UNESCO and Arius Technology Forge Landmark Partnership to Digitally Preserve Global Cultural Heritage
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Arius Technology Europa Italia Srl have officially entered into a Cooperation Agreement to preserve, valorize, and expand access to some of the world's most significant cultural and documentary heritage.
The agreement was signed on October 2 by Julien Pellaux, UNESCO Director of Partnerships, and Marco Antonio Soriano, Chief Executive Officer of Arius Technology and the man behind the wheel of this initiative whose leadership power a multi-year effort to create ultra-high-resolution digital “twins” of irreplaceable artifacts and artworks—helping safeguard cultural memory for future generations.
Preserving UNESCO Archives and Art Collection
The first phase of the digitization campaign is scheduled for the latter half of 2026 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, with initial priorities focused on fragile, oversized, and non-standard archival materials where advanced 3D scanning provides clear added value.
Marking a major milestone at UNESCO: (From left) Marco Antonio Soriano, CEO of Arius Technology Europa Italia Srl, Andrea Cassoni, Managing Director of ABB Robotics General Industry, and Patrick Bruce-Lockhart, Chief Revenue Officer of Arius Technology.
Key historical items slated for digital preservation include:
• Selected works from the renowned UNESCO art collection, as well as emblematic architectural spaces within UNESCO Headquarters historical building.
• The original register of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict
• The exclusive UNESCO poster collection, featuring original contributions by acclaimed artists including Sonia Delaunay
• The International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation Livre d'Or and several UNESCO Livres d’Or spanning decades, including the most recent guest book signed by Pope Léon XIV
• The UNESCO Human Rights exhibition kit
• The earliest, uniquely formatted issues of the UNESCO Courier
Open Standards for Lasting Access
To ensure long-term accessibility and data sovereignty, resulting high-resolution files will be delivered to UNESCO using open, format-agnostic standards —including the Stanford Polygon format (PLY) —avoiding dependency on proprietary software.
From Digital Twins to Documentary Storytelling
Looking ahead, the agreement also creates a pathway to integrate Arius's scanning capability into UNESCO's “Dive into Heritage” initiative—enabling digitally captured preservation of complex physical assets worldwide, including:
• sculptures
• mosaics
• frescoes
• rock-art heritage sites
To document the impact of this technology-conservation partnership, UNESCO and Arius Technology plan to jointly develop a documentary film highlighting the meticulous digitization work underway—and reaffirming UNESCO's enduring role as a steward of knowledge and heritage.
A Breakthrough Digitization Initiative Built for Heritage at Scale
Through this pro bono collaboration, Arius Technology will deploy its specialized 2D and 3D digitization systems, engineered to capture micro-reliefs, textures, and structural properties that conventional photography or scanning methods cannot reliably see.
To deliver exceptional precision, robotic automation, and secure long-term preservation, Arius will be supported by a consortium of technology partners, including:
• Kamanga.io
• AWA & Piql
• ABB Robotics
From UNESCO HQ to the Heart of Monaco: Meet Arius Pioneers at the Club Vivanova Gala
Members of the Arius executive team are honoured to be attending the Club Vivanova Royal Charity Gala in November. This special event is held under the High Patronage and Presence of H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, who is known for her patronage and love of the arts, and supports two remarkable Monegasque charities: Fight Aids Monaco and Écoute Cancer Réconfort.
Arius is honored to support such causes and attend the gala, which also offers an exclusive opportunity for collectors, cultural leaders, and Club Vivanova members to meet the Arius leadership team. Attendees will gain first-hand insight into Arius' groundbreaking 3D laser technology, explore the future of fine art digital preservation, and discover how sub-micron scanning is transforming both art conservation and luxury asset stewardship.
Learn more about the gala and purchase tickets from Club Vivanova
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