The role of digital technologies for culture-driven local development in Europe: A policy review

The use of new technologies in the digital age has transformed the ways of producing, preserving, and participating in the cultural heritage of the territories. Consequently, the culture-driven approach to local development takes on a hybrid dimension, where culture, local and digital development interrelate in physical and digital spaces. The research aims to identify the themes in which the EU’s policies for cultural heritage, local development, and digital transformation meet to understand the areas in which the use of new technological applications for culture-driven local development is supported in Europe. To do that, a qualitative investigation of policies was conducted using NVivo 14. The results show that the EU policies recognize the importance of enhancing the local tourist experience through digital cultural content, the digital preservation of the local cultural heritage, and the participation in cultural heritage in the digital space.