When Pope Léon XIV signed a guest book at UNESCO headquarters recently, few could have predicted that the same technology used to preserve that moment would soon be deployed across the organization’s most fragile and irreplaceable treasures. That scenario is now unfolding, as UNESCO has formalized a cooperation agreement with Arius Technology Europa Italia Srl to create ultra-high-resolution digital “twins” of artworks and archival materials — a move that could reshape how cultural heritage is safeguarded for future generations.
ARIUS Technology takes Paris: Marco Antonio Soriano being interviewed at UNESCO.
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, g
The Pope and Dr. El-Anany stand before Malangatana Valente’s striking masterpiece, Jeunesse et paix, during a visit to UNESCO.
Preservation in action: Arius Technology begins the digital preservation process for Malangatana Valente’s Jeunesse et paix on October 9, shortly after the historic papal viewing.
UNESCO and Arius Technology Forge Landmark Partnership to Digitally Preserve Global Cultural Heritage
I am committed to advancing our shared mission #ForThePeople and for peace through education, culture, the sciences and information, together with our Member States, partners & teams around the world.”— Director-General of UNESCO is Dr. Khaled El-Enany
PARIS, PARIS, FRANCE, October 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — 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.
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
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About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and bringing people together by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 53 countries and oversees more than 2260 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of over 1500 Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and more than 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions. Its Director-General is Khaled El-Enany.
“Since wars begin in the minds of people, it is in the minds of people that the defences of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
More information: https://www.unesco.org/en
About Arius Technology
Arius Technology Europa Italia Srl is a specialized firm delivering ultra-high-resolution digitization and replication of artworks, heritage objects, and documentary materials. Based in Milan, Italy, the company uses advanced optical technology to capture precise physical geometry of fine art—empowering institutions to study, preserve, and share global heritage.
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Media Contacts
For UNESCO:
• Ms. Marie Guilleus — Conservation Attachée
• Email: m.guilleus@unesco.org
• Phone: +33 1 45 68 00 97
For Arius Technology:
• Mr. Marco Antonio Soriano — Chief Executive Officer
• Email: msoriano@ariustechnology.com
• Phone: +39 389 206 0725
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Why it matters: This agreement represents a pivotal shift in how international institutions approach heritage conservation, moving from passive documentation to active digital preservation that can withstand natural disasters, conflict, and the ravages of time. By using open standards and pro bono technology partnerships, UNESCO is setting a precedent that could make high-fidelity digital preservation accessible to cultural institutions worldwide, ensuring that humanity’s collective memory remains accessible even as physical artifacts deteriorate.
