From 18-20 September 2023, the Fachhochschule St. Pölten hosted International Festival of Digital Culture & Spotlight Heritage Timisoara, with XR demonstrations, realized with the support and collaboration of the Politehnica University of Timișoara, the Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture Association and the National Museum of Banat, and under the aegis of the E³UDRES² alliance of European universities. 

During the festival about 600 people discovered the project, and the official opening took place on the evening of 18 September when representatives of the Politehnica University Timișoara and the Fachhochschule St. Pölten addressed a few words to the participants.

Exploring Timisoara from the digital perspective of applications made by students and professors at the Polytechnic University of Timisoara

During the official opening on the evening of 18 September, the representatives of Politehnica University Timisoara and the Fachhochschule St. Pölten gave a few words of encouragement and appreciation for the efforts made, also presenting information about the Spotlight Heritage Timisoara project and about Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2023.

Florin Drăgan, rector of the University Politehnica Timișoara: "The presence of the Spotlight Heritage Timisoara project at the Fachhochschule St. Pölten, Austria, was a great opportunity for Politehnica University Timisoara to show its commitment to technological and cultural development. This event highlighted the importance of international collaboration in promoting heritage and cutting-edge digital technologies. We are proud to be part of this university partnership and are convinced that the future brings with it new opportunities for exploration and development in the cultural and technological fields."

 Evelin Melinda Macho, Head of Service at the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research, was deeply impressed by what she saw, highlighting the positive impact that involving students and teachers in digital development can have on cities and society in general.

Dr. Franz Fidler, Head of the Department of Digital and Media Technologies and Professor at the Fachhochschule St. Pölten, was also amazed by the impressive results achieved by the students in the project. His impression was that everything looks as if it was done by professionals and gives an excellent image of Timisoara and its heritage.

"The first time I was told that everything I saw here today was made entirely by students, I was deeply impressed, because everything looks and behaves as if it was made by specialist agents. It also gives a very good impression of your city, what it stands for and the heritage that the Spotlight Heritage Timisoara project supports."

A unique virtual and mixed reality experience 

One of the focal points of the event was the opportunity for participants to explore Timisoara from a digital perspective. With the help of virtual reality and mixed reality applications developed by students and professors of Politehnica University Timișoara, visitors had the opportunity to experience the city in an innovative and exciting way. From 3D scanned images to models of heritage objects and the possibility to travel through the city at their own pace, all contributed to create a unique experience.

Denis Naszarovsz, a student from Latvia representing the E³UDRES² Student Representative Council, was impressed by the digital applications, expressing his enthusiasm for his experience: "It was an amazing experience because I had never experienced anything like it before. What I liked most was that there are so many things to do in these apps: you can view 3D scanned images, models of heritage objects or just walk around the city, see everything in a different light and visit everything at your own pace."

Spotlight Heritage Timisoara - A successful collaboration between past and future

The event represented a fruitful collaboration between higher education institutions and highlighted the technological and cultural potential of Timisoara. With enthusiastic participants and memorable digital experiences, Spotlight Heritage Timisoara demonstrated once again that the future and the past can coexist in perfect harmony in a city rich in history and creativity.

Evelin Melinda Macho, Head of Service at the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research: "I am very surprised by what you have achieved, because this holographic vision I have not seen anywhere before. It is a first for me what I saw today from Spotlight Heritage Timisoara and I am proud of my Romanian roots and that I had the opportunity to see what you have achieved. I also think it is absolutely important to involve students and teachers in this kind of digital development for a city. Students are the future of our cities and our society, and they will have to live with these experiences they have and the ones they have at university."

Read more information about International Festival of Digital Culture & Spotlight Heritage Timisoara from Austria you find HERE.

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

Event information is also available on:

• Web page: https://spotlight-timisoara.eu/ 
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SpotlightHeritageTimisoara/ 
• Twitter : @spotlight_TM21 
• Instagram : @spotlight_tm

The event is part of the Spotlight Heritage Timisoara digital cultural initiative, part of the Timisoara 2023 European Capital of Culture Cultural Programme. Cultural project co-funded by the Timisoara City Project Centre, Timis County Council, Ministry of Culture, Romania. In Austria, the project is presented at the initiative of the Fachhochschule St. Pölten and the European University Alliance E³UDRES².