VAST · Project

Digital Platform for Curating and Remixing Cultural Heritage Content Around European Values

digitalPrototypeTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you could trace how ideas like freedom, equality, and democracy have been talked about in stories — from ancient Greek tragedies to fairy tales to early science texts — across different countries and centuries. VAST built an online platform that lets museums, educators, and researchers dig into these stories, tag the values they contain, and remix them into new narratives. Think of it like a collaborative storytelling workbench where cultural heritage material gets a second life. Users can even crowdsource new stories by mixing old content with modern perspectives on what these values mean today.

By the numbers

consortium partners

countries represented

total project deliverables

EUR 2,995,625

EU contribution

major platform releases (v1.0 and v2.0)

25%

industry partner ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Museums and cultural institutions struggle to make historical and philosophical content engaging for modern audiences. Static exhibits and text-heavy displays fail to connect visitors with the deeper values embedded in cultural heritage. There is no easy way for educators and curators to collaboratively remix centuries-old stories into interactive, values-driven experiences.

The solution

What was built

VAST built a collaborative online platform (released in two major versions, v1.0 and v2.0) for curating, reusing, and remixing digitized cultural heritage content. The platform includes a storytelling application with crowdsourcing features, allowing users to create stories and tag them with European values, plus 34 total deliverables covering modeling methods, digital tools, and user interfaces.

Audience

Who needs this

Museum networks and cultural heritage institutions looking for digital engagement toolsEdTech companies building humanities and social studies curriculaCultural tourism operators creating story-driven heritage experiencesAcademic publishers and digital humanities platformsPublic institutions promoting European values education

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Museums & Cultural Institutions

any

Target: Museum chains, cultural heritage organizations, exhibition designers

If you are a museum or exhibition designer looking for new ways to engage visitors beyond static displays — this project developed a collaborative storytelling platform (released in two versions) that lets visitors and curators remix cultural heritage content around values like democracy and equality. The platform was built by a consortium of 8 partners across 5 countries, tested with real museum audiences in science museums and fairytale museums.

EdTech & E-Learning

SME

Target: Educational technology companies, digital learning platform providers

If you are an EdTech company looking for rich, curated humanities content for schools and universities — VAST created a digital platform with tagged cultural assets spanning ancient Greek tragedies, folktales, and history of science texts. With 34 deliverables produced over 3 years, the platform includes crowdsourcing tools that let students create their own stories using pre-tagged cultural material.

Cultural Tourism & Creative Industries

SME

Target: Cultural tourism operators, creative agencies specializing in heritage experiences

If you are a cultural tourism operator or creative agency that needs curated, story-driven content about European heritage — VAST built a searchable platform connecting values-tagged content from multiple countries (CY, EL, IT, PT, SI). The storytelling application allows remixing heritage material into immersive narratives, which can power guided tours, apps, or interactive exhibits.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or use the VAST platform?

Based on available project data, the VAST platform was developed as a research output with EUR 2,995,625 in EU funding. No commercial pricing model is mentioned in the project data. Licensing terms would need to be discussed directly with the coordinator, NCSR Demokritos in Greece.

Can this scale to handle large museum networks or national-level deployments?

The platform was released in two major versions (v1.0 and v2.0) and was designed to serve scholars, researchers, artists, museums, and educators. Based on available project data, the platform handles multiple content types (tragedies, folktales, science texts) across 5 countries, but no performance benchmarks or concurrent user data are provided.

Who owns the intellectual property and can we get a license?

The project was funded under Horizon 2020 as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA). IP is typically shared among the 8 consortium partners. The coordinator NCSR Demokritos would be the first point of contact for licensing discussions.

What content domains does the platform cover?

The platform covers three specific domains: ancient Greek tragedies and their modern adaptations, seventeenth-century natural philosophy works in science museums, and folktales across countries and time periods. All content is tagged with European values such as freedom, democracy, equality, tolerance, and human dignity.

Is this compliant with cultural heritage data regulations?

Based on available project data, the platform was built within EU research standards and covers digitized tangible and intangible cultural assets. Specific GDPR or copyright compliance details for crowdsourced content are not detailed in the objective, but EU-funded projects must adhere to open science and data protection requirements.

How soon could we integrate this into existing museum systems?

The project ended in November 2023, and the platform reached version 2.0. Integration timelines would depend on your existing digital infrastructure and content needs. Based on available project data, the platform was designed for curators and educators to use directly, suggesting a relatively accessible interface.

Consortium

Who built it

The VAST consortium brings together 8 partners from 5 Southern and Southeastern European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia). The mix includes 3 universities, 2 research organizations, 2 industry partners, and 1 other entity, with only 1 SME. The 25% industry ratio is modest, and the coordinator is NCSR Demokritos, a major Greek research center — signaling this is a research-driven project rather than an industry-led initiative. For a business buyer, this means the technology is academically robust but may need further commercialization effort to become a turnkey product.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH "DEMOKRITOS"Coordinator · EL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANOparticipant · IT
ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINONparticipant · EL
UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOAparticipant · PT

How to reach the team

NCSR Demokritos (Greece) — use Google AI Search to find the project coordinator's contact details

Order a report on this consortium See NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH "DEMOKRITOS" profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how VAST's cultural heritage platform could work for your museum or EdTech product? SciTransfer can connect you with the research team and help evaluate fit.

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