About the common European data space for cultural heritage

Find out more about the data space and the partners who make it possible.

A man in a dark shirt points at a digital architectural drawing of a cathedral on a large touchscreen display.

About the data space

A data space for the public good, built on collaboration and designed for interoperability with digital infrastructures and other data spaces. Inclusive and participatory by design, it empowers institutions to contribute and individuals to access and reuse high-quality cultural collections.

As one of 14 common European data spaces—funded by the DIGITAL Europe programme, led by the Europeana Initiative, and a key initiative in the EU’s Culture Compass—the data space for cultural heritage plays a crucial role in advancing Europe’s ambition for a thriving, data-driven society.

Strategic priorities

The data space strategy 2025–2030 sets out three shared priorities for partners participating in the data space:

  • Develop a robust, interoperable data space infrastructure while increasing the diversity and quality of its cultural heritage collections;
  • Facilitate access to cultural heritage collections and their reuse across sectors;
  • Support the digital transformation of the cultural heritage sector through capacity building, networking and innovation.

Across all priorities, AI, 3D and extended reality, and multilingualism are key areas of collaboration and development.

About the Europeana Initiative

The data space is developed by a consortium led by the Europeana Initiative. It is built on Europeana’s more than 15 years of experience in empowering the cultural heritage sector in its digital transformation. Funded by the EU, the Europeana Initiative develops expertise, tools and policies that embrace digital change and encourage partnerships that foster innovation.

The Europeana Initiative comprises three interlinked bodies: the Europeana Foundation, the Europeana Network Association, and the Europeana Aggregators’ Forum.

The data space in numbers

Millions of items and thousands of collaborations - discover the key figures behind the data space for cultural heritage.

61,000,000 +
Items
6,000 +
Network members
3,700 +
Providing Institutions
63.3%
of our items are high quality
28,000,000 +
Monthly API Requests, on average

View the statistics dashboard

A clear and accessible overview of cultural heritage collections displayed on Europeana.eu, categorised by country and institution, the amount of shared items, their quality and types.

The impact of the data space

See how policymakers and cultural heritage professionals are already benefiting from the data space — unlocking access, sharing knowledge, and creating new opportunities for preservation and reuse.