Timișoara, September 2026 – The Polytechnic University of Timișoara (UPT), through its Department of ID/IFR and Digital Education, together with the Multimedia Center and in collaboration with the Spotlight Heritage Timișoara cultural project, successfully hosted a new edition of the European Researchers„ Night 2026 event. On Friday, September 25, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., the Timișoara public accepted the invitation to participate in an evening filled with experiments, journeys through virtual worlds, and glimpses into the future of education, guided by the research findings of projects from the E³UDRES² Alliance and ”Horizon Europe – Accelerate Future HEI.”.

With free admission, the event offered participants the chance to explore and rediscover the history, culture, and heritage of Timișoara through alternative methods using the Spotlight Heritage Timișoara virtual apps, interacting with a complex real-virtual world through state-of-the-art digital technologies. 

The activities took place simultaneously at two of the city's major attractions, drawing a large crowd:

UPT Technical Museum – Experimentarium™ –

At the UPT Technical Museum / Experimentarium™ (Splaiul Spiru Haret), more than 220 people came through the doors on Friday evening to take part in the activities prepared for them:

• A journey through the history of computer science, with a close look at MECIPT-1, the first Romanian university computer, presented by our experts; 

• The latest "Spotlight Heritage Timișoara" Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR/MR) apps; 
• Premiered demo version the new interactive virtual reality application, which uses innovative methods promoted by the E³UDRES² Alliance to explore the student experience in the four ID/IFR majors. 
• AR games, through which participants explored the city's history and multiculturalism by interacting directly with objects from the local cultural heritage; 
• Fun activities with apps dedicated to science and technology; 
• A presentation of the results of European research and innovation projects within the E³UDRES² Alliance (with a focus on the E³UDRES² Arena platform) and the Accelerate Future HEI project, offering a practical perspective on new directions in the education of the future.

Nokia Campus

At Nokia Campus, the Department of ID/IFR and Digital Education (DeL), in collaboration with the Spotlight Heritage Timișoara cultural project, created an immersive space for participants where the public could discover a wide range of digital projects and installations developed by students at the Polytechnic University of Timișoara in partnership with international students from the European University Alliance E³UDRES². Also within this interactive space, visitors explored the results of European research and innovation projects carried out through the E³UDRES² Alliance, along with the perspectives and directions of education through the Accelerate Future HEI project.

More than 1,600 people visited the DeL UPT space, ranging from energetic and enthusiastic children to curious parents who wanted to try out and explore the digital applications and installations in the dedicated space.

These include:

• The new edutainment VR apps developed by the DeL UPT team, through which children discovered in an interactive and engaging way what it means to be a student in the four majors at Distance Learning (ID) and Part-Time Learning (IFR). 
• Nokia VR Bell Labs Museum – a virtual reality app developed by student Cătălin Săvoiu, which gave visitors the opportunity to interactively explore the phone models that have shaped the history of communications.
• Interactive edutainment, mobile, and mixed-reality applications—such as AR games—that allowed visitors to interact with historical artifacts from the city’s cultural heritage, drawn from the archives of the National Museum of Banat.
• Latest applications Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (AR/MR) Spotlight Heritage Timisoara;

Projects with impact for the European community

The Polytechnic University of Timișoara openly and actively supports the personal and academic development of all its students and partners, which is why international partnerships with organizations such as the European University Alliance E³UDRES² and the Horizon Europe Accelerate Future HEI project are key to UPT’s efforts to provide as many opportunities as possible through study programs and activities for its students.

The European University Alliance E³UDRES², as well as its partners, aim to actively develop all partner institutions and their regions by creating opportunities for students, staff and citizens to get involved in their communities.

Digital components of the project Spotlight Heritage Timisoara/Spotlight Heritage Timisoara are accessible online at https://spotlight-timisoara.eu/ and through mobile apps that can be downloaded from Android and Apple stores or by searching "Spotlight Heritage Timisoara".

• App link for Android users: https://is.gd/SjiIgv     
• App link for iOS users: https://is.gd/y6JxeV    

Event information is also available on:

• Web page: https://spotlight-timisoara.eu/  
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SpotlightHeritageTimisoara/  
• Instagram: @spotlight_tm 

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Spotlight Heritage Timișoara / Patrimoniul sub reflectoare is a digital cultural initiative of the Politehnica University of Timișoara in partnership with the National Museum of Banat, part of the Cultural Program Timișoara 2023 European Capital of Culture. Cultural project co-financed by the Municipality of Timisoara through the Project Center, Timis County Council, Ministry of Culture, EAA and Norway Grants.

The E³UDRES² Alliance It is one of the 50 European University Alliances, an initiative launched by the European Commission as a marker of excellence in higher education. The consortium brings together nine higher education institutions in a harmonious mix of research universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS).

The Horizon Europe Project „Accelerate Future HEI” supports higher education institutions in strengthening their capacity to have a positive impact on social and economic development. By developing and testing dedicated acceleration services, the project equips universities with the tools needed to drive institutional transformation and become entrepreneurial and innovative entities.