The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) hosted the first‐ever Digital Heritage Forum from 3–5 November 2025 at the Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi, drawing around 250 international and regional participants, including 132 speakers and representatives from 128 cultural, academic and technological organisations worldwide.
The Forum offered a powerful platform for innovators, scholars, technologists and heritage professionals to examine how cutting-edge technologies — such as artificial intelligence and extended reality — are transforming the way cultural heritage is documented, preserved, interpreted and shared.
ITI in the Spotlight: LoGaCulture Researchers on the Global Stage
Researchers from the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI) played a prominent role at the Forum. Professors Valentina Nisi and Nuno Jardim Nunes were invited to present ITI’s work, underscoring the institute’s engagement with global debates about technology and cultural heritage.
Their participation was part of a session titled “Data of Experience: AI and Extended Reality in Cross-Cultural Heritage” on 4 November, co-convened by Roch Thibault and Dr. Alanood AlShaikh, and including distinguished experts such as François Giligny, Toshikatsu Kiuchi and Hye Seung Shim, alongside the ITI researchers.
The discussion explored how AI and XR (extended reality) can reshape heritage preservation and communication, enabling new forms of participation, cross-cultural dialogue, and immersive access to cultural assets. It highlighted the growing importance of technology in safeguarding heritage while also reimagining how audiences engage with it.
Digital Heritage Forum 2025: A Milestone for Heritage and Technology
As the inaugural edition of the Forum, this event underscores Abu Dhabi’s ambition to lead the global conversation at the intersection of heritage and innovation. DCT Abu Dhabi’s efforts reflect a broader vision — blending tradition with modern digital tools to preserve identity while embracing future possibilities.
As such, the programme featured a wide range of sessions, from technical workshops to immersive showcases, spotlighting how digital documentation, virtual reality, data analytics, and cross-disciplinary collaboration can help protect both tangible and intangible cultural heritage.
Among the many contributions, institutions like Factum Foundation — working with the World Monuments Fund — showcased high-resolution photogrammetry and digital archiving projects, including efforts to document endangered heritage across the globe.
What ITI’s Involvement Signals for the Future
ITI’s involvement — through Professors Nisi and Nunes — signals the growing convergence between academic research and practical heritage applications. By contributing to a global forum on digital heritage, ITI positions itself among leading institutions exploring how AI, XR, and immersive technologies can support cultural preservation and foster intercultural understanding.
As cultural heritage faces mounting pressures — from climate change to urbanisation and globalization — initiatives like the Digital Heritage Forum 2025 help build international networks, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and capacity for future generations to engage with the past in meaningful, technology-enabled ways.
Given the visibility and momentum of the Forum, one may expect follow-up collaborations, joint research projects, and expanded use of immersive and AI tools to reimagine heritage — not only as relics of the past but as living, evolving assets accessible to global audiences.
Image credits: Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi.