Dear Europeana partners and friends,
We step into 2025 with renewed purpose and anticipation. The Europeana Initiative - through the joint efforts of its three pillars; the Europeana Foundation, the Europeana Network Association, and the Europeana Aggregators' Forum - continues to thrive as a vibrant, collaborative network. Your active support fuels our mission to create positive change across Europe through the transformative power of digital cultural heritage.
In 2025, we proudly continue our role as stewards of the common European data space for cultural heritage, working closely with our Consortium partners, the European Commission and Member States. Now in its third year, the data space stands among the most advanced, gaining momentum and ready to scale new heights.
Building on progress and unlocking the future
In 2024, we championed technical innovation, enhanced the reliability and interoperability of our infrastructure and explored new aggregation models building on the International Image Interoperability Framework IIIF and Linked Open Data (LOD). We enriched our data offer with quality updates to nearly 9 million records and high-quality 3D items, boosted by the Twin it! campaign. Through events and the Europeana Academy training programme, we empowered heritage professionals to shape the data space. We piloted innovative community engagement models like the Country Groups, deepened existing partnerships and launched our involvement in collaborative projects such as ECHOES and DEPLOYTOUR.
We are thrilled to see professionals, researchers, creatives, educators and curious minds come together in the data space to collaborate, innovate and transform digital heritage into a true public good - from using heritage data to build educational virtual spaces with Built with Bits to remixing collections in the GIF IT UP competition. Discover last year’s achievements in this annual report.
Throughout 2024, we collaborated with over 100 key individuals to shape a long-term, unified vision for the data space. We are proud to share the outcome: the Europeana Initiative Vision 2030: Adapt. Adopt. Aspire. Achieve.
With this, we set ourselves three focal areas to drive the data space forward:
Expanding the diversity of data, tools, and training. With the right frameworks, the data space will empower heritage institutions to share data at source and will enable intermediaries - such as aggregators, partners and other data spaces - to contribute applications, tools and services.
Strengthening ties with major EU initiatives. Leveraging our participation in projects like the Cultural Heritage Cloud, the European Heritage Hub and the future Competence Centre for 3D, we will engage new audiences, create synergies and build interoperability.
Deepening collaboration with Member States. The data space thrives on the active engagement of Member States. By supporting their national priorities, strengthening relationships, and rolling out pan-European campaigns, we will make the data space more valuable to them.
Discover the Vision 2030 in full.
To 2025: Turning vision into action
In 2025, we turn our vision into action. Building on over 15 years of work, we’re focused on shaping the future we want by 2030. We are on a mission to empower our sector to digitally transform, democratise access to culture and boost Europe’s creative capital. Explore how the Europeana Foundation, as one of the three pillars of the Initiative, plans to advance our vision in 2025 through its newly released Business Plan and discover exciting highlights, including the Europeana 2025 Conference on 11 - 12 June.
2025 brings change with a new European Commission and Parliament now in office. We look forward to working closely with them to advance key priorities – from boosting competitiveness to championing data sovereignty.
While the climate crisis intensifies and devastating wars affect communities worldwide, we believe in the positive impact of cultural heritage. Especially in this turbulent time, the role of cultural heritage as a greenhouse of values like freedom, solidarity and democracy has never been more vital.
The journey may be long, but our path is clear. The Vision 2030 reaffirms our commitment to Europe’s digital, green, and social transitions, powered by cultural heritage. We hope it inspires renewed enthusiasm among our members, aggregators and other partners in the heritage ecosystem, the European Commission and Member States, and count on your continued support to bring this vision to life.
Happy New Year, and here’s to an inspiring year ahead!
With best regards on behalf of the Europeana Initiative,
Harry Verwayen, General Director of the Europeana Foundation, Kerstin Arnold, Chair of the Europeana Aggregators’ Forum, Rob Davies, Chair of the Europeana Network Association