The Future of the European Heritage Cloud: A Report from the ECHOES Project Event in Brussels

The Future of the European Heritage Cloud: A Report from the ECHOES Project Event in Brussels

On February 5, 2026, a key meeting of the ECHOES project took place in Brussels, titled: “Towards a distributed, multi-level, collaborative governance for the Cultural Heritage Cloud.” The event brought together European policymakers, representatives of EU institutions, and experts from the cultural heritage sector.

The primary goal of the meeting was to create a space for dialogue regarding the future of a shared digital infrastructure in Europe. Our expert, Joanna Kowalska from the Digital Libraries and Knowledge Platforms Department at PCSS, participated in the discussions on the shape of this modern ecosystem.

During the meeting, the assumptions of the legal model and the management of the Cultural Heritage Cloud were discussed in detail. This platform is intended to become the foundation for international cooperation, providing broad access to advanced digital tools and services. A key challenge is the integration of diverse communities and the optimal use of existing infrastructures.

Throughout the panel discussions, experts emphasized that the success of the initiative depends on actions taken at multiple levels: European, national, and regional. Attention was also drawn to the essential coordination of available resources and the need for strong political support for the initiative. The conclusions drawn from the Brussels debates constitute a valuable contribution to the ECHOES report on the cloud governance model. The official publication of this document is scheduled for summer 2026.

European Cloud for Heritage OpEn Science (ECHOES) is an initiative establishing the European Cultural Heritage Cloud (ECCCH). It is a shared platform that provides researchers and specialists with access to data and scientific resources within an open science model. The project, funded by the European Commission and UK Research and Innovation, aims to connect fragmented environments into a single, coherent digital ecosystem, supporting the modern protection of heritage.