SOFIA – “Cultural heritage must be a fundamental aspect of Europe’s future. Bulgaria possesses a rich and significant history, and initiatives for the digitization and dissemination of this heritage are still progressing. While there is more to accomplish, the potential is immense,” stated Harry Verwayen, Executive Director of the Europeana Foundation, during the scientific conference “Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age” held in Sofia. The event was organized by the Institute for Balkan Studies in collaboration with the Center for Thracology (IBCT) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, featuring Bulgarian academics, university instructors, and Kiril Valchev, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).
Our goal is to democratize access to culture, which entails making cultural content accessible, usable, and safeguarded with clear and open licenses, mainly through Creative Commons. We partner with educators, researchers, and creators to maximize its utilization, Verwayen explained. He mentioned that approximately 160,000 digital objects from various institutions are currently showcased in Bulgaria, with significant opportunity for expansion. He acknowledged that practical obstacles persist – technical constraints, resource limitations, and sometimes uncertainty regarding subsequent steps, “but through collective efforts, we can surmount these challenges”, Verwayen remarked.
Moreover, he highlighted the significance of 3D digitization. “We are investing in 3D competence centers and developing standards for the creation, sharing, and preservation of 3D cultural content. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly vital in this sector. It can assist in managing and analyzing extensive cultural data, responsibly creating new content, and enhancing accessibility, but we must proceed with caution to ensure that AI is developed and employed ethically and transparently,” he added.
“We are collaborating with professionals across Europe to standardize methodologies, exchange knowledge, and formulate a vision for the harmonious coexistence of culture and artificial intelligence,” noted the Executive Director of the Europeana Foundation. Kiril Valchev addressed the digitization of BTA’s archives in his presentation titled “News from Yesterday – Lesson Today – Memory Tomorrow.” He outlined that BTA is pursuing six initiatives to preserve its archives – safeguarding paper bulletins and photographs up to around 2000, digitization, facilitating access to the archives, ensuring copyright compliance, promoting BTA’s archives, and collaborating with other news agencies. (July 30)
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