From aggregation to data space participation: assessing the readiness of European cultural heritage portals for the common European data space

Purpose The large-scale digitisation of cultural heritage has positioned Europe at the forefront of developing shared digital infrastructures for access, research and innovation. Within the broader European data strategy framework, the adoption of Commission Recommendation (EU) 2021 / 1970, this landscape is undergoing a paradigmatic shift from primarily discovery-oriented aggregation platforms toward the Common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage (CEDSCH). This framework reconceptualises cultural heritage data as reusable, governable and machine-actionable data within a federated European ecosystem. This paper aims to examine the extent to which the existing cultural heritage portals are prepared to function as the elements of this emerging data space. Design/methodology/approach Building on a systematic review of European policy instruments and relevant research on collections as data, the study develops a comparative evaluation framework comprising 12 criteria (C1–C12). These criteria cover governance, licensing, persistent identification, documentation, interoperability, semantic enrichment, computational reuse, preservation, participation and alignment with European data space principles. Using this framework, the paper analyses 17 cultural heritage portals across Europe, alongside Europeana, based exclusively on publicly available documentation. Findings The results reveal a structurally mature yet functionally heterogeneous ecosystem. While most portals demonstrate strong alignment with European aggregation standards and policy objectives, only a limited subset currently provides the reuse-oriented, machine-actionable and governance-aware services required for full participation in a federated data space. The analysis identifies differentiated readiness profiles, ranging from high-readiness node leaders to aggregation-centric portals requiring targeted reuse upgrades and specialist sectoral infrastructures best positioned as service nodes. Across the sample, the central structural gap lies not in access or interoperability for discovery, but in dataset-level reuse practices, semantic depth, persistent identification and computational access. Research limitations/implications The analysis is based solely on publicly available documentation and does not include direct technical testing, interviews, or institutional self-assessments. As a result, some services or capabilities that are not publicly documented may not be reflected in the evaluation. Originality/value The paper provides one of the first systematic, criteria-based comparative assessments of European cultural heritage portals in relation to the emerging CEDSCH. By reframing portals as potential nodes within a federated data space, it offers an evidence-based foundation for policy coordination, infrastructural investment and future benchmarking of cultural heritage data spaces in Europe.