On 9 February 2026, the UNICHE consortium held its second and final co-design workshop for the user requirements and technical specifications phase at the Athens University History Museum. Organised by the Athena Research Centre, the workshop brought together a strong and diverse group of professionals from the cultural heritage, museum, research, and digital technology sectors across Greece and Europe. 

This in-situ workshop marked the conclusion of the elicitation process for the user needs and technical requirements for the UNICHE platform. Building on the hybrid workshop and webinar series held in Florence, the Athens event focused on XR technologies for cultural heritage, offering participants the chance to work directly within a real museum environment. Participants explored and tested the Athena Research Centre's Placemaker and CoSpace tools, as well as Leopoly's XR360 framework. They engaged with XR and 360° authoring and exhibition scenarios, collaborative design activities and structured feedback sessions. Engaging with existing museum spaces and digital assets enabled grounded discussions on curatorial workflows, storytelling approaches and technical requirements, contributing to the final validation and refinement of the UNICHE technological framework.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the consortium experts and external participants for their valuable contributions and strong engagement throughout this phase. We were honoured to welcome the following experts: Hellenic Ministry of Culture; National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and Islands; The Friends of Music Society; Athens University History Museum; Historical Archive of the National Bank of Greece; The American College of Greece; Museum of Architecture in Wrocław; German Archaeological Institute in Athens (DAI); and a wider network of museums, universities, research centres and cultural and digital heritage practitioners.

Their insights and feedback have been invaluable in shaping the user-centred, practice-driven direction of the UNICHE framework and its future applications in museums and cultural heritage contexts.

These activities will conclude this phase of research and consultation - follow UNICHE news for updates on the project's progress.