EUreka3D-XR pilot scenario in Girona moving forward into production

EUreka3D-XR partner Swing:IT Software Engineering Italia S.r.l. team met CRDI Ajuntament de Girona for two fruitful days of work, planning and progressing on the virtual visualisation of the Girona historical walls, one of the three XR scenarios developed in the project.

The pilot is about using archival materials to reconstruct in 3D the medieval walls of the city of Girona (Catalonia, Spain); and to reuse such reconstruction for an AR walking tour using a mobile device. The walls were partly demolished at the beginning of the 20th century because of the new urban setting of the city, and so archaeological restoration was not possible anymore.

In the EUreka3D-XR project, 3D modelling and XR allow to go back to history and recover what was destroyed at that time. Based on cartography, engravings, photography, films and textual records, we will be able to visualise the walls again with a very realistic approach. Using the AI 3D Builder tool that partner project Swing:It is developing, an advanced AI-powered software pipeline to generate 3D models from 2D image collections, it will be possible to recreate very realistic 3D models of the demolished walls. To enable users and tourists to access this reconstruction, the 3D XR Studio, a web-based editor complemented with a mobile application, will allow to create an XR experience aceesible on site.

In the team meeting in July 2025, much work was done including capturing images with a drone as a source for the reconstruction, visiting the location where the virtual reconstruction of the wall will be placed, visiting the City History Museum to get more historical context, all complemented with enriching meetings and discussions about the evaluation and iterative development of the tools and the final outcomes.

In November 2025 the first prototype of the tools is expected to be released, and the Girona walls scenario will be presented in its first version during a demo event set in Girona at the end of January 2026.

Read more about the Pilot on project website: www.eureka3d-xr.eu


Sustainable Tourism and Green Transition

The VERNE project that participates in the SECreTour Network of Common Interest, has published an interesting news about Cost-benefit Analysis for the Transition to Circular Tourism.

Yes, sustainability sounds nice, but what will it cost me?” This question stops many tourism businesses from embracing circular practices. The VERNE project aims to provide clear, trustworthy answers through a specialized cost-benefit analysis methodology designed specifically for tourism’s unique challenges.

The VERNE’s cost-benefit analysis methodology will translate sustainability from a vague ideal into concrete financial terms that business leaders can use for decision-making. It will analyse three critical layers:

  • The Business Model Layer: Examining how circular practices affect core operations, revenue streams, and customer relationships
  • The Competitive Environment Layer: Assessing how sustainability initiatives impact market positioning, brand value, and customer loyalty
  • The General Environment Layer: Evaluating broader benefits like regulatory compliance, community relations, and resilience against future disruptions

Stay connected with VERNE to access these valuable tools as they become available.


 

Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.

 

 

 

 


UN/FRAMED digital exhibition

Organized by EstOvestEst-APS, the social promotion association in Pisa, the new modern digital art exhibition UN/FRAMED, curated by digital art expert Claudio Francesconi, will officially open at 7:00 PM on September 19, 2025, at the Bastione del Parlascio, in the heart of Pisa, and will run for one month.

An international summit forum on the ethics of artificial intelligence and digital art will also be held at the Museo della Grafica in Pisa, directed by Professor Alessandro Tosi, Professor of Art History at the University of Pisa.

Read more about UN/FRAMED at this link.

The project UNCODED, in the context of which the exhibition is being held, is actively preparing to relocate a future exhibition to China, to deepen cooperation between China and Italy in the fields of art and technology.


EUreka3D-XR Advisory Board meets online

EUreka3D-XR engages with renowned international experts on 3D, cultural heritage documentation, storytelling and visitor experience in AR and XR. This Advisory Board is regularly consulted on project progress, and during the plenary meeting held online on 7-8 July 2025 a dedicated session was organized, to present the early achievements of the pilot scenarios and XR tools that the project is developing.

After an opening overview by project coordinator Antonella Fresa (Photoconsortium), joint presentations were delivered by the pilot participants: about the virtual visualization of the Girona walls, by partners CRDI and Swing.it; about the AR tour of Bibracte archaeological site, by partners Bibracte and NTUA; and about the virtual reconstruction of life in the Saint Neophytos Englystra in Paphos, by partners CUT and Miralab.

Following the presentations, a feedback collection session led by John Balean (Photoconsortium) engaged the experts in a fruitiful discussion on key aspects relating to user engagement, openly accessible tools for 3D and XR creation and management, on the sustainability on the long term, given the rapidly changing pace of the technology and the cultural heritage sector, and finally the challenges on costs and budget constraints that cultural heritage institutions face nowadays.

The slides of the presentation can be accessed from HERE


“Better cross-border travel: Europe’s external borders and freedom of movement”

As global mobility rebounds and digital innovation reshapes travel, the EU is taking steps to modernize and streamline cross-border travel.

An exclusive webinar is taking place on 10/09/2025 exploring the future of travel in Europe — from digitalisation of Schengen visa procedures to smart travel documents and faster border processes.

Industry experts from aviation, rail, road and cruise sectors will share practical insights, while European Commission representatives will provide updates on the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). The session will also reflect on digital health certificates during the COVID-19 pandemic and their lasting impact on international mobility.

#EUTravel #SchengenVisa #DigitalMobility #ETIAS #EES #FutureOfTravel #seamlessTravel #CrossborderTravel

 


Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.

 

 

 

 


Beyond Visitors Numbers

The VERNE project that participates in the SECreTour Network of Common Interest,has published an interesting news about sustainability measurement methodologies across tourism certification schemes and academic research models.

Traditional tourism metrics prioritize visitor volume and economic output while overlooking environmental degradation and social impacts on local communities.

The VERNE project addresses this analytical gap through the development of a 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 that integrates environmental, social, and economic factors into a comprehensive evaluation systems.

This evidence-based framework represents a very interesting shift from linear measurement approaches to holistic assessment methodologies, designed for practical implementation by tourism businesses, destination management organizations, and public authorities.

The framework recognizes that sustainable tourism transformation requires balanced consideration of all the sustainability dimensions rather than isolated economic optimization. Supported by a comprehensive review, the VERNE project identifies strengths and limitations of current approaches, enabling integration of most effective elements into a unified assessment system.

The proposed tools will enable stakeholders to quantify transition investments and expected returns across different implementation timescales, providing evidence-based decision support for circular tourism adoption.

 


Follow SECreTour online also on the SECreTour project’s website.

 

 

 

 


Food and Fairytale – creative writing workshop

Organized by Europeana, this creative writing  workshop will use illustrations and imagery from the collections available on Europeana.eu to explore the relationship between fairy tales and food.

Anyone can participate, and no previous experience is required. After some warm up exercises you will able to write your story with no obligation to share it.

Regiter  and find more information here.


EUreka3D paper published on FGCS Journal

Following Michał Orzechowski presentation of the Lambousa fishing boat case study in the context EUreka3D project at the 15th International Conference on Parallel Processing & Applied Mathematics, a paper on the case was written and submitted by part of EUreka3D team and colleagues, later accepted by FGCS Journal.

FGCS (Future Generation Computer System) Journal aims to lead the way in advances in distributed systems, collaborative environments, high performance and high performance computing, Big Data on such infrastructures as grids, clouds and the Internet of Things.

The paper, titled “Cultural Heritage 3D Object Management with Integrated Automation Workflows“, has now been published: find it at this link.


Where to find capacity building and other events from the EUreka3D-XR project

Discover the next appointments from EUreka3D projects: capacity building, conferences, formus and more are waiting for you!

Learn more here.


3D Data in the Data Space for Cultural Heritage

EUreka3D-XR takes part in the Digital Heritage 2025, a widely recognized event dedicated to the advancement of theory and practice within digital cultural heritage.  DH 4th edition brings together leading international scientific organisations, initiatives and events, all in one venue with a prestigious joint publication.

On the first day, Monday 8 September 2025, the project participates in the workshop  3D Data in the Data Space for Cultural Heritage, co-chaired by Sander Münster, Marco Medici, Antonella Fresa, and Alex Stan.

The workshop is dedicated to provide an insight in the Data Space for Cultural Heritage and the supporting projects carried out particularly to deal with 3D assets, to discuss the impact of those endeavours with regards to overarching challenges as data, standards, capacities and XR application,  and to provide a hands-on experience with innovative tools.

DRAFT TIMETABLE OF THE WORKSHOP

8 September 2025 h. 15.30-18.00, Room 4

Introduction by the workshop chairs

Opening: What is the Data Space for Cultural Heritage

Session 1: Preliminary work (20 min each with Q&A)

  • Europeana 3D working group
  • EUreka3D
  • 5D Culture

Break (30 min.)

Session 2: Ongoing work (20 min each with Q&A)

  • XRCulture
  • 3DBigDataSpace
  • EUreka3D-XR

Session 3: Capacity building (20 min with Q&A)

  • 3D-4CH Competence Center

Round table with all participants – Joint endeavours and challenges

>>>

DIGITAL HERITAGE 2025 Overall Programme: https://digitalheritage2025.unisi.it/program-overview/


eu emblemEUreka3D-XR project is co-financed by the Digital Europe Programme of the European Union.