Heritage at Risk Summer School 2026: Advancing 3D Technologies for Cultural Heritage Protection in Ferrara
Published on 22 May 2026
How can digital technologies help protect cultural heritage in times of crisis?
This question stood at the centre of the Heritage at Risk Summer School 2026, which brought together students, researchers, cultural heritage professionals and technology experts in Ferrara on 7–8 May 2026 for two days of intensive exchange, practical training and international collaboration.
Organised within the framework of the 3DBigDataSpace Project and in collaboration with the 3D-4CH Online Competence Centre in 3D for Cultural Heritage, the Summer School explored how advanced 3D documentation technologies can support the safeguarding, reconstruction and long-term preservation of cultural heritage threatened by natural disasters, climate-related risks and armed conflict.
Hosted in the historic city of Ferrara, the programme combined expert lectures, international case studies and hands-on workshops, offering participants a unique opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge methodologies and digital workflows currently shaping the future of heritage protection across Europe and beyond.
From European Strategies to Real-World Applications
The first day focused on strategic frameworks, international experiences and case studies addressing heritage at risk in different crisis contexts.
Sessions explored:
- European strategies and guidelines for safeguarding heritage at risk
- Lessons learned from earthquake zones and war-affected regions
- International approaches to 3D reconstruction and modeling
- Case studies from Italy and Ukraine
- Practical applications of photogrammetry and laser scanning technologies
The discussions highlighted not only the technical potential of 3D technologies, but also the growing importance of cross-border collaboration, shared infrastructures and interdisciplinary expertise in responding to heritage emergencies.
Marco Medici, organiser of the Summer School, emphasised the importance of practical collaboration and knowledge exchange:
“Protecting cultural heritage today requires more than technology alone. It requires collaboration between disciplines, institutions and countries, as well as accessible training opportunities that enable professionals and students to apply these tools in real-world crisis scenarios.”
Hands-On Training and Digital Workflows
The second day shifted strongly towards applied practice, allowing participants to work directly with mobile mapping systems, photogrammetry workflows and laser scanning technologies under the guidance of experts from Inception Srl, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), the University of Ferrara and Dynatech.
Participants explored:
- Mobile mapping workflows using NavVis technologies
- Data acquisition and processing techniques
- Practical approaches to digital documentation
- Integration of 3D datasets for heritage preservation and reuse
The practical sessions demonstrated how digital documentation technologies are becoming increasingly essential tools for cultural heritage professionals working in both preventive conservation and post-disaster response contexts.
Strengthening Europe’s Digital Heritage Ecosystem
The Summer School also reflected the broader objectives of the 3DBigDataSpace Project: strengthening Europe’s digital cultural heritage ecosystem through collaboration, interoperability and access to high-quality 3D heritage data.
By bringing together academic institutions, technology providers, cultural organisations and emerging professionals, the programme fostered valuable connections between research, practice and innovation.
Sander Münster, Project Coordinator of 3DBigDataSpace, highlighted the importance of building long-term digital capacities for heritage protection:
“Initiatives like the Heritage at Risk Summer School demonstrate how essential training, shared infrastructures and collaborative ecosystems are for the future of digital cultural heritage. Strengthening skills and accessibility around 3D data is key to safeguarding cultural heritage for future generations.”
The Heritage at Risk Summer School 2026 once again demonstrated the growing role of digital technologies in cultural heritage preservation and underlined the importance of continued European collaboration in addressing current and future challenges facing heritage sites worldwide.
A sincere thank you goes to all speakers, tutors, partners and participants who contributed to the programme and discussions in Ferrara.
Photocredits: Matteo Bevilacqua