other European initiatives, 3DBigDataSpace hosted a project booth, providing an opportunity to present its work to a diverse audience of decision-makers and stakeholders. Discussions focused on the importance of robust infrastructures for 3D data, interoperability across platforms, and the role of common data spaces in unlocking the full potential of digital cultural heritage.

The event also highlighted the growing recognition that 3D digitisation is no longer an isolated technical activity but a strategic investment in preserving, understanding, and sharing cultural heritage for future generations.


CC BY 4.0 Europeana


Connecting with the community at EuroMed 2026

The conversation continued two weeks later in Limassol, Cyprus, during the Digital Heritage Summit and EuroMed 2026, where 3DBigDataSpace was once again present with a dedicated exhibition booth.

As one of the leading international gatherings in the field of digital heritage, EuroMed provided an ideal opportunity to connect with researchers, cultural heritage professionals, technology developers, and policymakers working at the intersection of heritage, data, and emerging technologies.

Throughout the event, visitors explored how 3DBigDataSpace supports the aggregation, enrichment, management, and reuse of large-scale 3D cultural heritage datasets. Discussions ranged from practical digitisation workflows and metadata standards to artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, and future applications of 3D content.



Building a stronger ecosystem for 3D cultural heritage

One of the strongest messages emerging from both Brussels and Limassol was that Europe's digital heritage future depends not only on creating high-quality 3D content but also on ensuring that this content can be discovered, accessed, enriched, and reused.

This is precisely where projects such as 3DBigDataSpace can make a lasting contribution.

By helping to build the foundations for a more connected and interoperable ecosystem, the project supports the wider ambitions of the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage and contributes to making 3D cultural heritage data a valuable resource for research, education, innovation, and public engagement.