NETTIES (Networking Entities) International Conference 2023, Timisoara

Renowned experts in immersive AR/VR and digital technologies used in culture and education gathered in Timisoara for the international conference NETTIES 2023. This year’s conference theme was “Digital Society: Synergies between Art, Culture, and Digital Technologies”.

Politehnica University Timisoara, in collaboration with the International Association for eScience – IAFeS and E3UDRES2 (Alliance of European Universities) with E.I.N.S, hosted the International Conference NETTIES (Networking Entities) 2023, which took place over two days in Timisoara and online.  

NETTIES 2023 brought together international experts in virtual and augmented reality technologies, digital cultural and educational applications, and digital transformation in the creative industries from Austria, the USA, Norway, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Lithuania, Greece, and Romania. The event provided participants with a platform for exchanging knowledge, experience, and innovative ideas to strengthen efforts for the integration of digital technologies in academia and the exploitation of their potential in support of users.

The conference featured 25 leading experts on topics highly relevant to digital technologies and education. The topics covered included the use of immersive AR/VR technologies, haptic technologies, artificial intelligence, and other digital technologies in the cultural and creative industries and in education to support users. The conference was attended by more than 60 professionals in Timisoara and more than 150 online participants, and the presentations generated both interest and a series of questions and debates from participants. 

The AugmentedWearEdu workshop, which brought together 8 specialists, was a particularly important part of the conference. They presented different applications and results achieved in a European Erasmus+ project. Topics covered included haptic technologies, immersive learning, virtual and augmented reality, and artistic and educational applications of immersive technologies. 

The conference also included a Digital Culture and Heritage session, part of the Spotlight Heritage Timisoara project, where 10 experts in culture, cultural industries, and digital arts from Norway, the USA, and Romania presented their experiences with cultural, social, or artistic projects using digital technologies and their impact on the promotion and preservation of cultural heritage. This workshop, which was funded by the EEA and Norway Grants, enabled the transfer of knowledge dedicated to the improvement of the capacity of the creative industries in Timisoara and Romania. 

Prof. Dr. Eng. Radu Vasiu, President of IAFeS and UPT Senate, and Director of the Multimedia Research Centre, said: “NETTIES 2023 has been an exceptional opportunity to bring together specialists from all over the world and to explore innovative ways to integrate digital technologies into the cultural and academic education. We were delighted to be able to host this event in Timisoara and to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and practice in the field of digital culture and education”.

The NETTIES 2023 conference was an important step in the promotion of digital technologies in the academic and cultural environment and demonstrated the commitment of Politehnica University Timisoara and its partners to provide high-quality education, to achieve a growing openness to the socio-cultural environment and to remain at the cutting edge of technological innovation.