INT-ACT Showcased at the 17th EBEEC Conference in Tirana, Albania: Exploring the Digital Future of Cultural Heritage

From May 16–17, 2025, the INT-ACT project was featured at the 17th International Conference on Economies of the Balkan and Eastern European Countries (EBEEC) in Tirana, Albania. The event brought together researchers and policy experts to explore how technological, economic, and cultural innovation can shape regional development across Southeast Europe.

Bridging Cultural Heritage and Economic Innovation

ITML's Smaro Boura presented the paper “Digital Humanities in Cultural and Creative Industries: Insights from the INT-ACT Project,” co-authored with colleagues Elpida Tzika and Electra Simitsi. The presentation reflected INT-ACT’s central mission of linking cultural heritage and technological innovation through immersive methods and interdisciplinary research.

The paper explored the intersection of Digital Humanities (DH) and Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs), and examined how their convergence contributes to modern economic growth. Drawing on INT-ACT’s approach and tools, it analyzed how eXtended Reality (XR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) can be used to support the preservation and presentation of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), while also offering value in education, commerce, and tourism.

These technologies not only support cultural storytelling and conservation—they also generate new opportunities for participation, innovation, and economic development within local and regional ecosystems.