We are pleased to announce that, as of 1 December, our research group has officially joined two major EU-funded initiatives that will expand our expertise at the intersection of technology, law, and society.
DigiHeritage (Erasmus+)
DigiHeritage, coordinated by PANESTIMIO PATRON (University of Patras), is an ambitious Erasmus+ project aimed at modernising Europe’s cultural heritage sector through the adoption of advanced digital tools and innovative training pathways.
The Consortium
Digiheritage brings together a multidisciplinary partnership:
- Panestimio Patron (EL), as coordinator
- Universitat Politecnica Del Catalunya (ES)
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE)
- Kliynteh Bulgaria Fondatsiya (BG)
- Time Vision (IT)
- Natsionalna Agentsia Za Profesionalno Obrazov Anie I Obutchenie (BG)
- AB Corporation (BE)
- Essentialark S.R.L. (IT)
- Italienische Handelskammer Fur Deutschland (DE)
- INVO (BE)
- Ready2use S.R.L. (IT)
- Stichting Archives Portal Europe Foundation (NL)
Together, these organisations bring expertise from universities, VET providers, cultural institutions, tech SMEs, and policy bodies across the EU.
Project Overview
DigiHeritage addresses critical skills gaps for cultural and creative professionals in key technological domains - AI-based cataloguing, blockchain for provenance tracking, and 3D scanning - with the objective of enabling museums, archives, and cultural SMEs to preserve and valorise cultural heritage in the digital age.
At the core of the project is the development of a pioneering curriculum for both higher education and vocational training, supported by micro-credentials aligned with EU frameworks. This curriculum is designed to prepare the next generation of DigiHeritage Managers: professionals capable of driving technological innovation while upholding ethical standards and cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset within cultural organisations.
To support this transformation, the project will deliver two flagship digital tools:
- An AI-assisted Collaborative Platform, enabling real-time data management
- HeritageChain, a blockchain-based solution for secure licensing and provenance tracking
DIKE will contribute to this emerging interdisciplinary field where technology, ethics, and cultural heritage converge. Our role focuses on ensuring that digital innovation is implemented responsibly and in line with European standards.
Through DigiHeritage, our team will not only broaden its expertise, but it will also help shape a future in which European cultural heritage becomes more accessible, better preserved, and meaningfully enriched through digital transformation.
TRUST-AI (EU Justice Programme – Judicial Training, JUST-2025-JTRA)
The other project that officially began on 1 December, is TRUST-AI. Coordinated by Siracusa International Institute For Criminal Justice And Human Rights, TRUST-AI is a specialised judicial training project funded under the EU Justice Programme. It is designed to strengthen the ability of justice professionals to understand, evaluate, and work responsibly with artificial intelligence in the context of criminal investigations and judicial proceedings.
The Consortium
The Consortium is composed of:
- Siracusa International Institute For Criminal Justice And Human Rights (IT), as Coordinator
- Vrije Universiteit Brussels (BE)
- Stichting T.M.C. Asser Instituut (NL)
And, as Associated Partners:
- National Institute of Justice (MD)
- National school of Judges of Ukraine (UA)
- Ecole Nationale De La Magistrature (FR)
- Scuola Superiore Della Magistratura (IT)
- Institutul National Al Magistraturii (RO)
- Instituut Voor Gerechtelijke Opleiding- Institut De Formation Judiciaire (BE)
Project Overview
Across Europe, AI is transforming how crimes are detected, how digital evidence is collected and analysed, and how courts handle increasingly complex cases. While these technologies offer new opportunities, they also raise critical concerns regarding fairness, reliability, and the protection of fundamental rights.
TRUST-AI responds to these challenges by developing specialised training for judges, prosecutors, and other justice professionals. The project combines online courses with in-person workshops and is supported by a consortium of leading research institutes and national judicial training institutions from five EU Member States and two candidate countries.
Through this collaboration, TRUST-AI will help justice systems better understand both the potential and the limits of AI, including its role in technology-facilitated crime, hate-motivated offences, and the handling of digital evidence.
Our research group will contribute to this collective effort by ensuring that the TRUST-AI training programme remains aligned with the latest developments in the rapidly evolving fields of AI and digitalisation.
We look forward to sharing updates as both projects advance and as new training resources, guidelines, and research outcomes become available.