Heritalise – Heritage buildings and objects’ digitisation & visualisation within the cloud
As part of Horizon Europe, the European Union’s programme for research and innovation, Heritage Malta is participating in Heritalise, a forward-looking project aimed at redefining how cultural heritage is digitised, preserved, and shared across Europe. This initiative reflects the EU’s drive to foster scalable innovation, institutional collaboration, and the integration of advanced technologies ensuring that cultural heritage is documented with greater accuracy and accessibility for future generations.
Running from 2025 to 2028, Heritalise will critically evaluate current digitisation standards and pioneer improvements in both 2D and 3D documentation technologies. A key innovation of the project is the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to streamline data processing, improve interoperability, and support more comprehensive digital representations of heritage assets. The project’s holistic approach will also explore the documentation of intangible elements, offering richer interpretative layers and deeper cultural context. At the core of Heritalise is the integration into the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), a cutting-edge digital ecosystem designed to facilitate cross-border cooperation, knowledge sharing, and the widespread adoption of best practices among Europe’s cultural heritage institutions.
Heritage Malta’s role in Heritalise is centred on Villa Portelli, one of four demonstration sites selected to test and showcase the project’s methodologies alongside partners in Scotland and Italy. The site will serve as a living lab, demonstrating how advanced digitisation workflows, including AI-enhanced tools, can be applied to preserve, interpret, and communicate cultural value both locally and internationally.
By contributing to Heritalise, Heritage Malta continues to lead in the field of digital cultural heritage, reaffirming its commitment to innovation, collaboration, and the long-term accessibility of cultural heritage across Europe.
