Key highlights: Preparedness and holistic efforts
Co-organised by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (the conference hosts) and the Europeana Initiative as part of Europeana 2025, the Policy Forum brought together policymakers, professionals, and experts. The aim was to elevate the discourse on protecting heritage at risk and enhancing cybersecurity and stimulate heightened action and collaboration in these areas.
The Forum opened with an address by Marta Cienkowska, Under Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Culture & National Heritage. She underlined the importance of strengthening resilience in the face of present-day challenges, including war and climate-related disruptions, highlighting the need for preparedness and collective response. She noted preservation and cybersecurity are not only about protecting assets, but also about protecting our collective memory, culture, human connections, and the future we imagine. She further emphasised that preparedness is a mindset.
A thought-provoking keynote by Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian at the British Library, offered lessons on preventive approaches to resilient data systems and infrastructure, drawing on the British Library's experience with a 2023 cyber attack and its response. These lessons, available online, provide valuable insights for institutions across the heritage sector.
A session by Valentine Charles, Director of Data Services at Europeana Foundation and Corinne Szteinsznaider, the Europeana Aggregators’ Steering Group set the scene for the discussions that followed.
A powerful conversation between Anastasia Bondar, Deputy Minister for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalisation of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, and Sofie Taes, Chair of Europeana Network Association and of the Europeana Initiative Working Group ‘Supporting the digital cultural heritage of Ukraine Working Group’, focused on the critical work of protecting Ukraine’s cultural heritage in the ongoing war. Deputy Minister Bondar stressed that, as demonstrated by Russia's war against Ukraine, culture forms the foundation of communities’ resilience and independence.
A panel discussion with Rehana Schwinninger-Ladak, Deputy Director for Data at the European Commission, Karol Czajkowski, Deputy Director of National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Mihkel Kaevats, Head of Department at Estonian Ministry of Culture and Gijs Meijer, Innovation and Ecosystem Manager at DEN Cultural Knowledge Institute & Digital Transformation, reflected on policy initiatives and strategies for the protection of physical and digital heritage. Speakers underlined the importance of a holistic and collaborative approach and concerted efforts when tackling the multidimensional aspects of physical and digital heritage protection and preservation. This includes the potential of digitisation to document cultural heritage with the highest level of precision, data standardisation, public engagement in digitisation processes, and the development of cross-border strategies. Panellists referred to Estonia’s initiative for shared digital preservation, and DEN’s practical tool for Digital Security Checklist for Cultural Organisations supporting institutions in their preparedness.
The Forum converged on several matters
Speakers and panellists addressed the complexities inherent in protecting heritage at risk and enhancing cybersecurity:
The reality that not everything can be digitised, given limited resources, and the need for a conscious and intentional approach to reducing the environmental impact of digitisation.
The need for prioritisation, as proposed by the categories of the European Commission 2021 Recommendation, inviting Member States to ‘digitise in 3D all monuments and sites deemed at risk, 50% of the most physically visited, and under-digitised categories of cultural heritage’.
The need for a definition of a threshold for data security and cybersecurity, and how implementation thereof should never compromise public access to and engagement with cultural heritage.
The importance of balancing institutional reputation with transparency – as fear of reputational harm may limit openness about failures or cyberattacks. Such honesty is key to shared learning and preparedness.
The delicate balance between the need for standardisation and quality versus the imperative for rapid action in a crisis.
Speakers and panellists put forth a set of concrete and actionable insights, ranging from policy recommendations to practical measures. These included the need for a European framework for preparedness in the cultural heritage sector, the importance of intersectoral cooperation and learning from domains with more advanced cybersecurity experience.
They also stressed the importance of mapping of current practices related to long-term preservation across Europe; establishing digital registers as a crucial first step in any emergency response; training professionals and building capacity of institutions; dedicated Member States working groups; and, advocating for appropriate resources for the protection of physical and digital cultural heritage within the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union.
Leveraging the common European data space for cultural heritage as an intermediary for robust data protection and sovereignty, and the need to explore decentralised and distributed systems to enhance resilience were reiterated throughout the programme. FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) principles were also outlined as crucial.
The Call to Action - Ready for the future: Building preparedness in digital cultural heritage
The Policy Forum resulted in a Call to Action emphasising that preparedness is a collective responsibility, and fundamental to Europe’s cultural and social security. Inspired by the Polish Presidency's priority ‘Security, Europe!’, and the EU Preparedness Union Strategy, the Call To Action builds on the Forum's goals and the key messages. It outlines five guiding principles and five concrete actions to create a more secure, agile, and resilient digital ecosystem. It was shaped by insights and input from co-organisers, speakers and panellists. This Call to Action was a collaborative and iterative effort, which ensured it reflects diverse perspectives, with the aim to lead to meaningful impact. This co-creation approach ensures that this Call to Action is a living commitment born from shared expertise and a collective desire for preparedness. Its conveners are committed to advancing these efforts, and they urge all relevant actors to join in and act with urgency.
Read the full Call to Action to relive the Policy Forum and watch and share the recording.
Continue the conversation
This Call to Action represents a vital step forward, but its impact rests on collective engagement. We encourage you to share this Call to Action within your own networks. If you observe any measures being taken in your country, institution, or network as a result of the Call to Action, please do get in touch with us via [email protected]. Your feedback helps us track and make visible the tangible and concrete actions being implemented, demonstrating the real-world impact of our shared commitment.