The SHIFT Horizon Europe project concluded with a two-day closing conference “Rethinking Inclusion: AI in the GLAM Sector” on 22-23 September 2025. This online event was designed to bring together cultural professionals, researchers, technologists, and disability advocates. The conference explored how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies can drive greater accessibility and inclusion across Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM), highlighting the project’s achievements while opening dialogue on innovative approaches for future practice.
- Present key findings and outcomes of the SHIFT project.
- Showcase digital tools and inclusive methodologies, including VR, haptic technologies, and extended reality applications.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange among cultural institutions, technology developers, and disability advocacy organisations.
- Engage policymakers to explore strategies for inclusive cultural heritage and digital accessibility.
- Develop recommendations for an inclusive digital future in the GLAM sector.
- Provide inspiration and practical examples on how to develop an accessible cultural heritage space
- FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas): technical demonstrations of VR and haptic tools enabling tactile exploration of cultural artefacts.
- MDS – Massive Dynamic Sweden: 3D object segmentation and integration into immersive environments.
- Balkan Museum Network: practical case studies showing how accessibility can be embedded into everyday museum practice and strategy.
- The Heritage Management Organization: dissemination of the SHIFT results, ensuring wider reach and impact across the cultural heritage sector.
Jove Pargovski from National Institution Institute and Museum Bitola, presented projects and gave many advice on: providing description of the object, producing replica of the artifact as a tactile object and what to do when an object is too large to be touched (3D representation of a building). Jove Pargovski talked about the use of NFC tags and QR codes that contribute to the goal of complete independence of blind and visually impaired visitors to the museum exhibit. He also presented an interactive mosaic and interactive tactile map of Heraclea Lyncestis (using NFC tags and smartphone). Jove also presented Interactive Self-Guided Tour of Bitola City and some results of collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art-Skopje as part of the project “MoCA-Skopje Masterpieces 4 All – Project for Accessibility of Contemporary Art” supported by the Headley Southeast European Cultural Heritage Fund.
The activity is part of the SHIFT project (Metamorphosis of Cultural Heritage Into Augmented Hypermedia Assets for Enhanced Accessibility and Inclusion) that is being funded by the European Union Horizon Europe program.
More about SHIFT project on: https://shift-europe.eu/