ECHOES Report on identification of communities and their needs (D4.1)

PRANDONI, Claudio; PALLOT-FROSSARD, Isabelle; Petitcol, Rémi; Gallini, Charlotte; van der Lek, Iulianna; FRONTINI, Francesca; PEDONESE, Giulia; MESSIAS-SAMPAIO, Mailane; Vassallo, Valentina; Kotzinos, Dimitris; BENARDOU, Agiatis; Barbot, Laure; MARÇAL, Elis; Sotiropoulou, Sophia; LÉCUYER, Justine; SANI, Margherita; Puhr, Anna; ANDÚJAR, Carlos; DUTHE, Yannick

doi:10.5281/zenodo.20441283

Published May 29, 2026 | Version v1

Project deliverable Open

ECHOES Report on identification of communities and their needs (D4.1)

1. ARIADNE RI
2. Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine
3. National Research Council
4. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
5. The Cyprus Institute
6. CY Cergy Paris Université
7. Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities
8. European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers' Organisations
9. Hellenic Open University
10. Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas
11. INP
12. Österreichische Nationalbibliothek
13. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Contributors

Researcher (39):

1. Archives Portal Europe Foundation
2. National Research Council
3. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
4. Cyprus Institute
5. CY Cergy Paris Université
6. Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities
7. European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers Organisations
8. Europeana Network Association
9. Europeana Foundation
10. DedaNext
11. Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine
12. Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France
13. CNRS Délégation Paris B
14. ICOM Europe
15. ICOM Portugal
16. ICOMOS
17. INP institut national du patrimoine
18. Institut national du patrimoine
19. INP Institut national du patrimoine
20. Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage
21. Network of European Museum Organisations
22. NG
23. NISV
24. Österreichische Nationalbibliothek
25. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
26. Université de Tours
27. University of York

This deliverable presents the results of the activities carried out within Work Package 4 of the ECHOES project to identify, characterise and engage cultural heritage communities, with the objective of informing the design and development of the Cultural Heritage Cloud (ECCCH).

The report is based on a mixed-method and iterative approach combining large-scale quantitative data collection through an international survey, qualitative analysis of open ended responses, and targeted validation through workshops, focus groups and complementary consultation activities. This approach enabled both a broad mapping of the cultural heritage landscape and an in-depth understanding of community practices, needs and expectations.

The analysis highlights the diversity and hybridity of cultural heritage communities, identifying a set of transversal needs shared across profiles, such as interoperability, accessibility of tools, data governance, and capacity building, as well as more specific
requirements linked to distinct professional roles and levels of digital maturity. These insights are synthesised through the development of an Atlas of communities and personas, providing a structured and human-centred framework to support user
centred design.

The report also includes a gap analysis comparing identified needs with existing tools and emerging solutions developed within the Cloud ecosystem, highlighting both areas of progress and remaining systemic challenges. The results underline that the
development of the Cultural Heritage Cloud cannot rely solely on technological solutions, but requires a holistic, user-centred and ecosystem-based approach that integrates infrastructure, services, governance, and capacity building.

These insights provide a foundation for the next phase of the project, contributing to the strategic development of the Cloud and informing future actions in WP4 and beyond, such as the definition of technical requirements, community engagement strategies, integration and onboarding processes, and capacity building activities across ECHOES
and the broader Cloud ecosystem.

The consultation process itself also constitutes a key outcome, establishing an initial network of engaged stakeholders and setting the basis for a continuous, iterative dialogue with cultural heritage communities throughout the lifetime of the project.

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