INESC-ID is a partner in NARRATIA, a new Horizon Europe project that will combine generative AI and immersive technologies to turn heritage visits into personalised stories. Visitors become the protagonists, meeting historical characters on location and co-authoring narratives set in the physical space around them.

NARRATIA addresses a common problem: many of Europe’s heritage sites draw few visitors, because they are only partially preserved or presented in ways that do not reach every audience. Coordinated by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, the project brings together 13 partners from seven countries. The project, which started on 1 September 2026 and will run for 30 months, held its kick-off meeting from 21 to 23 September in Madrid and in the province of Cuenca, where partners visited the sites of the two Spanish pilots.

INESC-ID’s participation is led by Rui Prada, researcher at INESC-ID’s AI for People and Society scientific area (at GAIPS) and Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico. The team will develop the gameplay components of the experience and help build the generative AI engine that creates the stories.

“We have extensive experience in creating interaction scenarios with characters whose behaviour is generated by AI, and in creating games for learning,” says Rui Prada. “This project lets us take part in developing an innovative system that applies generative AI with real impact at six heritage sites in five European countries.”

To keep the storytelling rigorous, the project will combine creative freedom with safeguards for historical accuracy, ethical integrity and cultural sensitivity. The pilots in five countries, from archaeological parks and medieval routes to baroque cities and UNESCO sites, will test the approach: Segóbriga and the Route of the Order of Santiago in Spain, Valle Camonica in Italy, Delos in Greece, Klatovy in the Czech Republic and Tampere in Finland. The pilots will also serve as use cases for the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage.

Learn more about NARRATIA on CORDIS and follow the project on LinkedIn.

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Image: © 2026 NARRATIA