INT-ACT

The INT-ACT project is an innovative initiative aimed at leveraging intangible cultural heritage to address contemporary societal challenges through immersive eXtended Reality (XR) environments. In a rapidly evolving world, many aspects of our cultural heritage – especially intangible elements such as traditions, emotions, and narratives-are at risk of being lost. These elements shape our identities, sense of belonging, and social relationships, yet they are often overshadowed by tangible heritage sites. INT-ACT seeks to bridge the past, present, and future by developing new methods for extracting, structuring, and presenting the emotional, experiential, and environmental (3E) dimensions of intangible cultural heritage. By integrating these dimensions into immersive XR experiences, the project aims to enhance cultural tourism, support aging societies, preserve disappearing communities, and address challenges related to immigration and multiculturalism. Through four case studies across different cultural heritage sites, INT-ACT will develop small-scale XR-based demonstrators that serve as interactive, educational, and socially impactful tools.

The INT-ACT project is designed to achieve the following key objectives:

  • Investigate the Utilization of Immersive XR Environments
    • Explore how immersive technologies can present intangible cultural heritage and tackle societal challenges.
    • Focus on four case studies: cultural tourism, aging societies, disappearing communities, and immigration/multiculturalism.
  • Develop Methods for Knowledge Extraction and Presentation
    • Create innovative techniques for extracting and structuring the 3E dimensions (Emotional, Experiential, Environmental) of cultural heritage.
    • Utilize semantic models to formalize intangible knowledge for interactive and digital applications.
  • Adapt Transdisciplinary Methods for Capturing Heritage
    • Design cross-disciplinary research approaches to preserve historical and contemporary human narratives.
    • Compile diverse cultural and social perspectives for a comprehensive understanding of heritage.
  • Guide the Creation of Immersive XR Environments
    • Define strategies and interaction techniques for presenting intangible heritage in XR settings.
    • Develop four small-scale XR demonstrators based on tangible cultural heritage sites to enhance storytelling and engagement.
  • Address Societal Challenges Through XR-based Demonstrators
    • Use immersive case studies to explore how intangible cultural heritage can inspire solutions for current and future social issues.
    • Ensure these demonstrators can serve as models for future applications in cultural preservation and education.

ITML’s role in the project

As a key partner in the INT-ACT project, ITML plays a significant role in pilot work package leadership, stakeholder engagement, thematic diversification, and dissemination activities. This project marks ITML’s first leadership role in a pilot Work Package (WP4), providing valuable expertise in managing pilot initiatives. Specifically, ITML is responsible for coordinating the execution of the pilot at the Kavala heritage site in Greece, ensuring the seamless integration of XR-based storytelling and visitor engagement. Additionally, ITML is actively involved in evaluating visitor experiences through data collection and analysis, helping to refine the impact of immersive digital environments.

Beyond technical contributions, ITML leads the project’s dissemination and communication strategy, ensuring that INT-ACT’s findings and innovations reach a wide audience, including policymakers, researchers, and cultural institutions. The organization also focuses on expanding its network within the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe projects, strengthening collaborations within Cluster 2: Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society. Through its participation in INT-ACT, ITML aims to enhance its expertise in cultural heritage digitalization, immersive technologies, and societal transformation through heritage-based solutions.

For more information, visit the official project website: https://int-act.aalto.fi/

Acknowledgment

The project INT-ACT has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under the grant agreement No. 101132719.