Immersive technologies and the sustainability transition: A critical review of their integration in cultural heritage and museums

Mónica Edwards-Schachter; Chuan Li

Journal of Engineering and Technology Management. No.Volume 81, Article 101981

This article examines the integration of immersive technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Extended Reality (XR), Mixed Reality (MR) and the metaverse, in cultural heritage and museums within the context of the green, digital and social sustainability transition. Based on a bibliometric and qualitative analysis of 479 publications and a meta-review of 19 selected studies, the research identifies eight thematic clusters and highlights the uneven integration of environmental and social sustainability alongside digital transformation. The findings also point to the emergence of museums as hybrid innovation spaces connecting technology, territories and community...

This article examines the integration of immersive technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Extended Reality (XR), Mixed Reality (MR) and the metaverse, in cultural heritage and museums within the context of the green, digital and social sustainability transition. Based on a bibliometric and qualitative analysis of 479 publications and a meta-review of 19 selected studies, the research identifies eight thematic clusters and highlights the uneven integration of environmental and social sustainability alongside digital transformation. The findings also point to the emergence of museums as hybrid innovation spaces connecting technology, territories and community engagement

Evaluating culture-led growth strategies in Asian economies: A multi-regional input-output analysi

Fernando Álvarez-Teresa, Chuan Li, Rafael Boix-Domènech, Pau Rausell-Köster

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. No.In press

Culture-led development strategies have been widely adopted across Asian economies to stimulate territorial growth through diverse policies and initiatives aimed at promoting cultural and creative industries (CCIs). This paper attempts to evaluate the economic impact of cultural and creative industries in the Asian region using a Global Multi-Regional Input-Output (GMRIO) model. Results show that, according to the GMRIO multipliers, an additional $1 million of final demand in CCIs corresponds to $1.59 million in value-added, $0.70 million in income, and 80 jobs. However, the effects vary regionally and depend on development paths: Eastern Asia shows strong value-added and income multipliers...

Culture-led development strategies have been widely adopted across Asian economies to stimulate territorial growth through diverse policies and initiatives aimed at promoting cultural and creative industries (CCIs). This paper attempts to evaluate the economic impact of cultural and creative industries in the Asian region using a Global Multi-Regional Input-Output (GMRIO) model. Results show that, according to the GMRIO multipliers, an additional $1 million of final demand in CCIs corresponds to $1.59 million in value-added, $0.70 million in income, and 80 jobs. However, the effects vary regionally and depend on development paths: Eastern Asia shows strong value-added and income multipliers but weaker employment effects, while Southern and South-Eastern Asia display the opposite trend. Mainland China stands out with high multipliers across all dimensions, reflecting the combination of large market and structural characteristics of its economy. These findings highlight how the observed structural differences in multiplier effects suggest potential trade-offs: more developed economies show higher value-added and income multipliers, while lower-income economies tend to have higher employment multipliers. These patterns can inform discussions and strategic planning on how CCIs may be leveraged according to regional characteristics.

Creative Hubs and Regional Innovation: Intermediary Institutions in the Mediterranean Textile Sector

Raúl Abeledo-Sanchis, Virgilio Pérez, Pau Rausell-Köster

Regional Science Policy & Practice. No.Volume 18, Issue 11

This paper examines how intermediary organizations—Creative Hubs—can foster cross-sectoral innovation between Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) and the traditional Textile and Clothing (T&C) sector. Drawing on evidence from the EU-funded CreativeWear project (2016–2019) across five Mediterranean regions, it analyses how hubs mobilise creative, symbolic, and place-based knowledge within industrial innovation processes, facilitate collaboration between creative and industrial actors, and contribute to regional innovation policy. The findings identify three interrelated intermediary functions—matchmaking, adding value, and connecting—and show how territorially embedded hubs can support...

This paper examines how intermediary organizations—Creative Hubs—can foster cross-sectoral innovation between Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) and the traditional Textile and Clothing (T&C) sector. Drawing on evidence from the EU-funded CreativeWear project (2016–2019) across five Mediterranean regions, it analyses how hubs mobilise creative, symbolic, and place-based knowledge within industrial innovation processes, facilitate collaboration between creative and industrial actors, and contribute to regional innovation policy. The findings identify three interrelated intermediary functions—matchmaking, adding value, and connecting—and show how territorially embedded hubs can support place-based innovation while facing persistent challenges of institutionalisation within regional innovation systems and Smart Specialisation frameworks.

Los intépretes como datos: trabajo creativo impulsado por IA y la gobernanza de la interpretación digital en China y Estados Unidos.

Yexin Lyu; Chuan Li

This chapter examines the use of generative artificial intelligence in film, television and entertainment through the specific case of digital replicas and synthetic performers. It analyses how these technologies enable the creation, modification and reuse of performances without the continuous participation of human actors, generating new opportunities for production efficiency while also raising concerns about employment displacement, intellectual property, personality rights, consent, data governance and consumer protection. The study compares the regulatory approaches adopted in China and the United States. China follows a predominantly state-led model based on administrative...

This chapter examines the use of generative artificial intelligence in film, television and entertainment through the specific case of digital replicas and synthetic performers. It analyses how these technologies enable the creation, modification and reuse of performances without the continuous participation of human actors, generating new opportunities for production efficiency while also raising concerns about employment displacement, intellectual property, personality rights, consent, data governance and consumer protection. The study compares the regulatory approaches adopted in China and the United States. China follows a predominantly state-led model based on administrative regulation, content governance and the protection of personality rights, while the United States relies on a multilevel framework combining federal initiatives, state legislation, contractual safeguards and industry self-regulation. Despite these differences, both systems converge around personality rights, licensing requirements and transparency obligations. The chapter concludes that neither framework sufficiently addresses workplace surveillance, algorithmic monitoring or growing platform power, and argues that future regulation should combine legal measures with ethical standards, economic incentives and broader mechanisms of social governance

Pages 279–292. Yexin Lyu is a doctoral researcher in Cultural Industries Management at the Communication University of China. Chuan Li is Assistant Professor of Applied Economics at the Universitat de València

¿Quién hizo qué? Transparencia y agencia en la contribución cultural creativa entre humanos e IA: el gradiente de medida HAICCS (Human–AI Creative Contribution Scale).

Amparo Oliver; Francesc Felipe; Pau Rausell

This chapter introduces the Human–AI Creative Contribution Scale, or HAICCS, as a conceptual and operational instrument for representing the distribution of human and artificial-intelligence agency in hybrid cultural production. The proposal seeks to move beyond binary labels that classify a work simply as human-made or AI-generated. Instead, it establishes a seven-level ordinal gradient ranging from predominantly autonomous artificial production to exclusively human authorship, with balanced human–AI co-authorship at its midpoint. The chapter presents preliminary psychometric evidence based on more than 400 responses from the general population and examines the scale’s internal...

This chapter introduces the Human–AI Creative Contribution Scale, or HAICCS, as a conceptual and operational instrument for representing the distribution of human and artificial-intelligence agency in hybrid cultural production. The proposal seeks to move beyond binary labels that classify a work simply as human-made or AI-generated. Instead, it establishes a seven-level ordinal gradient ranging from predominantly autonomous artificial production to exclusively human authorship, with balanced human–AI co-authorship at its midpoint. The chapter presents preliminary psychometric evidence based on more than 400 responses from the general population and examines the scale’s internal consistency, dimensionality and relationships with established measures of critical thinking and AI literacy. The findings provide initial support for interpreting HAICCS as a unidimensional and understandable framework for identifying different levels of AI involvement in cultural creation. The authors propose its potential use in cultural metadata, provenance systems, public communication and future regulatory frameworks aimed at strengthening transparency, authorship recognition, responsibility and trust in hybrid creative ecosystems.

Pages 183–192. Amparo Oliver is affiliated with ARMAQoL, while Francesc Felipe and Pau Rausell are affiliated with Econcult. All three affiliations are within the Universitat de València

La IA generativa y la reconfiguración del valor cultural: autoría, plataformas y gobernanza en el ecosistema creativo europeo.

Víctor Fernández Pallarés

This chapter analyses generative artificial intelligence as a process of structural reorganisation within the European digital cultural ecosystem. It examines how generative models, platform infrastructures and algorithmic mediation are transforming cultural production, redistributing creative agency and modifying the mechanisms through which economic and symbolic value are captured. The chapter situates generative AI within longer-term processes of digitalisation, datafication and platformisation rather than treating it as an isolated technological disruption. It discusses the destabilisation of conventional notions of authorship and originality in hybrid human–machine environments, as...

This chapter analyses generative artificial intelligence as a process of structural reorganisation within the European digital cultural ecosystem. It examines how generative models, platform infrastructures and algorithmic mediation are transforming cultural production, redistributing creative agency and modifying the mechanisms through which economic and symbolic value are captured. The chapter situates generative AI within longer-term processes of digitalisation, datafication and platformisation rather than treating it as an isolated technological disruption. It discusses the destabilisation of conventional notions of authorship and originality in hybrid human–machine environments, as well as the growing role of platforms in controlling visibility, recommendation, audience access and monetisation. The analysis concludes that the central issue is not simply whether machines can create culturally relevant content, but who controls the infrastructures through which culture is produced, circulated, legitimised and economically valued. It therefore frames generative AI as a matter of cultural governance, platform power and digital cultural sovereignty.

Pages 143–154. The author is affiliated with the Universitat de València and Econcult and participates in the European projects AI-SECRETT and AISHA. ORCID: 0000-0002-0595-516X

AI slop, plataformas audiovisuales y derechos digitales: la crisis de la descubribilidad y la desigualdad en el acceso en la era de la inteligencia artificial generativa.

Francesc Felipe-Campillo

This chapter examines AI slop as a structural consequence of the convergence between generative automation, digital platforms and attention-based economic models. Rather than treating AI slop merely as low-quality, artificially generated content, it analyses it as a form of audiovisual production specifically adapted to algorithmic recommendation systems that reward scalability, frequency, engagement and continuous monetisation. The chapter explores how platforms such as YouTube organise cultural visibility, determine discoverability and increasingly operate as private regulators of audiovisual circulation. It argues that the proliferation of automated content contributes to a broader...

This chapter examines AI slop as a structural consequence of the convergence between generative automation, digital platforms and attention-based economic models. Rather than treating AI slop merely as low-quality, artificially generated content, it analyses it as a form of audiovisual production specifically adapted to algorithmic recommendation systems that reward scalability, frequency, engagement and continuous monetisation. The chapter explores how platforms such as YouTube organise cultural visibility, determine discoverability and increasingly operate as private regulators of audiovisual circulation. It argues that the proliferation of automated content contributes to a broader crisis of cultural relevance and exposure diversity, reinforcing inequalities between actors with different technical, economic and analytical capacities. The chapter situates these transformations within the framework of digital rights and algorithmic governance, highlighting concerns related to transparency, accountability, concentration of platform power and meaningful access to culturally diverse content.

Pages 169–182. The chapter is affiliated with Econcult and the Universitat de València. It was developed within the AI-SECRETT project, coordinated by the Universitat de València and co-funded by the European Union under the Digital Europe Programme.

La mirada económica sobre la cultura en el desarrollo rural: Evidencias,limitaciones y oportunidades

Rausell Köster, Pau

VII UNIVERSIDAD DE VERANO ARAS DE LOS OLMOS CIENCIA Y DESARROLLO RURAL LA CULTURA Y LA GESTIÓN CULTURAL PARA EL DESARROLLO RURAL SOSTENIBLE.

Aquesta publicació recull les ponències presentades a la VII Universitat d'Estiu d'Ares dels Olms (2024), dedicada a l'anàlisi del paper de la cultura i la gestió cultural com a eines per al desenvolupament rural sostenible. Els diferents capítols aborden qüestions relacionades amb la transferència de coneixement, el patrimoni cultural, la participació ciutadana, la innovació territorial, les indústries culturals i creatives i les polítiques culturals aplicades als entorns rurals. L'obra ofereix una visió interdisciplinària sobre les oportunitats que la cultura genera per combatre la despoblació i reforçar la cohesió social i territorial.

https://roderic.uv.es/items/c25ce764-dbd5-4d64-b8e8-7e5f52a44732

Development of a Geographic Database on Spanish Theaters: A Comprehensive Tool for Analyzing Cultural Infrastructure.

Virgilio Pérez, Vicente Coll & Pau Rausell-Köster

The cultural sector plays a significant role in economic and social development, contributing to approximately 3% of the world’s GDP. Despite its importance, detailed spatial analysis of cultural infrastructures has been hindered by a lack of comprehensive databases. This study presents the development of the Spanish Theatre Geo-Database, a unique dataset that integrates geospatial and cadastral information on public theatres in Spain. By combining data from the Spanish Cadastre and Redescena (the Spanish Network of Public Theatres), this database provides a replicable tool for analysing spatial endowment of cultural infrastructures. The methodology, although tailored for Spanish theatres,...

The cultural sector plays a significant role in economic and social development, contributing to approximately 3% of the world’s GDP. Despite its importance, detailed spatial analysis of cultural infrastructures has been hindered by a lack of comprehensive databases. This study presents the development of the Spanish Theatre Geo-Database, a unique dataset that integrates geospatial and cadastral information on public theatres in Spain. By combining data from the Spanish Cadastre and Redescena (the Spanish Network of Public Theatres), this database provides a replicable tool for analysing spatial endowment of cultural infrastructures. The methodology, although tailored for Spanish theatres, is highly adaptable and can be applied to other infrastructure studies. Four indicators—Theatre Density Rate (TDR), Theatre Area Rate (TAR), Public Building Density Rate (PBDR), and Public Building Area Rate (PBAR)—are proposed to quantify public investment in cultural facilities. The results reveal marked territorial heterogeneity and statistically significant spatial clustering, especially for theatre density, patterns that remain robust under sensitivity checks. These findings underline the importance of integrating cultural infrastructure into spatial planning agendas, while also highlighting the need for more complete data to fully capture regional differences. Future work could extend the dataset to additional variables and territories, enabling more precise analysis and evidence-based cultural policy both in Spain and internationally.