UBITECH announces the official launch of KINETIKA, a new EU co-funded Innovation Action titled “Advancing the Digitization and Analysis of Dynamic Cultural Heritage Objects”, marking a significant step forward in the protection, understanding and sustainable management of complex cultural artefacts. The project’s kick-off meeting is hosted by the coordinating partner, Universidad de Salamanca, and takes place on 21 January 2026 in Spain. Funded under Grant Agreement No. 101233379, KINETIKA runs from January 2026 to December 2028, spanning a 36-month period. The project addresses the growing need to preserve cultural heritage objects that are not static, but dynamic in nature, such as mechanisms, structures and artefacts with moving or interacting components. By capturing both their physical form and internal complexity, KINETIKA introduces a new paradigm for understanding heritage objects as living systems rather than static exhibits.
At the core of KINETIKA lies the integration of IoT-based sensor networks with advanced AI-driven analytics. Continuous monitoring of structural integrity, environmental conditions and mechanical performance enables early anomaly detection, predictive maintenance and informed conservation strategies. These capabilities are complemented by interactive and cross-media engagement approaches that combine 3D models, images, sensor data and simulations, creating immersive experiences for researchers, educators and the wider public alike. The project’s innovations will be validated through representative case studies, including clock towers, looms and drawbridges, demonstrating the adaptability of the platform and paving the way for broader applications across diverse categories of cultural artefacts.
Within KINETIKA, UBITECH plays a central role by leading the development of the Digital Twin as a Service platform. This platform provides a robust, modular environment for the authoring, configuration, execution and sharing of digital twins, supported by scalable computing resources and advanced interaction and analytics capabilities. UBITECH is also responsible for the design and implementation of the KINETIKA marketplace, a secure and distributed ecosystem that connects suppliers and users of digital twin assets and services. Through the KINETIKA Broker, semantic and syntactic matching mechanisms are applied to optimise supplier selection, strengthen cultural heritage value chains and support sustainable exploitation pathways.
All technical contributions from UBITECH to KINETIKA are carried out by the company’s Robotics & Cognitive Systems Research Group (https://ubitech.eu/rcs/), which brings together expertise in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital twins and intelligent systems for complex, real-world environments. Commenting on the launch of the project, Dr Xanti Papageorgiou, Head of Robotics & Cognitive Systems at UBITECH, stated: “KINETIKA represents a major opportunity to rethink how we preserve and interact with dynamic cultural heritage. By combining digital twins, AI-driven analytics and marketplace-based innovation, we are creating a sustainable digital ecosystem that supports predictive maintenance, scientific experimentation and meaningful engagement with cultural artefacts. UBITECH is proud to contribute its technological expertise to a project that bridges advanced digital technologies with the safeguarding of our shared heritage.”
