The EuroMed2026 thematic areas reflect the breadth and maturity of Digital Cultural Heritage today, covering the documentation, recording, modelling, analysis, interpretation, preservation, conservation, management, dissemination and sustainable use of both tangible and intangible Cultural Heritage.

At the same time, technological innovation must remain firmly grounded in scientific quality, authenticity, provenance and traceability, paradata and transparent documentation, FAIR and CARE principles, ethical and responsible use of technology, accessibility, interoperability and long-term sustainability. These principles are essential to ensure that the digital transformation of Cultural Heritage produces not only technologically advanced representations, but also trustworthy, reusable, sustainable and meaningful knowledge for researchers, professionals, communities and future generations.

Our challenge is no longer simply to create accurate digital representations of heritage, but to connect them with knowledge, history, values, identity, stories and human experience. This opens the way from the Digital Twin towards the MemoryTwin, from representing what heritage is to preserving and understanding what it has experienced and what it means to people and communities.

EuroMed2026 also emphasises the emerging Circular Economy of Knowledge in Cultural Heritage documentation, where high-quality digital data, documentation, models and knowledge are not created for one-time use, but are continuously reused, enriched, connected and repurposed across research, conservation, education, innovation, policy and public engagement. By enabling knowledge to circulate across disciplines, institutions and generations, Digital Cultural Heritage can contribute directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supporting sustainable cities and communities, quality education, innovation, responsible consumption and production, gender equality, climate action, and inclusive access to knowledge and culture.