The Cultural Heritage Cloud

The Cultural Heritage Cloud (European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage, or ECCCH) is a major European Union initiative to create a shared digital infrastructure that connects cultural heritage institutions and professionals across the EU. It provides specific digital collaboration tools for the sector whilst removing barriers for smaller and more remote institutions.

Mission and Core Goals

The ECCCH aims to add a digital dimension to cultural heritage preservation, conservation, restoration, and enhancement by providing technology for artefact digitisation and artwork research.

The goal is to assist:

  • Cultural Heritage Institutions and Research Organisations of all sizes.
  • Professionals and non-professionals in managing their digital objects more effectively.

This is facilitated through enhanced visibility, interconnectivity, and access to scientific resources, training, and advanced digital tools to help navigate the challenges posed by the digital transition in the cultural heritage sector.

Digital Twins

A primary objective is to develop ‘Digital Twins’ of heritage objects within the Cultural Heritage Cloud.

  • Digital Twins integrate multidisciplinary information, enabling users to interact with, explore, and enhance cultural heritage objects in new ways.
  • This approach encourages collaborative, scientifically-informed knowledge creation across the sector.
  • The digital environment will enable digitising existing knowledge and collaboratively analysing cultural heritage assets, facts, and phenomena , allowing actors – whether human or Artificial Intelligence – to develop interpretations that enrich the understanding of cultural heritage and its surrounding context.

The ECHOES Project

The Cultural Heritage Cloud is currently being developed by the European Cloud for Heritage OpEn Science (ECHOES).

  • ECHOES is funded by the European Commission and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
  • ECHOES is responsible for coordinating and integrating the outcomes from all projects funded under ECCCH-related calls, including COLOURS.
  • By adopting a holistic approach, ECHOES will establish a collaborative digital environment for all cultural heritage sector participants.

Long-term Vision: By 2028, ECHOES will deliver a unified platform integrating the outputs of both EU and national cultural heritage projects. A dedicated legal entity will also be established to oversee the Cloud’s continuity and support the sector’s evolving digital needs, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Learn More About ECHOES

For further information and to stay updated on the developments of the Cultural Heritage Cloud, visit the dedicated ECHOES website.