What it is about
The activities of the HUB Emilia-Romagna e Marche Dicolab. Cultura al digitale kicked off with last year’s two launch events in Bologna on February 6, 2025, and in Ancona on April 16, 2025, and officially concluded with the meeting on June 8, 2026. This event, dedicated to the HUB community, was once again packed with opportunities to meet and discuss, successfully bringing to a close the path of training, exchange, and growth that the HUB pursued during its 18 months of activity.
The HUB, managed by G-Lab S.r.l. Impresa Sociale with Fondazione Golinelli, BAM! Strategie Culturali, and Sineglossa, offered numerous in-person training courses over the past months – featuring innovative and hands-on approaches – as well as networking events designed to bring together cultural sector workers, staff from the Ministry of Culture and other public administrations, personnel from cultural enterprises, undergraduates, and researchers. The closing event on June 8, “La cultura si mette in gioco” (Culture gets into the game), provided an opportunity to reflect on the results achieved by the HUB throughout its activity period, representing a valuable occasion for networking and exchange.
Courses delivered
The Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB organized a total of 45 courses, 42 of which were in person and 3 online; among these, 15 courses were delivered during the third and final training semester. Thanks to the guidance of expert instructors, the sessions provided opportunities to address numerous topics, offering an overview of the potential interactions between digital technology and the cultural sector.
Among the topics explored in depth:
immersive experiences and interactive storytelling for cultural heritage
tools and methodologies for design and prototyping to increase accessibility
digital communication, audience development, and engagement strategies
artificial intelligence for culture
economic sustainability of the sector, including fundraising and crowdfunding
digital archives and heritage, and data management for culture
Course participants
Over 760 people took part in the training programs delivered by the Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB across the three semesters. Participants not only had their skills certified via Open Badges but also gained the opportunity to become part of an active community to discuss current topics and the digitalization of heritage.
Specifically, among the 760 participants:
43% are staff from the Ministry of Culture or other public administrations
20% are staff from public and private cultural institutions
14% are professionals and experts from the cultural heritage sector
13% are students or PhD candidates
10% are staff from enterprises operating in the cultural heritage sector
Meetings, exchange, and networking events
In addition to the training sessions, the HUB community gathered multiple times in a shared space for dialogue and connection, including networking moments and spaces for discussion and debate. Specifically, during the 18 months of activity, the Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB organized 11 networking events dedicated to its community, designing:
guided exchange sessions, such as speed dating and matchmaking between enterprises and cultural heritage organizations
workshops and capacity-building sessions
roundtables and debates on digital transformation projects, digitalization of collections, AI and museum mediation, digital archives and collections, gaming…
During this final semester, from January to June 2026, 3 networking events took place: “How digital and AI are changing museums” in Pesaro, “Digital Archives and Collective Memory” in Modena, and finally, the event on gaming and cultural heritage in early June in Bologna.
Watch the Pesaro event here.
The venues of the Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB
The Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB was one of ten HUBs across the national territory. Given the need to boost digital skills in the Italian cultural sector, there was a clear necessity to create physical meeting places to conduct training activities and foster synergies between heritage workers and digital sector realities, thereby supporting the digital transformation process within each local context.
Between February 2025 and June 2026, the HUB held events and training sessions in 12 different cities across Emilia-Romagna and Marche: Bologna, Modena, Cesena, Rimini, Ravenna, Parma, Reggio Emilia, Pesaro, Ancona, and Ferrara, both at its own venues and hosted by institutions and other organizations from the cultural and creative sectors in the relevant regions.
Teachers of the training programs
The core of the Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB’s offering was the delivery of training courses designed to effectively respond to the needs of the cultural heritage sector. The managing partners – G-Lab S.r.l. Impresa Sociale, along with Fondazione Golinelli, BAM! Strategie Culturali, and Sineglossa – carefully designed the capacity-building activities, selecting qualified and expert instructors in their respective fields to ensure high-quality content and a top-tier training experience. Throughout its operations, the HUB involved:
36 qualified teachers
10 guest presentations by experts during the courses
numerous case studies explored
WATCH THE CLIP AND DISCOVER OUR INSTRUCTORS’ TIPS
What we have learnt
Over 18 months, the Dicolab. Cultura al digitale Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB addressed central themes for the digital transformation of the cultural sector. Each course provided tools, methodologies, and case studies to tackle change with greater awareness.
But above all, this journey clearly demonstrated that training finds its deepest value when it becomes an opportunity for real discussion. In-person activities allowed participants, instructors, institutions, professionals, and enterprises to come together, share experiences, ask questions, challenge established practices, and build new connections. It is precisely through the exchange between people, the dialogue among diverse skills, and the opportunity to learn together that true growth can occur. Digital transformation, in fact, is not just about adopting tools and technologies, but also about the ability to envision new ways of working, collaborating, and enhancing cultural heritage.
Even though the HUB’s activities are now coming to an end, the community born around this path will not fade away. The relationships built, the shared skills, and the collaboration opportunities activated represent a precious legacy, destined to continue well beyond the project’s conclusion. Indeed, G-Lab S.r.l. Impresa Sociale, Fondazione Golinelli, BAM! Strategie Culturali, and Sineglossa will continue their work alongside cultural heritage organizations, carrying forward paths, projects, and opportunities for local discussion.
For more information on the Emilia-Romagna and Marche HUB, click here.
The HUB, managed by G-Lab S.r.l. Impresa Sociale with Fondazione Golinelli, BAM! Strategie Culturali and Sineglossa, is part of Dicolab. Cultura al digitale – the training system for digital transformation of cultural heritage promoted by the Ministry of Culture – Digital Library under the PNRR Culture 4.0 programme, implemented by the Scuola nazionale del patrimonio e delle attività culturali (National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities) and funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU.
